Pakatan needs fresh leaders to represent Sabah and Sarawak if they want to have any chance to capture more seats in Sabah

By A Sabahan

Has any leader in Pakatan Rakyat even wonder why they failed in Sabah, Sarawak and also failed to shift the majority of Indians away from supporting Barisan National?

People are funny, I suppose. It is hard to understand why it is the most disadvantaged groups who continue to inflict harm on themselves by continuing to support Barisan Natioanl even though they know these people are corrupt.

Despite the ailing condition of the MIC, the Indian community, still at least 50%, seem to be moving back towards Barisan National.

I would say even in Sabah there are still significant numbers if you do not count the new citizens which are part of project IC by Encik Mahathir (I do not recognise his so-called fake “titles”) still continue to support Barisan National through the local parties such as PBS, UPKO even UMNO with local leaders. 

Sabahan in the bandar areas did start to warm up to Pakatan Rakyat but it is hard to support Pakatan Rakyat when you hardly heard of any of the candidates before.

Many including myself don’t even know anyone in Pakatan Rakyat and how their characters were exactly in the last general election. We just voted for Pakatan Rakyat mainly because we were just fed up with the rampant corrupt pracitces plaguing the nation. Many will never go to any political rally because frankly we do not feel like we are part of the movement. Many like myself will just vote on the day of the election based on what we already feel and believe. Mostly through talk in the coffee shops where we continue discussions about issues we found online.

Many however will not do that, if they don’t see anyone they can trust. They will simply not bother going to vote. They need someone they can see who has integrity who can lead and motivate before they vote. To put it bluntly, Pakatan Rakyat lacks visible leaders in Sabah, Sarawak and from Indian community who can be seen to be dependable and with integrity.

I can’t speak for Sarawak but Taib looks like he still holds quite a strong grip there. For one, Sarawakians probably see him as the only way to keep UMNO out. Mostly, I think because there is simply no visible alternative just like in Sabah. Pakatan is probably still considered an outsider just like in Sabah because there are simply a lack of local leaders who have the necessary charisma to convince the locals just like in Sabah. I have not heard of anyone from Sarawak yet who stands out. In fact I have not seen a single one from my homeland Sabah whom I can say is even strong enough to fight for Sabah’s rights.

Pakatan seriously needs to aggressively look for ways to get the younger generation involved so that they can produce younger educated leaders in Sabah and Sarawak and also young leaders from the Indian community. It is not only important to groom these leaders but slowly push them to become visible and also vocal in the affairs of the state and nation. 

Failure to do so now, will leave Pakatan looking like they are rushing and accepting the first empty cans who only know how to make a lot of noise when election comes. It will only makes Pakatan look like a bunch of unknowns or worse, botol baru penuh dengan susu busuk.

As a local in Sabah, I say Pakatan should start fresh; forget about the current politicians that are currently courting you in Sabah. As a Sabahan who is a Pakatan supporter (non-member), I can say out right now I do not trust Jeff Kitingan or even Yong Teli and I doubt I am alone on this. 

If Pakatan selects them, I will probably still vote grudgingly for Pakatan but I doubt those that Pakatan urgently need to convince the most right now will vote for Pakatan. They would simply not bother going out to vote. 

Don’t worry about people like me, worry and target those people who do not see any visible Pakatan leaders who are fresh. PBS last time wiped out Barisan National from Sabah because we have a single guy who can be seen as a visible leader, an oak who will not be moved even when his homeland Tambunan was threaten to be flooded for a “Bakun like dam project”.

Someone whom everyone looks up to and says yes, he is someone who fights for the right of the people namely Pairin Kitingan. He has sadly since, through the need for political survival, attached himself to Barisan National. 

It was sad for many in Sabah including myself when that happened. I didn’t bother voting for quite a few elections. Only recently when the political tsunami in Peninsular happened that many in Sabah started to feel there is light at the end of a really long tunnel.

That is why Pakatan Rakyat needs to find a focal point, a leader or a group of leaders in Sabah/Sarawak/Indian community, who are educated, driven, fresh and make them visible nationwide for Sabah, Sarawak and the Indian community to look up to. 

I urge Sabahans, Sarawakians, Indians to try and work with Pakatan Rakyat. At the same time I strongly urge Pakatan Rakyat leaders to aggresively court Sabahan, Sarawakian and Indian communities now. Don’t wait until it is election time to spend your time to recruit members in Sabah, Sarawak and from the Indian community and others as well. 

If Pakatan Rakyat leaders are smart, they will not wait and do it soon. Pakatan needs to create an avenue for each of these groups and others as well to discuss on the ground (local party meetings) and then update the details online so that more can join the movement of change.  

If just one leader from each group is found or even seen through active discussion/reports of discussion, maybe just maybe the rest of their community will rally behind those leaders to kickstart a movement of change throughout the country.