Wysiwyg PKR
By batsman
Further to my appeal to PKR not to learn from Zahid, I figure my argument for inclusiveness is not complete and still missing something for it deals mainly with the after effects of problems and not the causes of problems.
I hope my earlier attempt to offer uninvited advice has not been flushed down the toilet and that this one will not suffer the same fate.
PKR is actually quite a transparent party. What you see is what you get. Many of the complaints regarding it stem from what it is – strong politics and weak organization. Politics rules the roost. For a serious party, this is not enough.
In dealing with the after effects of problems, I argued that PKR needs to be inclusive with regards to loyal dissenters and valid complaints and let organisational specialists handle the acts of sabotage by embedded saboteurs. This is necessary to separate politics from organization. Each has its problems and need to be solved in separate and distinct ways. I argued that it will be a bad mistake to use political methods to solve organisational problems.
The problems were actually allowed into PKR in the first place which resulted in creative descriptions of Trojan Horses to describe some of these problems that consequently arose.
When ex-BN biggies such as Zaid and Jui Meng joined PKR, the political decision was made to welcome them. This is a correct thing to do since PKR needed to be inclusive and not exclusive. Unfortunately the organisational side was not taken into account.
Zaid and Jui Meng should have been told that the best the organisational can do is to place them in middling positions not in the top executive committee even if the political leadership welcomes them and values their involvement. By placing them in top leadership positions, several things kick into motion immediately.
First it was a political decision by the top leadership. The rest of the party was not consulted and the organisational needs of the party were neglected. These ex-BN leaders were not elected into the positions they were placed in. This actually assumes that the service given to BN by these ex-BN leaders is placed on par with service for PKR. Does this mean that if Najib is kicked out of UMNO and joins the PKR, he can take over the top leadership of PKR? Does this mean then that UMNO or MCA is the same as the PKR and that UMNO or MCA leaders can be easily interchangeable with PKR leaders? I hope not.
Secondly, these ex-BN leaders not only brought in their own personalities and characteristics, they also brought in UMNO and MCA habits. This can be handled if such leaders were placed in middling positions and they have to submit to PKR discipline and organisational norms before being allowed to be eligible for promotion. Unfortunately, by placing them in top positions, their personalities and habits gained great influence. If such personalities and habits match with PKR organisational norms and expectations, no marriage problems will have surfaced. Unfortunately existing PKR members – both leadership and grassroots never got used to new bodies being introduced into the old one and there was an allergic reaction.
Zaid has done right by resigning from all PKR organisational positions. This allows for a new beginning as long as both sides are willing to compromise. Are both sides wise enough and strong enough to try a 2nd marriage attempt?
As far as Jui Meng is concerned, he has to win over the members under him. To do this, he has to change his style of leadership and conform to what members expect. I don’t see any other way to resolve the issue amicably.
As for Azmin, if he has committed organisational mistakes, he must submit to discipline. I don’t know enough to say anything more. Other than that I wish he would open his mouth more and communicate more by persuasion than by pulling organizations strings. He is too mysterious for his own good. He needs a good PR manager badly.
In general PKR needs to polish up its organisational skills and strength. There is a glaring weakness here. Strangely enough, although Azmin needs to talk more, there is a need in PKR for people who work more than talk more. There is a need for strong organisational professionals who can tell their political counterparts to eff off if there is too much political interference in their work.
As for Anwar, I still don’t see anything wrong except for his tiff with RPK. It may just be a personal thing between friends. I hope it is. So guys – make up and kissy, kissy, kissy OK? Heeheehee.
