The unavoidable problems after the election
How are they going to resolve the problems? How are they going to appease those affected? How are they going to strike a balance?
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily
After the election, the winners enjoy no honeymoon period, while the losers have immediately plunged into a plight.
Umno is the biggest winner, while the DAP is also a winner. The MCA, Gerakan, SUPP are all losers. As for the PKR and PAS, they enjoy half victory and suffer half defeat.
Undercurrents filled with disputes are expected in the following party elections.
Let’s talk about Umno first. The confrontation between the hawks and doves within the leading BN component party is expected to be intensified due to the election result. In addition, although the party has won the election, it is now facing a difficult situation. A cabinet without Chinese representatives from the MCA and Gerakan would be a crippled cabinet. How is it going to face the people? How is it going to face the international community?
Both the MCA and Gerakan have decided not to accept any Cabinet posts. It seems righteous and sorrowful, but just like the suicide of Xiang Yu, a prominent military leader and political figure in the late Qin Dynasty, it is always disputable whether it is an act of a hero, or a coward.
Some people said that Xiang Yu might be able to revive and the history might change if he did not commit suicide. Unfortunately, he pursued a road with no way back.
However, it is the case in history. Once it is done, there will be no turning back.
Therefore, at this historical juncture, should Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, as the MCA’s head, insist on not taking any cabinet posts and lead the party into a situation with no future, or reflect, learn from his mistakes and call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to turn the crisis into an opportunity so that they can ponder over how they should revive the party?
Disputes have been expected and Chua is now facing pressure calling him to step down. The MCA has inevitably entered a troubled period and it all depends on itself to survive the crisis.
Next, let’s talk about MCA’s old rival, the DAP. Although the DAP has gained a big victory by winning 38 parliamentary seats, it still shares Pakatan Rakyat’s failure in taking over Putrajaya and the political deadlock in which most Malays are supporting the ruling coalition while most Chinese are supporting the opposition. In fact, it has also caught in a myth of how it should reset its political position. The more than 80% Chinese votes have reflected the Chinese high expectation on the DAP. It is indeed a driving force, but at the same time, also a heavy pressure. After the regime change target ended up in failure, how should it lead the Chinese, who are now having no idea of what course to follow or to take, out of the current political deadlock? What is the road map for the Chinese? These are no longer problems that can be solved with election slogans.
In addition, a number of incumbent lawmakers who were not fielded by the party’s leadership had contested as independent candidates. Although most of them eventually dropped out from the contest, it has still exposed the deteriorating factional problems of the DAP. In particular, the contradictions between Johor and Malacca party leaderships and the central leadership led by Lim Guan Eng has surfaced. How are they going to resolve the problems? How are they going to appease those affected? How are they going to strike a balance? These are unavoidableproblems within the DAP after the big victory.
As for PAS and the PKR, they have respectively lost one and two parliamentary seats, causing the hope of regime change to end up in frustration. What are the reasons behind the failure? How should they fight for more Malay votes? These questions should be studied by the two parties. If the retirement of Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat means that PAS has entered a new era of metabolism, should the PKR follow suits and enter a post-Anwar era, too? Who can replace him?
After the passion, it is time for us to calm down and rationally face the future!
