Has Selangor Pakatan done its best to make peace with Khalid?
Kuo Yong Kooi, The Malaysian Insider
The Pakatan Rakyat coalition in Selangor needs to be aware that there is a big difference between some Adun’s personal displeasure and the electorate’s displeasure of Khalid Ibrahim. At the end of the day, the electorate’s displeasure are the ones that determine whether Pakatan Rakyat will survive the next election.
The Merdeka Center pollster has shown to be fairly accurate and independent in their poll study. Why not do just that, commission a poll using the Merdeka Center on the issue of whether Khalid should stay or go? If he should be removed who would they prefer to replace him?
One should not lose sight that an unresolved spat here will very much determine the survival of Pakatan Rakyat in the next general election. It is therefore prudent for the Pakatan Aduns to make this decision not based on emotions.
An internal poll or internal party’s/colleague’s displeasure is sufficient to justify Khalid Ibrahim’s removal, but one should look at the big picture of “is there a general widespread displeasure/discontent amongst the electorate on Khalid’s leadership in Selangor?”
Yes the Kidex-highway is Khalid’s self-inflicted blow, but is the general discontent extends all over the state of Selangor or is it only confined to the Kidex highway affected electorates? The Selangor electorate will judge Khalid in the next election if he has done misdeeds on the water deal.
The bible seizure as in the issue of the racial and religious chaos created by Umno happens in other states too, there should be a consistent response by all Pakatan leaders on the national level. Unfortunately the PAS Kelantan ventures on Hudud created a self-inflicted blow on Pakatan’s response to the racial and religious strive.
The recent Australian Labour party leadership spat between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd is a classic example where a long running personal tussle between two leaders when not managed properly had led to a resounding electoral defeat of their own party in the last Australian federal election.
Kevin Rudd who led the Labour Party to victory on the 2007 federal election here is akin to Khalid Ibrahim who was known by his colleagues as a nerd, a workaholic and a self-style leader with little cabinet consultations during his tenure as a Prime Minister of Australia. His Labour party colleagues decided to replace him in favour of Julia Gillard who is more approachable by the party ranks.
Unfortunately Julia Gillard was not that popular to start with but she managed to scrape though the 2010 election to form a second term Labour minority government with the support of three independents.
Julia Gillard did not manage to recover from her low electorate’s approval ratings, the polls predicted an electoral wipe out for the Australian Labour party if she continues to be the Prime Minister leading to the 2013 general election. The Labour party changed their mind again by re-instating Kevin Rudd back as the Prime Minister six months before the 2013 general election. The rest is history.
This example above is quite similar here in Selangor at the moment where the potential replacement person might not be as popular as Khalid Ibrahim himself. If Pakatan Rakyat has got an overarching figure like Mandela, Aung Sang Su Chi or Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat waiting in the wings to replace the current MB, the leadership shuffle can be said as safe and secure.
Pakatan Rakyat has no such overarching popular figure at the moment; therefore it is wise for Selangor Pakatan Rakyat to commission a poll to find this out if all the potential replacement candidates have got the electorate’s approval ratings.
If the poll results show Dr Wan Azizah or Azmin Ali is more likeable by the electorate than Khalid, by all means make a no confidence motion in the state assembly and replace Khalid Ibrahim as Menteri Besar. If the results show otherwise, it is crucial that Selangor Pakatan should employ all conflict resolution avenues to mend the current situation with Khalid Ibrahim in agreement with his style of management. Any continued internal sabotage will only serve a personal interest instead of the long term Pakatan coalition interest.
There are many ways to spend the cash reserves that are agreeable by all parties concerns if the state’s cash reserve is the main issue of contention. Splash it all on improving public transports, re-greening Selangor and desalination plants to resolve the future Selangor water crisis is one that comes to mind. That could easily win the electorate’s hearts and mind for the next election.
The Pakatan coalition does not have a fix brand, ideology or style of government. The only fixed idea that binds it together is ABU (Asalkan bukan Umno; as long as it is not Umno) and clean/efficient administration. The other two Pakatan run states also suffered from the same problem of lack of consultation of other coalition members. The lack of consultation is not a good enough excuse to ask for Khalid’s removal.
One need to take note that the Australian Labour party failed miserable in the last election because of the leadership spat even it has a very long history of branding and balance of power between the left and the right factions within its ranks. The young and loose Pakatan coalition boat can easily tip if there is a shift in power.
The fact that PKR offered Khalid Ibrahim the job after the 2008 political tsunami cannot be changed. Some has rightly pointed out that the head of PKR should be the Selangor MB, but the past is past. Take it as a blessing in disguise. The Italian Parliament installed a technocrat Mario Monti as the Prime Minister from 2011 to 2013 to try to resolve their financial crisis where many politicians have failed before him.
The fact that Khalid led the Selangor Pakatan to a resounding victory in the last GE13 cannot be ignored.
