Time to transform Left Coalition into a third force

By admin-s On Aug 15, 2014

It is also time for the people to seriously reconsider their voting trend to prevent these two coalitions from becoming too powerful.

Victor Wong, The Ant Daily

As the people are getting fed up with the intense politicking of both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition Pakatan Rakyat, it is time for political parties outside of BN and Pakatan to seriously consider joining forces to become an alternative voice for the people. It is also time for the people to seriously reconsider their voting trend to prevent these two coalitions from becoming too powerful.

BN’s 1Malaysia has become a mere slogan of convenience instead of promoting a non-racial approach and national unity as the ruling coalition’s dominant Umno is expounding racial and religious extremism, hate politics and threats. Other BN component parties like MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP had failed to prevent Umno from swaying to the right and had since become irrelevant. Corruption, power abuse and mismanagement by the ruling coalition are still happening.

On Pakatan’s side, many promises made in the last two general elections remain unfulfilled and are fading away. Crucial ones like the restoration of local council elections and parliamentary reforms had not been pursued seriously by Pakatan-led state governments. It is known that one of the Pakatan component parties is not in favour of local council elections but did not publicly oppose it.

Are we expecting them to shirk more of their public responsibilities?

It was the people’s disillusionment with BN that prompted them to vote Pakatan, in the hope of strengthening the opposition bench for more effective checks and balances.

However, Pakatan has performed below the people’s expectations. So, should we then vote for BN again in the next general election despite knowing its past and current misdeeds and wrongdoings? The people should be more careful in their voting.

Due to such unfavourable political trends, many would opt to stay at home and not vote for any of the two coalitions come polling day, but will such boycotts from the silent majority move these two coalitions? Certainly it will not.