Selangor crisis further entrenched

It will be a total misfortune to the country if Selangor’s MB crisis is exploited into a grand congregation for conservative powers in the country.

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

The Selangor Sultan rebuked PKR and DAP for only submitting one name for the post of MB, calling it an act of rebellion and disrespect. This has put a lot of pressure on both parties under the country’s constitutional monarchy system.

It is within everyone’s prediction that public consensus will target specifically these two parties, bringing the MB crisis in Selangor into a state of “confrontation between PKR/DAP and the royal institution,” thus hastening the pace of PAS conservatives abandoning their Pakatan Rakyat allies.

If the Sultan eventually appoints PAS assemblyman to be the new MB, Umno is expected to throw its support behind the party, leaving us with the question how PKR and DAP are going to handle the mess. Their 30 assemblymen (assuming the two PAS reps remain loyal to Kak Wan) can always table a no-confidence vote against the new MB come the next state assembly sitting in November. However, this also marks a decisive split between PKR/DAP and the royalty, resulting in their loss of support votes from the royalists.

The Sultan’s strong-worded reprimand might pose some serious psychological pressure on the Malay reps in PKR, culminating in possible split within the party. Umno and pro-BN organizations will not let go of this opportunity to hit out at their rivals. How will Anwar react to this possibility?

From the Kajang Plan to Hadi’s Plan to the frustration of the state royalty, to be honest, Anwar is slowly pushing Pakatan Rakyat towards the edge of the cliff without he knowing it.

Judging from the recent remarks of PAS leaders, we can see that the contradictions between PKR and PAS has not come into being overnight. As the party’s more liberal central committee member Khalid Samad has said, PKR has been orchestrating its moves outside the knowledge of PAS, from the Kajang Plan to replacing the MB and nominating Kak Wan as the new MB, and this has infuriated majority of PAS members. PAS is unhappy with Anwar’s autocratic approach, making PAS look like a dumb follower.

Before the Sultan issued his decree on August 27, PKR and DAP insisted only to nominate Kak Wan alone, much to the frustration of the PAS conservatives. Nik Aziz has described PKR as a spoilt child.

Of course, miscommunication is only one of the reasons that have sparked the conflicts. PAS president Hadi Awang and Syura Council chairman Nik Aziz have reverted to the religious way after GE13 in a bid to win back the support of kampung voters, widening the gap with their allies in Pakatan.

Indeed the liberals are in control of the central committee. Nevertheless, the central committee’s resolutions have been repeatedly overturned by Hadi and the Syura Council. Hadi subsequently nominated a PAS assemblyman to the MB post, bypassing a central committee resolution last month in order to block Kak Wan, even though this could eventually lead to a split within the party.

The liberals did not confront Hadi in Sunday’s central committee meeting probably because they are planning for a reversal of fate in the delegates’ meeting in Johor later this month.

If in the delegates assembly they are unable to change the position of the party, a crack will very likely take place within the party, with more liberal party members quitting the party en masse for “PasMa.” Hadi has said he wouldn’t mind any dissident member quitting and forming a new party.

These leaders could quit PAS to form a new party and then join Pakatan to take the place of PAS in the opposition pact, which is what Pakatan supporters would hope to see in the end. But, given the long history and formidable grassroots organization, it will not be easy for the new party to clash heads-on with PAS and Umno.

With the exit of PAS, Pakatan will have a very hard time winning the Malay votes and the federal administration come the next general elections.

With the Pakatan menace now removed, Umno will not be under any pressure to carry on with its existing policies. Judging from the recent remarks of Umno leaders on the Sedition Act, we can see that the conservatives are gaining force in the party. This, coupled with the uncertainties in the state of Selangor, does not augur well for the country’s political reforms.

At this critical moment, it is imperative that Pakatan and the civil society should make out the calls for democracy in a bid to hamper the advances of conservative forces or the country would risk moving backward. However, will Pakatan leaders do so at a time they are so much engrossed with the MB issue?

It will be a total misfortune to the country if Selangor’s MB crisis is exploited into a grand congregation for conservative powers in the country.