Pakatan’s failure: Blame its greed for political power
A decade of work is now on the verge of disappearing under a deluge of suspicion and fear raging through Pakatan Rakyat
Hussein Hamid, Berita Daily
Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang and the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz weaved PAS, DAP and PKR into Pakatan Rakyat. They did so sans deep pockets and large armies. They knew that somewhere in the mix was the promise of a credible opposition.
That soon came to pass when the coalition denied Barisan National of its two thirds majority in Parliament, and its formation of state governments in Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Kelantan and Penang in 2008.
Pakatan forever changed the political landscape of Malaysia by presenting the first credible challenge to Umno’s five decades of uncontested political domination – effectively putting in place a two-party system in Malaysian politics.
Political power, influence and privilege were now no longer the domain to be abused only by Barisan Nasion. It is also now Pakatan Rakyat’s to abuse as well. And abused it they did.
The party elections of DAP and PKR mirrored that of Umno. The only limitations being money – or the lack of it on the part of DAP and PKR.
What Anwar and Kit Siang were intent on doing was the ammassing of power and influence within their own parties through the election (by hook or by crook) of their own nominees. This they pursued with scant respect for what they have always professed to uphold: Free and fair elections.
I shudder to think how their party elections would be conducted if Pakatan was in government and they had the spoils available to those with political power to be divided at their whims and fancies for personal gains!
PAS is somewhat constrained by religious dictums – but again the tussle between the conservatives and the progressives have the same end – the getting of power and influence within PAS to fulfill personal agendas.
Thus, when PKR should have moved from strength to strength given the momentum it gained from the two general elections, sadly rigor mortis has set in.
A decade of work is now poised to disappear under a deluge of suspicions and fear raging through Pakatan Rakyat – suspicion and fear that invariably surfaces when race, religion, nepotism and the acquisition of material wealth becomes the priority of those who have secured power and influence within their political fiefdom.
With Anwar physically removed, PKR now has leaders that do not lead. The faction led by Anwar Ibrahim Inc now labours under the delusion that the sway Anwar held over PKR is now theirs by default.
Not so, says the newly minted MB of Selangor Azmin Ali, who has the masses within PKR on side. The tussle over the MB’s post truly reflects the realities in PKR and will continue to plague PKR as its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy Azmin wrestle to impose their authority over PKR.
Why Azizah and Azmin do not sit down together and put party before self can also be asked of those within DAP and PAS. Instead, what political advantages that they have fought so hard to win in the last decade have been squandered.
Squandered in the same manner as Umno had squandered the massive Malay vote reserves in the urban areas that they have had for over four decades for the very same reasons: Greed for political power and materialism.
It would seem that one without the other is unthinkable in the manner politics is played in Malaysia. And like Umno, Pakatan Rakyat too has succumbed to same.
Hussein Hamid is blogger steadyaku47 and has been blogging since 2009. He writes on all things social and political in Malaysia. He resides in Melbourne and maintains contact with acquaintances in Malaysia to keep abreast of developments.
