Life after Pakatan
The opposition pact once represented hope for a better Malaysia; so it is disappointing to see it collapse under the weight of egotism and stubbornness.
Scott Ng, Free Malaysia Today
After months of passive-aggressive sniping between DAP and PAS, the DAP has announced that Pakatan Rakyat, once seen as Malaysia’s brightest hope for replacing the jaded regime, is now no more. The loss of the first formidable opposition coalition in Malaysian politics will certainly be disappointing news to the many Malaysians who voted for an alternative to Barisan Nasional and leaves a huge power vacuum in the country’s political structure.
Lim Guan Eng proclaimed that a broad coalition will be formed with Pakatan’s original objectives in mind. Perhaps this cushions the disappointment somewhat, but it misses the symbolism of Pakatan as a focal point of hope, and this new grouping will have to deal with having to start from the ground up.
To some, the news comes as incredibly bitter, and it will be a long time before any opposition politician regains their trust. After all, what then were all the rallies for? For what were we beaten in the streets and chased by the police? For whom did we march out late at night to prevent any chicanery that may affect the outcome of the election?
The worst part of all this is that the only winner is Umno. For years, it predicted that PR would fall apart due to the incongruity in the ideologies of PAS and DAP, and it has been proven right. There will be some who argue that Umno was the hidden hand behind the dissolution of PR. Indeed, it was Umno’s constant flirtations with a unity government alongside PAS that proved to be a major wrench in the works. However, the Pakatan parties only have themselves to blame, with PAS taking the bait, the DAP reacting harshly against the ulama faction in PAS, and PKR unable to stand as intermediary between the two.
In truth, many did expect the clash of ideologies to come to a head sooner than it has. DAP’s and PAS’ mission statements were too incongruous, and with Anwar Ibrahim imprisoned, there was no viable mediator between the two to smooth ruffled feathers and to tell both sides to stand down.
So where will DAP, PAS, and PKR go now? Well, one imagines that DAP and PKR will stick with each other, as PAS has been the only party to be openly untrustworthy, especially with its constant flirting with Umno. In the new partnership, DAP would arguably be dominant, considering that it holds the most parliamentary seats. With PasMa looking to splinter off from the ulama-dominated PAS, it is likely that the progressives from the Islamist party will find their way back to the coalition, whatever it may be called after this.
