PR Flip Flop Needs to Stop

Selangor was not entrusted over to DAP or PAS or PKR alone; it was entrusted collectively to all three parties. A break up equates to all three component parties betraying their collective manifesto.

Mak Khuin Weng

Of late, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition has become the proverbial Schrödinger’s Cat, both dead and alive. While logic dictates that it cannot be both, Pakatan’s component parties perpetuate the confusion by issuing contradictory statements.

That Pakatan would continue these shenanigans at a time when our nation faces economic uncertainty (no thanks to Barisan Nasional’s 1MDB debacle, Pembinaan PFI and GST); we are forced to wonder if the opposition coalition has the best interests of the rakyat at heart.

The mounting venom from both DAP and PAS against each other is unbecoming given that they not only represent their parties but also the interests of a large number of people in the governments that they are entrusted with.

Selangor was not entrusted over to DAP or PAS or PKR alone; it was entrusted collectively to all three parties, as per their election manifestos and collective pledge to work together. A break up equates to all three component parties betraying their collective manifesto.

As a non-partisan group (we do not side with BN or PR), we are wary of the fact that a breakup in Pakatan would lead to the free-for-all poaching of politicians by the different parties.

An unstable government simply means that negotiations of development projects are open season to the highest bidder, and that has dire consequences for the rakyat.

Rumours and allegations of multi-million-ringgit bribes or offers of lucrative jobs at strategic government positions in return for their allegiance would taint the reputations and legacy of every politician that switch sides (even if it was from PAS to DAP).

It would not matter if the rumours were true or not, as politicians (and their supporters) would be busy hurling allegations to allow for effective governance or play their role as a responsible opposition force.

This is not a scenario without precedence; the above describes the fall of the PR Perak government in 2009.

Exposing our politicians and rakyat to this scenario highlights the failure of the present PR leadership. It makes a mockery of PR’s manifesto about empowering the rakyat.

Given the complex nature of governments and political parties, we urge Pakatan Rakyat: Cease and desist with these actions which only serve to undermine the will of the rakyat. Elevate and compart yourselves to standards accountable to the rakyat. The mark of true statesmen is the ability to work and resolve issues despite differences.

Rally under Mohamad Azmin Ali’s leadership as Menteri Besar of Selangor. He has shown the capacity to lead the rakyat by listening and resolving their issues and thus has the support of the people. Failure to do so by DAP or PAS or PKR implies that these component parties place their personal agendas above the will of the people. And the people will remember.

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This statement is being made by the protem-committee that stood together to oppose the Kidex Highway, Say No to Kidex (SNTK).