The Pakatan Stalemate
The only ones holding to their principles with regards to demise of the coalition are the members of DAP. The other two partners are in denial. They want something but do not want it as well.
Karamjit Ghill
The Pakatan coalition is going through a roller coaster ride of late. It is very disturbing as we believed Pakatan governing the nation was the only way forward. With the ongoing chaos, the future looks bleak. Jailed leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says that work is in progress to forge a strong political partnership and Pakatan will emerge mightier following its crisis. Datuk Seri Najib Razak also says Barisan Nasional will emerge stronger following its current turbulent times. Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam recites the same about MIC. ‘Becoming stronger for the future’ looks to be in the fashion now during a calamity.
I have voiced my concern before with the appointment of Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as a leader of the pack. She is most definitely justifying my concern because what Pakatan lacks today is strength in leadership. The captain obviously does not know her bearings on which direction should she sail. As a result, too many baffling statements are made and confounding factors keep arising. If we summarize the series of events that transpired, you would better understand what I mean.
First week of June 2015 – 61st PAS Muktamar unanimously decides to sever ties with DAP.
On 6 June 2015 – Lim Kit Siang said Pakatan Rakyat has come to pass and all that is left are the funeral rites.
On 9 June 2015 – Tony Pua tells Azmin Ali to choose either PAS or DAP or risk losing Selangor.
On 11 June 2015 – Lim Kit Siang again said Pakatan Rakyat has ceased to exist.
On 16 June 2015 – Lim Guan Eng said the DAP central executive committee unanimously resolved that Pakatan Rakyat ceases to exist. Lim also accused Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for breaching the promise Hadi made during the Pakatan Rakyat Majlis Pimpinan in February by tabling hudud in Kelantan without prior discussion with other coalition partners.
On 17 June 2015 – Wan Azizah says Pakatan Rakyat is dead. Rafizi Ramli said that the three parties were previously married; now divorced but are still friends. Azmin Ali denies the demise of Pakatan and believes it can be saved.
On 18 June 2015 – Datuk Mustafa Ali of PAS said Pakatan is not dead, just ‘pengsan’. Azmin said Pakatan still exists, but not functioning together formally. Lim Guan Eng reiterates Pakatan is dead for ‘real’.
On 20 June 2015 – Mohamad Sabu (Mat Sabu) says that Pakatan does exist anymore. Lim Kit Siang said Hadi Awang single-handedly killed Pakatan Rakyat.
On 21 June 2015 – Hadi Awang said PAS will work with any party except chauvinists (implying DAP is a chauvinistic party). He added that Pakatan still existed because PKR has not decided to stop working with PAS. Wan Azizah iterates Pakatan still exists in the coalitions’ soul and spirit.
On 22 June 2015 – Khalid Samad condemned Hadi for labelling DAP chauvinistic and said the new PAS leadership is more chauvinistic instead.
From the turn of events, the only ones holding to their principles with regards to demise of the coalition are the members of DAP. The other two partners are in denial. They want something but do not want it as well. The rakyat are confused with the development.
Rafizi says that Pakatan is back to where it was before April 1, 2008 where all three parties were separate entities and only worked together at an ad-hoc basis. Whatever the outcome is, Rafizi went on to add that all three parties could still join forces to speak out against “important issues” and work together when the need arose.
I am sorry Rafizi, but this is not Ultraman where heroes come together, forge a unit and fight for a single cause. Isn’t hudud an important enough issue that you guys need to work on to begin with? With the fall of Pakatan, this strategy has been a proven flop.
How could you intend to travel along the same path again? Doing the same thing again and again expecting different results is not intelligence, it is stupidity.
With all the unfortunate occurrences, I am starting to ponder where is Gobind Singh Deo? I can assure you that he is not hiding because hiding is not in the Deo family’s blood. His silence on this issue means he is utterly disgusted with the happenings or has been instructed to not say a word. Where is the tiger that questions any wrongdoings without fear?
