It’s politics as usual in the Selangor government; it’s just hot air between partners PKR, DAP and PAS

Umar Mukhtar

Of politics, which is just about power and position and not about principles and ideology, the coalition state government of Selangor is a prime example. Three partners of almost equal legislative strength quarrelling as if what’s at stake is the very reason for each of their existence as a political party. Yet they are still smooching behind the peoples’ back after playing to the gallery.

DAP was foaming at the mouth when their ex-sleeping partner PAS tabled a private member’s bill in Parliament about the much hated Hudud (or so it seems), the apparent cause of their split. It is the very thing that differentiates them from the BN Chinese parties except that now MCA and Gerakan have caught on with the game.

At the risk of being kicked out of the Selangor state government, PAS has also given PKR’s Azmin Ali the middle finger when asked by him to stand down and give way to PKR to contest the Sungai Besar by-election in a straight fight against BN.

It is already Monday, the deadline given by Azmin for the PAS Exco members to submit their resignations. TG Hadi Awang insists that they be sacked rather than resign. So they are still there. Hadi knows that in this poker game PKR has no hole card of significance. Was that an empty dare from Azmin for a chance at glory? And an honourable excuse for PAS to continue to be a pain to every one of them?

For all its rhetoric against anything that smells of Hudud, one would think DAP is willing to show its commitment to a Hudud-free Malaysia by walking out of any partnership that includes its champion, PAS. But DAP is still there, apparently it is not as fundamental an issue as a share of power. So now it’s a stalemate? Nah, just a hiccup! Maybe DAP is willing to talk to resolve the differences it may have with PAS. Anyway, Parti Amanah is such a sport!

Any chance that PAN will walk out of the DAP orbit in protest against DAP playing it both ways? Are you kidding? Amanah fighting against PAS without a big brother to hold its hands? That would be too much to ask of a fledgling party.

So it looks like Azmin is the one to back out in the interest of keeping to a straight fight between BN and the opposition. But PAN considers it proof that it’s got balls to contest wherever PAS been allowed to contest. There we go again. Everybody seems to be falling all over themselves to give BN a better chance at winning.

It’s public knowledge that there’s no love lost between Azmin and DAP. But they had found themselves to be convenient partners. Even though DAP had intimated that it will not sit at the same table with PAS, it has failed to urge Azmin to spurn PAS. So DAP it might as well grit its teeth and force a smile at the Selangor Exco meetings in spite of that hot air.

PAS, too, should stay away from the Hudud-hating DAP but that is nothing compared to losing a share of the state government. Why let PAN just walk into the corridors of power? That’s more important than principles.

No matter how much these three opposition parties rationalise their sleeping together in the light of all the hot air blowing between the three of them when they talk to their respective galleries, one thing is certain: their politics is about power and position and cronies. Surprisingly that sounds like BN too. Maybe they should all be in one huge coalition that is against principles, against truth, and against the people. That would at least be more honest.