Kit Siang wants to maintain the rocket logo
The problem PPBM is facing with the RoS is a god-send for DAP because now Pakatan Harapan may not get registered — and that means DAP can maintain its rocket logo for the coming GE. Kit Siang knows if the DAP candidates contest the GE under the Harapan banner they will lose a lot of Chinese support and they need at least 95% of the Chinese votes since the Malay votes have deteriorated. Mahathir, who is seen as Pakatan Harapan’s ‘top dog’, carries with him the stigma that DAP can ill-afford and thus it needs to distance itself from Pakatan Harapan.
DAP: THE INSIDE STORY
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Former Malaysian PM Mahathir: I am top dog in Pakatan Harapan
(The Straits Times, 18 July 2017) – Former Malaysian premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today boldly claimed that he is the “top dog” in Pakatan Harapan (PH), now that he is the chairman of the four-party opposition pact.
His claim came days after he reportedly said that every party leader in the pact was “equal among each other” and no one would be sidelined. Explaining that he was equivalent to the opposition’s “unofficial” prime minister designate Dr Mahathir said someone needs to take the lead as a country cannot have three prime ministers.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s declaration of being the ‘top dog’ of Pakatan Harapan (and unofficial prime minister designate) is something many already know. But it is not supposed to be something that you declare openly (just like everyone knows Anwar Ibrahim is guilty of sodomy but no one from Pakatan should openly say so). Mahathir, however, broke the golden rule of opposition politics, which is do not openly declare what is really going on.
Kit Siang using Mahathir for the Malays to screw the Malays, says DAP’s ‘Superman’ Hew
DAP’s ‘Superman’ Hew went to great pains to tell the Chinese that Lim Kit Siang is merely using Mahathir to make the Malays fight amongst themselves. Kit Siang wanted to impress upon the Chinese that Mahathir was his Ali Baba and that Pakatan Harapan is actually Pakatan Ali Baba. Then Mahathir goes and messes it all up by declaring that he is Pakatan Harapan’s ‘top dog’.
Kit Siang was smart enough to not immediately jump in and contradict Mahathir. He kept silent and allowed Mahathir to get away with the ‘top dog’ quip. But Kit Siang knew that the damage had already been done and there was no way DAP can contest UNDER the banner of Pakatan Harapan and using the Harapan logo. DAP had to distance itself from Pakatan Harapan without being seen as if DAP was divorcing Pakatan Harapan.
DAP had already initiated one divorce not too long ago: meaning Pakatan Rakyat. So they cannot be seen to be initiating a second divorce: meaning Pakatan Harapan. In fact, if you include Barisan Alternatif, Pakatan Harapan would be the third divorce that DAP’s initiates. Hence DAP must let the Registrar of Societies (RoS) be the instrument of the Pakatan Harapan divorce. Then DAP would not be seen as the culprit in this second (or third) divorce.
Kit Siang knows that Mahathir is going to cause DAP to lose a lot of Chinese votes so they need to distance themselves from Pakatan Harapan but not be seen as the one initiating the move
The feedback DAP got is that many Chinese are unhappy that Mahathir is Pakatan Harapan’s top dog. The impression they were initially given is that DAP is leading Pakatan Harapan and Kit Siang is Pakatan Harapan’s top dog. So when Mahathir announced he is Pakatan Harapan’s top dog why did DAP keep quiet and not contradict that statement? Even the normally barking Superman Hew appeared muzzled this time.
Kit Siang knew that disagreeing with Mahathir would not only upset the old man, who never likes to be told he is wrong, but will give the Malays the impression that the Chinese are calling the shots in Pakatan Harapan. And they need as much Malay votes as they can get because even if DAP can get 95% of the Chinese votes that is not enough.
In short, DAP needs to divorce from Pakatan Harapan but must not be seen as the one initiating the divorce. They need to let the RoS initiate the divorce so that DAP can pretend to be the innocent victim and not the aggressor.
Many Chinese will not vote for DAP if it uses the Harapan logo instead of the rocket logo
If the RoS blocks Pakatan Harapan’s registration that will not be a problem for DAP. They will make a bit of noise just to pretend they are upset but in their hearts they will be very glad. That would mean the DAP candidates need not use the Harapan logo in the coming general election and can continue using their own rocket logo.
DAP has to make sure the Chinese see that DAP is not UNDER Pakatan Harapan and that Mahathir is not Pakatan Harapan’s top dog but Kit Siang is. The biggest favour the RoS can do for Barisan Nasional is to approve Pakatan Harapan’s registration so that DAP’s rocket disappears in the coming general election. That would ensure DAP will not get 95% of the Chinese votes and will struggle to garner even just 70%.
Dr Ronnie Ooi’s ‘Open Letter to Anwar Ibrahim: Politics of Hope vs Politics of Hate’ (READ HERE) explains very well the predicament that Pakatan Harapan is facing. While Pakatan Harapan has strong support amongst the urbanites, the support of rural Malaysia is lacking. And that is because of the politics of hate that Pakatan Harapan, in particular DAP, is playing.
DAP needs to tell the Chinese one thing while PPBM, PKR and PAN have to tell the Malays something else. But that will be tough if DAP, PPBM, PKR and PAN no longer exist and is replaced by Pakatan Harapan. Then what one party says is as good as Pakatan Harapan saying it. As it is now DAP can say one thing, PPBM can say something else, PKR can say something totally different, and PAN can say, for example, it supports Dr Zakir Naik and DAP, PPBM, and PKR can say that is not Pakatan Harapan’s stand as well.
If this happens DAP will never garner 95% of the Chinese votes
Kit Siang now realises that trying to register Pakatan Harapan was a huge mistake. That was why DAP did not want to register Gagasan Rakyat in 1990, Barisan Alternatif in 1999, and Pakatan Rakyat in 2008. It is better to just have an affair and sleep together rather than getting officially married.
In Barisan Nasional, Umno’s policy also becomes the policy of all the other component members. And that can sometimes be negative. With Pakatan Harapan not getting registered, DAP not only can continue using its rocket logo in the coming general election but whatever PPBM, PKR and/or PAN says and does Kit Siang can say that has nothing to do with DAP and DAP can distance itself from that statement or act.
PPBM, PKR and PAN are proving to be an embarrassment to DAP. And whatever PPBM, PKR and PAN do and say hurts DAP. Now DAP can deflect all that because Pakatan Harapan is not legally registered and hence DAP is not legally bound by what PPBM, PKR and PAN do and say.
In short, DAP can get a free screw from PPBM, PKR and PAN and need not pay one sen for it. Even better, PPBM, PKR and PAN actually pay for getting screwed. Now, was this not what Mahathir said in his book ‘The Malay Dilemma’? It is ironical that what Mahathir said Malays must not do almost 50 years ago is precisely what he is doing today.
