It was a marriage of convenience for DAP-PKR-PAS.

DAP wanted Penang, PAS wanted to go national, and PKR wanted its big gun to be PM.

But what’s happening today? Some disgruntled indians from PKR are threatening to leave the party that they had rode during the politial tsunami. These small minority of Indian folks seem to be out of base and not realistic with their demands. They are more self-centered than arrogant than the UMNO politicians whom they hated. Let’s not forget that these are the leaders of the now banned and outlawed HINDRAF party that alleged that the Malaysian government has been committing racial genocide on their community. What absolute RUBBISH!

A Marriage of Convenience

Iqbal Abd Ghaffar

“BN is a dinosaur!”

“UMNO politicians are a crooked and arrogant lot!”

“Go to hell with KJ!!”

“MCA, MIC, and Gerakan are dogs of UMNO!”

….were the common slogans chanted repeatedly like a mantra by NOT the opposition in the run up to the March 8 2008 but by the people who had believed and voted a resounding victory for Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2004.

Sensing the hatred and anger on the ground, one time Prime Minister in waiting, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim stitched a loose opposition coalition of the chinese dominated DAP party, multiracial PKR party, and conservative muslim PAS party that had only one objective in mind…topple BN.

The loose coalition of DAP-PKR-PAS for the first time created a harmonized opposition front that posed a challenge for the ruling and arrogant BN. Such was the hatred and the frustration of the people that opposition rallies were full, in fact it was brimming with seems of people wanting to hear and see the leader that they loved most, Anwar Ibrahim talk about a new dawn for Malaysia.

Had it been a rock concert, the tickets would would have been sold out in minutes!

The chants and voice from the opposition grew stronger and louder. The internet community through its forums and blogs urged every Malaysian to vote for the opposition.

The spirit of Makkal Sakthi ran high. Chinese and Indians carried the PAS flag where the candidate was form PAS, and the white skull cap pakciks and hijab covered makciks went all out to get their neighbors, friends and relatives to vote for the DAP and PKR candidates.

Then, on Mar 8, the most unthinkable happened.

BN lost 5 states and 2/3 majority in Parliament.

Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, and Hadi Awang became instant heroes. The people were both shocked and elated.

The BN and its components…devasted and was in state of an identity crisis.

And so the people of this once quiet and peaceful land called of Malaysia suddenly realized that they ARE the boss.

“Enough with the partying! Get to work!”, was all the average Malaysian wanted. All they wanted was the election promises be fulfilled. They wanted a transparent and open government. They wanted justice to prevail. They wanted money and resources to be channelled to where it was most important…the people and the land, and not some self-centered politician who thinks of nothing but enriching himself.

But alas, the coalition of DAP-PKR-PAS now so fondly called the Pakatan Rakyat find it hard to maintain stability and consistency of their governance model. They don’t have experience governing in the first place. The only man who has any experience of governing is Chief Architect of Pakatan Rakyat, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The different and extreme ideologies of the secular-minded-Malaysian-Malaysia-chinese-dominated party of DAP were always in logger heads with the conservative-Islamic-state-centric-hudud-law-upholder of PAS. PKR on the other hand specifically its de facto leader, was more interested in becoming the country’s Numero Uno.

But it was ok the people said. The coalition is still new, and will have some teething problems, but they’ll resolve it. And so Anwar Ibrahim was voted into parliament. The people hoped that he will give the BN a run for its money.

What a big dissapointment Anwar turned out to be.  Our own “Joe the plumber” was hoping for a roar of the mighty tiger but couldn’t even hear the purr of a kitten from the hallows of Parliament. His talk of toppling BN on Sept 16, then the 30th and then failing to do so sent his credibility index plummet to new lows.

It was a marriage of convenience for DAP-PKR-PAS.

DAP wanted Penang, PAS wanted to go national, and PKR wanted its big gun to be PM.

But what’s happening today? Some disgruntled indians from PKR are threatening to leave the party that they had rode during the politial tsunami. These small minority of Indian folks seem to be out of base and not realistic with their demands. They are more self-centered than arrogant than the UMNO politicians whom they hated. Let’s not forget that these are the leaders of the now banned and outlawed HINDRAF party that alleged that the Malaysian government has been committing racial genocide on their community. What absolute RUBBISH!

PKR Selangor chief and Chief Minister of Selangor couldn’t care less if the Kapar MP, Manikavasagam decides to go and leave the party. Him airing his grouses over the media will only make things worse for the loose coalition and will only give mileage to BN to harp on the PR’s weakness. Providing an ultimatum is akin to having a gun pointed at your head.

In all this, Anwar Ibrahim should play a stronger role to keep his house in order. His lack of interest to mend and see the issues of his party members through the lenses of the average Joe and Jane has only hurt PR’s image as a viable party to be voted in the next elections. If Anwar is so keen on becoming number one, he should first prove that PR has what it takes to govern the country through governing the 5 states in which they have succesfully taken over from the BN. He needs to show that PR is able to solve the internal ramblings of its members, and resolve any conflicts of its in which its partners may have.

Today, Joe the plumber couldn’t be bothered about who runs the country, as long as the country and its economy is running. Joe wants business to grow. Joe wants to feed his family and send his kids to school. Joe wants to provide jobs for Samy, Ong and Dollah. Joe doesn’t really care about PR or BN. Joe just wants those up there with power to govern and keep his beloved country out of a recession stink hole.

Let not bipartisanship crumble the spirit of cooperation in these tough times. Let not narrow minded and self vested individuals poison the very fabric of our society. We must work together and stay together to ensure that this beloved nation emerge stronger and more resilient than it was before.

IAG