IF I were leading the ruling government in Malaysia, I would call for fresh elections right now.
My reason is simple. It’s because the Opposition is in complete disarray.
No agreement. No cohesiveness. Any chance it (or is it 'they' now?) had of taking over Putrajaya is all but gone.
With a renewed mandate from the people, I would have another five years to steer the country on the path of becoming a developed nation by 2020.
But I digress.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the one leading Barisan Nasional (BN), not me. And this article is not about Najib or BN.
It is about recognising that an Opposition in shambles is just as worrying as having a non-performing government.
Why?
Should the government perform badly, the people can always turn to the Opposition. The Opposition plays an important role in keeping those in power on their toes.
But if the Opposition becomes unstable, who then do we turn to?
This is why I find the emergence of Gerakan Harapan Baharu (GHB) so unsettling.
I am all for the creation of new parties in order to celebrate democracy, but the thing is, GHB is simply a PAS splinter party.
And splinter parties in the past have proven to be unsustainable. Look at what happened to Semangat 46.
Other than not having history on their side, GHB is cast under the shadow of PAS and I doubt they could shake off this perception anytime soon, if ever.
Progressive leaders in PAS would have you believe that GHB is the answer to finally taking over Putrajaya, in view of the recent Pakatan Rakyat fallout.
I beg to differ.
If these progressive voices are really serious about what they stand for, then by all means join PKR or DAP.
After all, were they not previously part of the same coalition?
It would certainly help lend some much-needed stability to what is left of Pakatan Rakyat while at the same time, the only negative impact these leaders would face is losing the support of PAS voters.
More importantly, they would have immediate access to a ready-made voter base and battle-tested campaigning machinery.
Jumping ship to another party because one's ideals have evolved isn't a bad thing.
Can the same be said for those who create a new party because they are disgruntled?
Hafiz Marzukhi
Sun Jul 26 2015
In view of the recent Pakatan Rakyat fallout, the progressive voices in PAS should just join DAP or PKR, if they are really serious about what they stand for. - File Photo
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