Barisan is dispensable

Pakatan must convince 13 million voters to vote carefully and must also urge them to defeat corruption, cronyism, and communalism at the ballot box.

COMMENT

By R Kengadharan

The continued intense campaigning by Pakatan Rakyat for the 13th general election has placed Barisan Nasional in a vulnerable position.

Allegations of gross loss of national resources, abuse of power, corruption and nepotism have substantially undermined the country’s long-term interest.

Pakatan has formulated and implemented a new working relationship within the political sphere which appears to be more rational. There is no plot to divide and rule nor an attempt to promote propaganda to cheat the public.

Under those circumstances, Pakatan has cleverly departed from the neo-colonialist theory and since 1998 has resolutely exposed the falseness of Barisan Nasional’s parliamentary democracy.

In essence, Pakatan has today effectively challenged the whole system of government practised by BN, which is a repression of civil rights.

The strenuous efforts by Pakatan paid off handsomely when it captured four states and over 80 parliamentary seats on March 3, 2008. In fact, Pakatan’s overwhelming success in denouncing the BN style of governance shook public confidence.

That shock wave precipitated the emergence of a new dimension in multi-racialism that is now capable of holding the balance among the races.

Pakatan now has every reason to rejoice as it has nationally succeeded in fighting off intimidation and oppression, and now desires to achieve human equality and justice for all.

Since 2008, Pakatan has proven its capability of discharging its responsibilities. It has displayed a more coherent political leadership, causing shame to BN.

If Pakatan leaders were weak and insincere they naturally would not have survived all the outrageous accusations. But its leadership was able to weather those baseless and scurrilous attacks from time to time.

Vote carefully

BN is trying extremely hard to defeat Pakatan at the ballot box. Will it succeed? Must it succeed?

Spreading rumours is a deplorable election tactics employed by BN to defeat the opposition. While this does not pose a serious disadvantage, we must at all cost defeat communalism.

It is the fervent desire of most Malaysians that Pakatan must succeed in capturing federal power on May 5, 2013.

Pakatan must convince 13 million voters to vote carefully and must also urge them to defeat corruption, cronyism, and communalism at the ballot box.

The educated elite and power-brokers in BN may react hysterically, but it will have little and/or no significant bearing.

Finally, in the quest to change the government, one must have optimism, and no political party, particularly PAS, must use hudud as a cloak for political ambitions.

R Kengadharan is a lawyer and an ex-ISA detainee.