Pakatan looks jaded and tired

There must be renewal, rejuvenation and a fresh approach and fresh impetus in the way of doing things.

COMMENT

At this point in time, Barisan Nasional seems to be gaining momentum while Pakatan Rakyat seems to be pushed into a corner. One thing for sure is that Pakatan must put some semblance of order in its house in due course so as to avoid floundering during the Sarawak state polls which must be held by 2016 the latest.

Recently though, Pakatan leaders have been finding themselves on the receiving end in the Selangor state assemblymen salary hike issue.

A salary hike is okay but an increase of over 100% is difficult to be explained although it may be justified as the PKR-led Selangor state government can afford it.

Still, this state government which has always boasted about its financial prudence as one of the hallmarks of its administration is now finding itself in a tough spot due to this salary hike move.

What more when Pakatan has always touted that Selangor is a model of cost-conscious management and wise administration.

This being the case, a too-substantial salary hike will certainly be frowned upon by some members of the public at times like this. Yes, the timing is way out indeed.

Of course BN leaders are also having a field day attacking Pakatan over this issue but if the MPs’ salary is also hiked up tremendously, then it is a case of pot calling the kettle black.

Back to the Selangor matter, doing damage control after the pay rise is announced shows that Pakatan leaders did not act in cohesion nor was there much discussion before this move was implemented.

In future any major change in policy involving administration and finance should be discussed and a general consensus be reached before implementation because blunders like this can cause fence-sitters to swing their vote towards BN.

In addition to proper discussion before execution, Pakatan’s plans must also be clearly explained to the citizens.

For example, this columnist’s Christian friends are worried that if Pakatan comes into power, hudud will be implemented immediately.

Many Christians are ignorant of the fact that PAS intends to first file a motion in Parliament to amend the federal constitution before implementing hudud.

From here we can see that due to a lack of information, many voters can still be confused about Pakatan’s stand on certain issues and if the confusion is not cleared up, it can be detrimental to Pakatan and cause people to doubt Pakatan’s ability to govern the nation well.

Pakatan leaders must now focus on being a strong opposition. It is good that a roadshow called ‘Faham GST, Tolak GST’ will be launched in KL in two weeks time on Dec 20 to educate the public about GST (Goods & Services Tax) so that the citizens can know more about GST.

Right now there are still many people who do not really comprehend what GST really is simply because of skewed information from the media.

Fresh approach

Pakatan leaders must be at the forefront on all issues facing the public and the current main issue is the rise in the cost of living due to the hike in petrol prices, electricity tariff, etc.

Therefore Pakatan MPs leading a protest in front of KL City Hall on Monday, Dec 16 at 11am to protest the assessment hike is certainly a good idea as we have elected these Pakatan MPs to be our voice.

Also kudos to KL’s Pakatan lawmakers for opening counters in night and morning markets to collect petition signatures from the citizens who are against the hike, the sum of which is ridiculous.

Moreover KL City Hall has billions in revenue.

It is time too for Pakatan leaders to go for a retreat in order to re-draw their roadmap. This is a necessity due to the GE13 loss. Pakatan leaders cannot be carrying on in the same manner as before because improvements need to be made in administration and the mechanics of operation.

Pakatan should now re-focus and set its goals a little differently. There needs to be some re-alignment and re-adjustment. In short, Pakatan needs to re-strategise.

There must be renewal and rejuvenation as Pakatan now seems jaded and tired. There must be a fresh approach and fresh impetus in the way of doing things.

This is so that Pakatan can come back with renewed vigour to champion for the people’s welfare and wellbeing.

Pakatan must avoid blunders and fluff-ups that is happening now. There is no better time for Pakatan to re-invent itself as the present time as the next general election is still a long time in coming.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.