Learning from past, Pakatan leaders set to ink formal dos and don’ts

Top leaders from DAP, PKR and Amanah are expected to sign a code of conduct, the first by an opposition coalition, this weekend, seen as a bid to avoid past failures in managing conflicts. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 8, 2016.

In a bid to convince a disillusioned public that it can work together, Pakatan Harapan will unveil its code of conduct this weekend, which among others will guide partners on resolving conflicts among them as well as claims over seats.

Top leaders of the coalition's three parties are expected to sign the document, a formalised set of dos and don’ts, seen critical after the collapse of the old opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat (PR), which comprised PKR, DAP and PAS.

Many prominent parliamentarians and leaders of PAS left the Islamist party to form Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), which together with PKR and DAP makes up Pakatan Harapan.

The failure to manage ideological differences and policy positions between PR parties, especially PAS and DAP, was a major reason the six-year coalition ended in July last year.

"Based on our previous experience, there were many things that were not properly conducted between parties in the coalition," said a senior Pakatan Harapan leader who requested anonymity.

"Since we have started a new one, we should spell out the dos and don’ts so that we can manage our differences and make this coalition work."

It is the first time an opposition coalition is developing a code of conduct separately from a common manifesto. The former spells out how to behave and come to agreement, whereas the latter is a product of that process.

The code would form the foundation on how the three parties hash out policies and come out with common position on any given issue, said another senior leader.

PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the code of conduct will cover seven fields including principle and decision-making methods, building unity between parties and developing policies together.

The code, for instance, outlines how each component party airs its views on an issue which they may disagree on.

"As much as possible, differences of opinion will be communicated internally first and not out in public. But if a party feels that their stand must be made public, then they can go ahead and do so.

"But this is done respectfully rather than by criticising each other."

This is different from the relationship between PR parties in the past, when leaders and members often clashed publicly, such as over local government elections, the Shariah Criminal Code and the choice of the Selangor menteri besar.

"This does not mean we want to suppress each others’ opinions. It is to manage our differences so they do not boil over into a schism."

A source said by signing the code, the parties would develop a way to sanction party members who go overboard in criticising coalition partners.

"This is to stop members from one party attacking another party in public," said the senior leader.

In the past, disputes between members of different parties would drag their leaders in and even involve the whole party.

In the run-up to the 2013 general election, disagreements over seat allocations between PAS and PKR descended into name-calling between members and leaders of the two parties.

But disciplining members would still be left to individual component parties, the source said.

The coalition’s electoral code of conduct would spell out principles on how to allocate seats and resolve competing claims, another bone of contention among the partners.

"The main thing is to ensure one-to-one contests against the Barisan Nasional (BN) in all seats," said the source.

In the last polls, competing claims in Selangor and Penang saw PKR and PAS candidates contesting against each other, with PR losing at least two seats to BN due to split votes.

"For the first time, we want to put our decision-making process in writing, to guide how we come to agreement and resolve differences, so that the public can see that we can work together," said another coalition leader.

- TMI