To win or not to win: Minefields await Pakatan at the last lap

For Pakatan Rakyat, this is a take-home moment due to the fact that Umno is is in self-destruct mode, with the many scandals and wrong-doings of its leaders. Indeed, the 13th General Election will be the first that the opposition has to do less to win unless they go into self-destruct mode too.

Looking at the way things are going Pakatan will have an easy time at the polls, with BN ensuring an opposition win in GE-13. In fact, they are working overtime to give in to Pakatan and Umno is leading the way. Even former premier Mahathir Mohamad is pitching in to help Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan score a defining win, not to mention Ibrahim Ali. This rotund Perkasa chief is single-handedly chasing all the voters away from BNl.

Sodomy Catch-22

The sodomy verdict on 9th of January is a win-win situation for Pakatan either way . If you jail Anwar, the sentiments on the ground will run like wildfire in favour of Pakatan. If you free him of the charge, you sign a blank cheque to doom because this is one guy, who can stir up a campaign storm.

For Umno, this is a Catch-22 situation it could have done without but Prime Minister Najib Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor had to create the situation by short-sightedly reprising Mahathir's Sodomy I .

However, for Pakatan although it may seem that things are working well for them now, they too can go to self-destruct mode with the current bickering in DAP, PAS and PKR, just when we thought all was clear.

For example, we have the, Godfather vs Gangster fight in DAP. Perhaps we Malaysians are still too stuck with the idealism of a perfectly harmonious and non-bickering political party and ruling coalition, but just think how fake Umno and BN were. It is definitely better for us to see our leaders as they are, warts and all.

DAP

Anyway, I still  don't understand Deputy Chief Minister ll  Ramasamy. Why does he need to go his own way when he has got so much from DAP, the party which took him in on merit? Ramasamy is the first Indian deputy chief minister , which augurs well for both DAP and the Indian community.

He won 2 seats on a DAP ticket in 2008, a state seat and a Parliament seat , this is a great achievement for him and a source of pride for the Indians. With his credentials as a professor, he could do a lot more for the community or for his constituency in the state as well as in Parliament. But nothing notable came from him the past 3 years, it was a long and futile wait.

Now he wants to pick up a fight with the DAP chairman, Karpal Singh. He has to understand Karpal Singh can do no wrong to DAP, he has sacrificed almost all his whole life for DAP, being arrested under the ISA a few times and spent years in jail.

Karpal is a maverick and a legend in his own time. You don't compare or benchmark guys like him, Lim Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim or Nik Aziz Nik Mat. These guys are just heroes and that this their full entitlement. Full-stop.

Anyway, to take on Karpal is silly as Ramasamy has found out. Some say it is a political conspiracy to bring down Karpal, and Ramasamy was enticed by BN with huge largesse to create trouble ala Zaid Ibrahim in PKR in 2010. Whether this is true or not, it is not good for Pakatan. This tirade must end fast and sacrifices have to be made.

PAS

Then we have the wolves in sheep's clothing versus the cleric or Ulamas in PAS. This is one very intriquing battle because the shadow of Umno can be clearly seen. Hassan Ali together with Nasharuddin Mat Isa are fighting a battle aimed at pushing PAS into the arms of the waiting Umno. Obviously, Hasan and Nasha are being shown juicy carrots by Prime Minister Najib Razak's party, which we all know is capable of bribing even a baby in the womb, and unashamedly!

Umno needs PAS' 10% Malay support, which they get on a silver platter if PAS leaves Pakatan. Hassan Ali will get to be Mentri Besar of Selangor and Nasharuddin a Covernment minister at the very least. PAS is having a severe headache with these two guys especilly Hassan Ali who is making life really difficult for them in Selangor.

Here PAS has to take severe measures in reprimanding the duo. Failure to do so will end Pakatan's reign in Selangor.

PKR

Lastly a storm is brewing in PKR with the latest revelation of a poison pen letter involving vice president Nurul Izzah and Zaid Ibrahim, ex-PKR and ex-UMNO, now the KITA president. Conveniently, gossip is spread that the letter is the work of PKR deputy president Azmin Ali , who is jealous that Zaid may help Nurul to oust him. But where is the logic in that? How can Zaid help anyone?

In PKR, Zaid is already regarded as a leper. He couldn't even help himself, how can he help Izzah. Even in KITA, a party he founded, members wanted to boot him out for wanting to support Umno. As for Izzah becoming Prime Minister in place of Anwar Ibrahim should Pakatan win, this needs the consent of all 3 parties - PKR, DAP and PAS. And why should Izzah want to replace her father? If Pakatan wins, any fair trial would immediately overturn the manifestly skewed Sodomy II hearing and free Anwar, who justly deserves to be Malaysia's 7th PM.

Lastly, respect the PKR members. Each member's vote is counted and so far they have voted in Azmin as the party No. 2, with the next internal elections not due until 2013. Again the rumors spread about Izzah-Zaid do not make sense. It only becomes logical, when one realizes that Zaid Ibrahim may be regretting his horrendous behaviour in 2010 but too bad - no way PKR will take him back.

Izzah too would hate to work with anyone who tried to destroy her dad. So those in the Zaid Ibrahim camp, stop doing his dirty work for him. The best way Zaid can contribute to Malaysia would be to take an extended sabbatical from politics. Seriously.

For the sake of Malaysians, Pakatan must perform

Whatever the ups and downs, Pakatan must focus and not take for granted victory is theirs. DAP members - stop being so arrogant. Boastful pride is DAP's greatest flaw. PAS stop being so fearful of anything and everything non-Muslim. There is a huge world outside of Islam and it is not evil - so please, stop wearing blinkers. As for PKR, stop counting your chickens before they hatch and work harder - much harder.

For the sake of Malaysia, Pakatan must put all their troubles behind them to ensure a win in GE-13 or the nation will slide backwards into a hell so fiery that the country may disappear from civilization. Just when Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyii is beginning to make strides again, Southeast Asia may soon get a new authoritarian regime to replace the Burmese junta - the Umno-BN regime!

So guys, let's all put our best foot forward now.

Malaysia Chronicle