Logo tussle knocks PH’s ‘Big tent’ askew

 

From Terence Netto

Word has it that PKR is pushing for its logo to be used as the Pakatan Haparan emblem in GE15, expected to be held some time after the middle of next year.

Not surprisingly, this push is being resisted by coalition partners, DAP and Amanah. The two argue that since PH is a coalition with its own logo, that emblem should be used, not the logo of a component of the coalition. They say the corporate interest of the PH entity and public recognition of its identity are priorities that should transcend parochial concerns.

The DAP and Amanah sides in this argument say that the decision to use PKR’s logo in GE14 was due to untoward circumstances. The then Registrar of Societies was simply being recalcitrant in not approving the PH logo in time for GE14, held in May 2018.

In the event, the PH logo was approved by RoS mere days after the coalition’s victory in GE14. Also, the same PH logo was used by its candidates in all the by-elections that were held since GE14. Though PH lost most of these polls, the defeats had nothing to do with the logo.

PKR is not without some mildly compelling reasons for its insistence that its logo be used by PH in GE15. One is that the PH logo is irredeemably tainted by what they denounce as Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s treachery towards PH during the final months of the coalition’s 22-month residence in Putrajaya.

That treachery was particularly bitter because several leaders of DAP and Amanah had suffered from the authoritarian ways of Dr Mahathir during his 22 years as Umno president and Malaysia’s prime minister (1981-2002). They had bad memories of their mistreatment but put those aside to accept him as the PH leader because the necessity of removing a corrupt Barisan Nasional from federal power overshadowed all other considerations.

Additionally, PKR exponents argue that as their logo had carried PH to victory in GE14, the PKR colours enjoy a special catchet among the supporters of reformasi, the cry for political economic reform that has highlighted the PKR struggle from 1998 till now.

They assert with some cogency that the PKR logo endorsed by a majority of the Malaysian electorate in GE14 was the first time in 61 years a national poll had rung in a change of government in the history of Malaysia. No small achievement that.

They contend that because the historic vote was betrayed by Dr Mahathir and by the duplicity of Muhyiddin Yassin, the Bersatu president who became prime minister of a new government replacing the PH incumbents, the PKR colours deserve a measure of resurrectory grace.

Understandably, PKR’s resentment towards Dr Mahathir remains high, though a year-and-a-half have passed since he abruptly resigned the headship of PH and premiership of the country.

The passage of time has not softened the wound of that memory and though Dr Mahathir continues to justify the abrupt manner in which he exited, his explanations have commanded steadily diminishing credibility.

General opinion has congealed around the hypothesis that he threw in the towel to prevent Anwar Ibrahim from succeeding him as prime minister. This betrayal rankles in the party’s collective memory.

These narratives are persuasive but to yield to them would be tantamount to a settling of scores. General elections should not be fought to appease parochial concerns. Furthermore, new political parties, like the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA), are emerging on the national political landscape; they should be invited to engage with PH under the “Big tent” concept of a gathering of all opposition parties.

MUDA possesses an appeal to the young who will be empowered when the vote is given to the 18-year-olds and above crowd soon, a demographic that is expected to be at least a few million strong when they come on to the electoral rolls.

What then would parties like MUDA think if the more established opposition parties opt to fight GE15 under a component’s colours rather than the coalition’s logo?

Would they want to get under a “Big tent” when it is seen to be contracting around one of its poles?

PKR must look at the evolving picture of new voter empowerment and how PH can leverage on it rather than content itself with a discharge of rancour over past injustices to it and its supremo. - FMT

Terence Netto is a journalist and an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.