YOURSAY | Anwar should stop talking to Harapan's enemies

 

YOURSAY | ‘Please don’t make the same mistake again.’

Anwar: Hard to work with Bersatu, Pejuang as grassroots against them

Vijay47: PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, I believe the only correct statement you made here is that “The core is still PKR, DAP and Amanah in [Pakatan] Harapan. This core must be strengthened and stabilised”.

Except that I would go on to add “Not just the core, the whole entity is made up of PKR, DAP and Amanah and only them”.

You might then ask “But what about Pejuang and Bersatu, they are also in the opposition?”

To which I would crudely retort “So what?”

In the governance of a country, we have the government in the form of the ruling party or coalition, and the opposition comprising all those outside government. However, it does not have to follow that those within the (wider) opposition are on the same page, as we have learned to our sorrow.

It is mind-boggling, Anwar, that after all that has transpired, and the betrayal and back-stabbing, you would actually even consider working with Bersatu and Pejuang. Hasn't what former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad did to you, what Bersatu supreme council member Azmin Ali did at the Sheraton Hotel, not enough?

How many times must you and the nation be stabbed before you will learn your lesson?

You were once, perhaps during the Reformasi days, our inspiring light but each new day, I am rapidly beginning to lose faith in you.

It was a godsend that Mahathir did not allow you to become prime minister; to our horror, we discovered later that you had made statutory declaration deals with Umno behind our backs. How much more of a traitor can you be?

For all your noble talk of “inclusiveness”, it is obvious that your Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) streak never left you.

OrangPanther1466: The problem with Anwar is that he waffles all the time. Why can't he grow a backbone? At least, rightly or wrongly, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has rejected the ‘big tent’ approach outright.

Anwar has to date not disclosed his strategy on how to challenge Umno-BN in the upcoming 15th general elections (GE15). How to align the opposition against Umno-BN? What is the outcome Harapan is looking for?

Plan ‘A’ is to form the government, Plan ‘B’ to deny BN-Umno a simple majority to form the next government, and Plan ‘C’ to deny BN-Umno a super-majority of two-thirds majority that would enable them to amend the Constitution?

I do appreciate that these strategies may be best kept confidential for now but at least tell us how you intend to align the opposition forces to improve your chances for a better showing than Malacca and Johor.

The term ‘big tent’ is merely a terminology, a nomenclature that describes the animal that can corral all the opposition forces with the aim of achieving some broad common objectives.

It does not necessarily mean that one enters into a formal alliance or coalition with these forces. It’s basically about forging a common understanding of the pre-defined objectives.

How one initiates or executes the corralling is the key. For a start, statements by the "opposition leader" about difficulties working with certain parties do not help.

You are supposed to lead the opposition. Treating some of them as a plague does not help your cause of aligning the opposition parties. Individual political parties can say what they like. They may have other objectives to achieve with their statements, and other audiences to please. It is thus not necessary for you to respond or comment.

You, Anwar and your party. PKR. being the dominant opposition that is expected to be the bulwark must remain resilient and above the fray of individual party's internal politics.

IndigoTrout2522: Anwar said he has three roles - as leader of PKR, leader of Harapan and leader of opposition. So, he has to meet and discuss with those groups accordingly.

Fair enough. But your priority is as leader of PKR, you need to work with your central committee and get their support and the grassroots.

As leader of Harapan, you need to form strong bonds with your colleagues in the component parties, DAP, Amanah and Upko.

Only after you have absolute support from the Harapan presidential council could you represent Harapan to approach other opposition parties.

Your problem has been a lack of transparency and accountability and thus raising the question of trust and confidence in you by the Harapan leaders. This should be your priority going forward.

Do not make announcements or make remarks in public without clearly agreeing with your three stakeholders because that causes more confusion and misunderstandings.

Harapan must be united and principled. Big or small tent is irrelevant when your party and coalition are strong.

Justice: One of PKR and Harapan's biggest problems to win Putrajaya in GE15 is their total lack of "a clear and definite package" offered to Sabah and Sarawak.

Until today, Sabahans and Sarawakians felt very unfairly treated or discriminated against over their rights and shares of their oil and gas resources. Via various laws like the Petroleum Development Act 1976, these resources are now controlled by the federal government.

So Sabahans and Sarawakians felt "colonised" by Malaya. Thus, in Sarawak, the campaign slogans of "Sarawak First!" or "Sarawak for Sarawakians" are used by GPS to raise the emotion and sentiment of Sarawakians during election campaigns.

This is similar to Umno, PAS, Bersatu and Pejuang using/abusing "race" and "religion" to raise the emotion and sentiment of the Malays and Muslims to vote/support them.

Such campaigns truly and effectively resonate in GPS' favour and against PKR and DAP as Peninsular parties in the last Sarawak state election, where PKR got zero seats and DAP had its state seats reduced drastically.

With voters especially Malay-Muslims split among Umno, PAS, Bersatu, Pejuang, Muda, PBM and PKR, plus Chinese votes split between DAP, MCA and Gerakan, no party or even coalition can form the federal government in GE15 without support from Sabah and Sarawak.

And in the absence of any credible alternative or opposition party to challenge let alone defeat GPS in Sarawak or GRS in Sabah, the status quo will remain in the two states in GE15.

So Harapan's chances of taking over Putrajaya in GE15 by only depending on votes or support in Peninsular Malaysia is very slim and Harapan's chances of getting support from the majority Sabahans and Sarawakians in GE15 is even slimmer unless Harapan can offer or make "a clear and definite package" that is irresistible to, and which excites, Sabahans and Sarawakians to support Harapan in GE15.

Simple Truth: Let Harapan offer a formidable, attractive and doable manifesto that is inclusive, progressive and just.

Listen to what Undi18 has to say. They are generation Z and they have very different ideas. Let Rafizi spearhead this manifesto in Harapan.

If the fence-sitters and Undi18 generation buy it, you have your supporters. Stop wasting time talking to the enemies of Harapan and get on with leading the opposition effectively.

Look what happened when Harapan invited Mahathir into the coop. Harapan got sold out and he blamed you for the downfall of the Harapan government.

Harapan's manifesto in GE14 was a doable one, given time, I am sure it could succeed but that traitor Mahathir had his own racist plans and the leaders of Harapan were fooled by him lock, stock and barrel.

Please don’t make the same mistake again. Even Warisan said they will join any government. What an unprincipled statement by its party leader, Shafie Apdal. I have totally lost respect for him.

So do not rely on ‘big tent’. For all you know, there will be a full return of Harapan supporters. People will listen and support Harapan when the coalition can convince them that what they propose can make a difference to their lives and livelihood; a future for them and their children.

Dare to change and stop worrying about what different races will think. It’s what true Malaysians think that is important.

Undecided: There is just too much negativity nowadays on Anwar. There are few who are prepared to take a more balanced view.

This is one of the better articles on Anwar which shows that he has given a lot of thought to the issue of ‘big tent’ and cooperation with Bersatu and Pejuang and the difficulties involved.

His statement above shows that he knows what is crucial to Harapan's success in GE15 and the future. - Mkini