5/11/2013

Malaysia GE – Coalition of Convenience




The recent GE has propelled an unlikely and incompatible coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat, into a serious contender to form the next govt in Malaysia. If the accusation, not proven, is anything to go by, PR could have won the election and Anwar could have been the PM. When PR was formed, it was the most difficult alliance of mismatch political parties that were unlikely to see eye to eye because of their poles apart ideology and political goals. The DAP is a strongly non Malay party that was seen as promoting non Malay interest. PAS was seen as a fundamentalist Islamic party that wanted an Islamic Malaysia with Islamic Laws that are feared by the non Muslims if imposed on them. Parti Keadilan Rakyat was a brand new creation, led by a controversial leader in Anwar that was just released from prison and still facing many criminal charges.

The rise and rise of PR as a serious political coalition to take on UMNO and BN is a big gamble with very few chips. The stature of PR today is a far cry from its early years marred by a host of intractable problems between its three constituent parties. Many issues have been ironed our with the good grace of the three leaders and with a lot of give and take. An inconvenient coalition is now a workable model.

There must be a lot of compromises, a lot of negotiation and a lot of convincing by the leaders to take their supporters along this journey. And there must be a lot of trust and faith that the parties will play along agreed ground rules. The three parties are must closer and as equal partners than the BN coalition when UMNO was just bullying the other parties and hammering to shape to get along. BN is a case of square peg in round hole and all kinds of pegs hammered into a hole decided by UMNO. It was in reality a very unequal and inconvenient coalition compares to PR when all the parties negotiated their terms on an equal basis.

Anwar was clearly instrumental to the rise of PR. No other politician in Malaysia today can hold this coalition together, let alone bringing them to the negotiating table. Leadership is one of the main factor in PR. Anwar is a natural leader, acceptable by all three parties and their supporters. But more importantly is the push factor in UMNO.

UMNO over the years have alienated the people of Malaysia of all races through their self serving policies and racial policies. The non Malay parties were bullied to irrelevance and their credibility to their supporters became a big question mark. None of the non Malay party could tell their supporters that they were representing them. They were just passengers in a coalition where they hardly have any say.

The Malay base of UMNO was also eroded as the masses were not getting the benefits they deserved, only to see the rich politicians getting richer by means that they deemed uncomfortable and unacceptable. It is an elitist party, with nepotism and cronyism being practiced blatantly for selfish interests of the elite. The accusation of corruption is getting more sympathetic ears and the Malay supporters are deserting the party in hordes. Many of the middle leaders too are disillusion and some have switched camps and others are seriously thinking about it.

UMNO has worked itself out of favour among the Malay voters and arrogantly thinking that it could abuse their trust and support by giving lip services to their unhappiness. It is no longer the same party that it used to be. It is no longer for the people but for themselves, the leaders.

The PR coalition of convenience could only come about by the self destructing policies and acts of UMNO. There was a genuine need for a change and PR fill the hole neatly. They is an uprising among the Malaysians of all races, a revolt of kind, against a govt that is no longer trusted and respected.
The political landscape in Malaysia is a mirror image of what is happening in Singapore. But the opposition in Singapore is still not ready. There is no Anwar, a natural leader that could command the respect and acceptance by the opposition camp. And there are no leaders willing to put their party interests aside to come together for a coalition of convenience to stage a serious challenge to the PAP. Until such a development takes place, the opposition in Singapore is unlikely to put up a real alternative to the PAP, to replace it in the next GE.

There is no need for all the opposition parties to come under one umbrella. All it needs is three or so component parties to work together and that should be a sizable force to be reckoned with. Other than this, unless there is a little miracle, or the PAP did itself in by creating more unhappiness that are so unacceptable to the people that more concerned Singaporeans are willing to step forward to enter the political arena to boost up the strength of the WP or another major party, big enough to pose as an alternative party in waiting.

If a coalition is difficult, the relatively smaller political landscape could actually be circumvent if a strong party could garner enough new candidates to be field in the next GE, to mount a major assault on a declining and ageing party that is losing its grips of power and support of the people.

Would there be a coalition of convenience in 2016 or would there be a single party that is strong enough to take on the PAP? There is still time, 3 years to make this happen. PAP could help too, by continuing on its path and policies that are no longer acceptable and agreeable by the people.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

very sian lah i read the ending part of your article, red bean. make me heart pain thinking of our chances to overthrow the pappies. strong coalition like pr with strong leaders winning more than half the votes cannot overthrow bn who got 60% of the parliamentary seats. in 2011, pappies got 60% only and yet sapu 81 seats. s'pore opposition got 40% of the votes and sapu only 6 seats. some more with more redrawing of the election boundaries, with the bloody grc's, we will never ever overthrow the pappies, even if s'pore opposition united under a strong leader and getting 60% of the votes. miw will rule forever. everybody get ready for limpeh's grandson. 1000 year dynasty!

Anonymous said...

Wan sui, wan sui, wan wan sui.

patriot said...

As a Born Singaporeans who had voted many times, me agrees very much with your analyses of the Political Situation in Malaysia.
Singapore is very much similar to Malaysia in demographics except the Majority Race differs. Another dissimilar characteristic is the land size, natural resources and population density. Sg is naturally endow with a geographical location that was luckily discovered and fully developed by Stamford Raffles. He made Sin into the most busy seaport for centuries to make Sg the Richest State in S E Asia since.

Malaysia is one of the most naturally resources endowed nation on Earth and It is further endowed with little or no record of major natural disaster. Malaysians are truly blessed by nature. If it stays peaceful and administer well, Malaysians will have many centuries of good living to come.

As for the people in both countries, although the Component Races are similar except differences in Racial percentage, the way the people live differs much. Sinkies cannot live or maybe survive without the Use of the English Language as many Sinkies had been claiming. All the indigenous and traditional cultures have fossilized. Had the colours of their physical features not remain, it will be difficult to tell the Races apart. Now, it is only during traditional festivals that we get to see the various traditional cultures of yesteryears.

The Malaysians are better at preserving and practising their indigenous and traditional customs and languages. They are also much more friendly and sincere though many are picking up the bad and negative habits of Sinkies who are the largest visitors to Malaysia.

Politically, there is not much difference in both Regimes. Me suspects that the Malaysian Regime does learn and even practice the Sin Regime. At times, they could have co-operated or colluded. However, no matter how they are diplomatic to each other and act nice to one another, the relationship between the Two is only cordial at best, there is not much sincerity. Doubt and suspicion will always remain between the Two until they becone One. I wish they can become One as soon as possible and ultimate it has to be.

Malaysians are at present in a much better position to bargain with their rulers as they face little or no problem of livelihood.
......../2

Malaysia Mana Boleh said...

PR even if it comes to power will not last.

You expect the PAS to coexist with the DAP for long? It's almost like putting a tiger and a lion in the same cage. Only one will come out alive.

When the PR comes into power, the PAS will probably insist that all female visitors to Malaysia and that includes Singaporeans will have to wear the tudung.

The BN should just kick out the useless MCA and invite the DAP to take it's place.

patriot said...

Sinkies had pretty good living under the British which administered the State efficiently and prospered It and the inhabitants in it. The British had provided comprehensive welfares for the wellbeings of the sparse population before handing over the reign to the local around the Mid Sixties. From then on, the Ambitious Local Regime embarked on its ambitious growth at all cost journey. And by the End of the Nineteen Nineties, the Rulers got addicted to growth. Foreign investors of all kinds were welcomed and by 2000AD, aliens were invited to work in droves. It was soon extended to invite foreigners to power the economy growth. Sinkies too got addicted to the Growth over the years.

As the population grow beyond the ability of the infrastructure to cope, Sinkies begin to feel squeezed and a small section of the population began to grouse about policies. When the Sin Government announced the Plan to grow the Population to 6.9 millions by 2030, it got many to worry. Though living costs rose steadily for over a decade or more, Sinkies were fine with it. More expensive properties, cars and gadgets were purchased and all live in glory. However, jobs were slowly hard to get as foreigners began to fill up most posts. Salaries of Sinkies remained stagnant foe years whiksr their job scope were widened and working hours extended.

Despite all the Challenges the Sinkies face over the Last Decades, the Ruling Regime PAP was given the Mandate by 60% of the Voters in GE 2011. It shows that Sinkies are not like the Malaysians.

Sinkies are fine, royal and respectful to their Rulers. They will sacrifice for their Rulers. This is the Greatest Difference between Sinkies and Malaysians and this difference is the Difference that matters in the Political Developments in the Two Countries.

patriot

patriot said...

My apology.

'royal' in my Above Comment should be 'loyal'.

patriot

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

>> There must be a lot of compromises, a lot of negotiation and a lot of convincing by the leaders to take their supporters along this journey.

Politics is the exercise of collective compromise.

>> And there must be a lot of trust and faith that the parties will play along agreed ground rules.

Trust and faith are nonsense when it comes to humans. That's why we invented CONTRACTS, and the enforcement of contracts, replete with the frameworks necessary for extracting "compensation" from those who breach their contractual obligations.

'Compromise' doesn't necessarily entail 'trust and faith'. To assume that is to make a fatal error.

agongkia said...

My penang mei mei told me about 100 over k penangites gather at batu kawan stadium yesterday.
Just dun understand what so bad about BN and what is there to protest and what so special about PR.I still sotong until now.