With the demise of Pakatan Rakyat as a result of the PAS Muktamar resolution on June 3, 2015, DAP nation-wide must be prepared for three-cornered contests, both parliamentary and state assembly, in the next general elections.
DAP will co-operate with all progressive political parties and forces, including PKR and the progressive PAS leaders who are in the process of forming a new political party, to save Malaysia from becoming a failed state because of rampant corruption, socio-economic injustices and collapse of good governance so as to re-set the country on the correct course towards an united, harmonious, ethical, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.
I feel sad at the demise of Pakatan Rakyat after seven years of a common political struggle based on the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework (CPF) and the operational consensus principle that any PR decision must be based on the consensus of the three component parties, but when the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi repeatedly violated the PR CPF and the PR consensus principle, even ignoring the decision of the previous PAS Central Committee, followed by the PAS Muktmar resolution to sever ties between PAS and DAP, we must accept the unmistakable signs that the PR had died.
My sadness at the demise of PR is however compensated by a sense of relief that we have released ourselves from the PR trajectory which can only end up in disaster for the PR parties in the 14th General Election, as the 52% of the national electorate who voted for PR in the 13th General Election would not again vote for PR after the betrayal of the PR Common Policy Framework encapsulating their political, socio-economic hopes and aspirations to topple UMNO/Barisan Nasional for a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya.
As a result, we created the paradox that PR Common Policy Framework encapsulating the political and socio-economic hopes and aspirations of Malaysians can only continue to be relevant, valid and meaningful if PR is buried, as PR can no longer ensure that all the three component parties remain true, loyal and faithful to the PR CPF with the PAS leadership suddenly demanding to foist its hudud agenda on PR.
Although PAS as achieved the severance of ties with DAP, DAP should not follow the example of PAS leaders who are emulating UMNO tactics and strategies to attack and demonise the DAP.
I am shocked that Hadi is adopting wholesale UMNO’s dirty tactics of accusing the DAP of being “chauvinistic” while the former PAS Secretary-General Mustafa Ali emulating UMNO’s unprincipled strategy of accusing the PAS Progressives as proxies of DAP.
DAP leaders at all levels must always be conscious of the need to set a good example of ethical and honest politics, and not to resort to lies and falsehoods to attack and demonise political leaders not on our same political wavelength.
When Pakatan Rakyat was functioning, DAP leaders had shown full respect to PAS leaders and we had never interfered in PAS internal affairs, which Hadi is now falsely accusing the DAP leadership.
In fact, DAP leaders went out of our way to try to patch up the fractious relationship between the top PKR and PAS leaders especially during the Pakatan Rakyat crisis over the replacement of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Mentri Besar by PKR President Datuk Seri Dr. Azizah Ismail.
I felt very bad when I read the recent account by a senior PKR leader about how Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was “humiliated” by Hadi during the Selangor mentri besar crisis in August last year, as it was the DAP who persuaded a very reluctant Anwar to go to Terengganu to meet with Hadi.
As Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was at the time PKR Secretary-General recounted:
“I still remember the moment when I accompanied Anwar to meet him, and how Anwar was humiliated with language that was truly abusive.
“The discussion was stopped, he left. Two of his companions present apologised and said he had only taken his medication.
“I and Anwar took our leave. Such a ‘beautiful character’.”
I do not have to name Hadi’s two companions at the time, as I do not believe they will contradict Saifuddin’s account.
I am even more shocked the present PAS leadership are attacking the Progressive leaders with perjorative terms, using slander and name-calling, even descriptions like “Satanic”.
I want to remind DAP leaders to be always principled, ethical, civil and never to resort to lies and falsehoods, slander and name-calling to demonise and character-assassinate anyone.
Three cornered fights will surely play into the hands of UMNO/BN. The PR vote will be split down the middle. UMNO/BN votes will remain. Why do I say that? Just look at the sycophants in the cabinet that told the rakyat “In your face… even if Najib brings Malaysia to its knees, we stand by the PM, NOT THE RAKYAT. Our allegiance is to our rice bowl, NOT THE RAKYAT”. Again, just look at the phone theft incident at Low Yat. It shouted to the world there are a huge number of UMNO/BN sympathizers who think, “Who are YOU to stop us from stealing from you? We HAVE the right to steal from you. It is OUR RIGHT to do wrong to you. It is YOU who are wrong for not letting us steal from you”.
Truly, PAS showing its true evil self is a blessing. The devil was within out midst, consciously plotting destruction. We had no choice but to cut off this cancer. Now, we can only pray that common sense and right thinking will prevail over religiosity, pride, ego and bigotry and that PAS grassroot will vote against a party that is going the way of the Taliban.
DAP needs more Malays but in the meantime a close working relationship with the newly mooted Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) would give everybody a run in many of the Malay majority constituencies.
From now on, until GE14, it is hoped that DAP or PKR MPs, GHB MEMBERS,and all potential personnel who will stand for election, to refrain from speaking on probable seditious subjects, and thereby, being arrested and be charged, and keeping lawyer members busy, lost focus on strategy, and finally wasted our votes.
Don’t be dead heroes.
Don’t worry too much about PAS.
Once the progressives have joined hands with PKR & DAP, they will have nothing left.
It will revert to a kampong party.
Mark my words.