Cracks begin to appear in opposition alliance
KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Selangor, the jewel in the crown for Pakatan Rakyat (PR), looks to be losing its lustre for the opposition coalition.
A row has broken out between Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the DAP — two of the three components of the coalition — stemming from PKR vice-president Azmin Ali's call last Wednesday for some of his own colleagues to be kicked out of the state assembly. Azmin is opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's right-hand man in the PR alliance.
“Maybe it's time for the mentri besar to consider an exco reshuffle for the people to be served better,” he said. The exco refers to the state executive council or state Cabinet.
Some observers were not surprised by Azmin's action as it was well-known that the Bukit Antarabangsa lawmaker was unhappy with the state government line-up.
There was also talk that Azmin was eyeing the mentri besar's post because he felt that incumbent Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim did not have enough political experience. Khalid was a corporate leader before joining PKR.
At a press conference on Monday, Azmin refused to confirm or deny that he wanted to be the MB, telling reporters: “I have no response to that.”
He has latched on to unhappiness on the ground with the recent appointment of local councillors to push for a reshuffle in the state exco.
Reports said the appointment of several councillors to the Ampang Municipal Council and the Shah Alam City Council had irked many local leaders as they were not consulted over the selection.
In fact, a group of PKR members rallied at one of Anwar's ceramahs in Selangor, handing a memorandum to Azmin over the issue.
Khalid had already been summoned by top PKR leaders to discuss the unhappiness on the ground with the appointment of local councillors, according to the Star.
Temperatures were raised further on Monday in the state assembly with a shouting match between Azmin and Teresa Kok, an exco councillor.
Azmin took issue with a statement by Kok that his call for a reshuffle was “arrogant”.
Kok, along with fellow DAP state councillor Ronnie Liu, on Monday also slammed PKR lawmaker Wee Choo Keong, who had come out in support of Azmin.
Wee said last Saturday that the call for a reshuffle was timely, adding that he had received complaints too.
Then, in a bombshell disclosure, he said that it was an “open secret” that a state executive councillor had links with the underworld.
Wee, who left the DAP after a falling out with party members, did not name the official.
Liu demanded that Wee name the official but the latter said he would do so only “at an appropriate time”.
“Rumours can hurt and kill,” Liu said, declining further comment on the matter.
The police have begun investigations into the allegations.
Analysts say such public squabbles are unhealthy and are affecting the opposition's image.
“Too many frictions may indicate that the coalition members lack self-discipline and mutual respect for one another,” said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng.
In fact, most of the controversies and issues in PR were self-inflicted, he said.
“The recent conflicts in Kedah, Penang and Selangor exposed a lack of mutual understanding, a weak coalition partnership and a mutual distrust between the DAP, PKR and PAS,” he wrote in the Malaysiakini news portal.
DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has called for the PR to set up a disciplinary committee to “restore public confidence in the opposition coalition's cohesion, coherence, discipline, unity and common sense of purpose”.
Despite the latest controversy, independent pollster Merdeka Center yesterday released a survey showing 65 per cent of respondents were happy with Khalid's performance.
Another 60 per cent said the PKR-led state government was heading in the right direction.
Top PR leaders will be holding a leadership council meeting tomorrow to iron out their differences.
source : The Straits Times
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Internal squabbling threatens Pakatan’s rule in Penang
Lim is facing several problems in Penang, highlighting the challenges that can rip the PR apart. — File pic
He was in Parliament recently to witness the swearing-in of his DAP vice-chairman Tunku Aziz Ibrahim as Senator, but was heading back immediately to Penang where he no longer has a home.
Termites have forced him to move out of the official residence Seri Teratai. But this inconvenience is a mere snip in the avalanche of problems that has landed on his desk in the last few weeks.
Once seen as the most stable of the opposition states, Penang is engulfed by internal squabbling that is shaking the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) alliance although there is no threat of it falling apart.
“That is created by the Barisan Nasional-controlled press,” Lim told The Straits Times.
“Yes, there are problems, we don't hide it. Blame it on our CAT approach,” he said with a smile, referring to the Penang government's policy of competency, accountability and transparency.
But in seriousness, he said this was part of the process of maturing bonds in this coalition that is just over a year old. He, however, noted that it was also a warning that the Pakatan may flounder if it did not pay heed to the problems.
He did not think that it would.
Several problems in Penang, which surfaced dramatically over the last few weeks, highlight the challenges that can rip the PR apart.
Its problems fall into two categories: first, those of governance including resolving problems inherited from the past government; and second, the power tussle among the political partners.
In the first category, Lim is faced with the anger of 23 families in Kampung Buah Pala, who are being evicted after the land was sold. The sale took place before the change of government in March last year.
The families want the state to buy back the land but Lim said Penang, which has a budget deficit of RM40 million, cannot afford it.
“I can understand their anger. But can I put the state finances into jeopardy?” Lim asked.
The problem, however, was the state government's handling of the problem. It appeared unsympathetic, and weeks later, the dispute is still raging. It is an issue that threatens to define the opposition's leadership if it is not resolved soon.
Still, as delicate as this issue is, the more damaging problem is the political bickering that culminated in the sacking of a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) councillor Johari Kassim from the Seberang Prai municipal council a week ago.
Johari had earlier led a boycott of the swearing-in of the council president, claiming that the appointment should have come from the political ranks.
But even earlier, there had been minor tiffs when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made announcements about Penang that caught Lim by surprise.
These included a disclosure on the resignation of Lim's former deputy Fairus Khairuddin in April, and most recently, on the new Penang bridge. Anwar had disputed the location of the second bridge while Lim had no objections.
Needless to say, it has painted a very untidy picture.
But Lim insisted that there was no reason for this as all decisions are made collectively in the state executive council.
“I am a bit exasperated that public statements do not reflect the agreements achieved during these meetings. You shouldn't be playing politics. It not only affects the credibility of this party, but also the credibility of the state government, which you are a part of,” he said.
It seems evident that much of the PR's troubles arise from its free-for-all structure, where all parties are equal. It is more democratic but it also means more jostling, especially since the PR has yet to bridge the differences in ideology.
But Lim believes that the PR will stay together.
“There's no other choice. I would not give a guarantee that we will bridge all differences, or definitely that Pakatan will continue, but what I want to say is that definitely DAP will not be the one who breaks Pakatan,” he said.
The squabbles appear to have been resolved, for now. Johari has apologised to Lim and may get his job back. The DAP and PKR leaders have agreed to make Lim the state PR chief to strengthen the coalition.
“These differences are there, but we have confidence in each other. That's what's most important,” he said.
But this rough patch shows that the opposition's honeymoon is over.
source : The Straits Times
kzso - yep..the honeymoon is over. it's time for work..work..work... and work..less politicking!!! if not penang, selangor will fall to BN. when they start working, the squabbling will be wider and deeper 'cos they're more interested in projects, commissions and side incomes...
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