Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Gaining a parliamentary seat but losing one whole state in the process?

With the latest development in Perak, it now seems that the Pakatan Rakyat is about to face the downside of being involved too much in their plan to bring Anwar Ibrahim to parliament. The above news and stories going around on the 2 exco members arrested (read more here and here) for the alleged graft offense is no small matter.

There will be ripple effects on to the campaign of "Merdekakan-Malaysia-from-all-imaginable-ills" currently played up in Permatang Pauh. This should not be taken lightly by the Pakatan coalition. It may not in time turn into a tsunami, but there is possibility that it could turn into a political typhoon at the very least, maybe not in Penang but in Perak instead. It may not cost them the parliamentary seat now in contention but they could end up losing one whole other state in the process at the end.

The arrests made hit them where it hurt the most. One of their core struggle that is to liberate the nation from graft practices which made Pakatan Rakyat came out smelling like roses during the last general election now smells more like rotten eggs.

The idea that they are the chosen one to eradicate the social ills that they say originated from UMNO and BN's rule over the years are now like a boomerang whirling out of nowhere hitting back at them right between the eyes. It's true that you are innocent until proven guilty but in politics it's all about perception. And perception wise, when 2 of your state exco members are arrested for allegedly accepting bribes, the view is not exactly going to be lovely from where the people is standing.

The immediate claims by PKR and Pakatan Rakyat's leaders that the ACA's action is politically motivated would not do them any good. In fact it makes people to see more and more what Pakatan Rakyat is all about. To play the same card over and over again when you hit the dirt reveals a lot of what you are made of. Pakatan Perak leaders need to be wiser and display some elements of maturity when facing crisis. The reaction made only goes to show that the pakatan leaders love conspiracy theories and whenever there is an issue cropping out of which they are at the receiving end, they blame it on the other side.

"They plan it all along, it's a conspiracy!" You think the people, especially those in Perak, would buy that this time around?

This time around, do take it like a man, Pakatan Rakyat!

Updated

Response from Husam Musa in his blog "Cetusan Hati",

Dua Exco Perak ditahan reman BPR - ia kes rasuah tulin atau satu agenda politik? Begitu hati saya tertanya. Mesej untuk Permatang Pauh? PKR sama rasuah dengan UMNO dan BN. Mengapa undi Anwar? Read more here.

Another response with the same line of reasoning and defence. Now, it's good to see that, in one hand, the spirit of camaraderie in the pakatan coalition is still intact but then again, on the other hand, was the response made due to the fact and sole reason that the Chief Minister of the state concerned is from PAS?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mengata dulang paku serpih punya kes beb!

Anonymous said...

Pakatan Rakyat is losing the plot. The dearth of talents in their line-up starting to takes its toll. This is what you get when you have such a line up in your state excos just for the sake of quantity and not quality.