PR Decision-Making Mechanism
July 30, 2009
Pakatan Rakyat Decision-Making Mechanism is a principal milestone, say Khalid Samad, MP
by Terence Netto
Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad believes that the creation of a decision-making mechanism within Pakatan Rakyat is the principal milestone in the quest for a two-coalition system in Malaysia.
In remarks made at a seminar organized by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore earlier this week, the PAS legislator said such a mechanism was created by the Pakatan government that ruled Perak from March 2008 until it was ousted by the Barisan Nasional last February.
Khalid, one of the Malaysian Parliament’s least partisan voices, credited the DAP, which held the overall majority in the Perak State Assembly, for the success of the concept of consensual government whereby no policy would be passed if coalition partners were not in agreement.
He claimed the Pakatan governments of Selangor and Kedah have yet to emulate the mechanism successfully wrought by the Perak Pakatan government led by Nizar Jamaluddin, the PAS assemblyman who became menteri besar.
Khalid, a resolute believer in persuasion through reasoned argument, said the mechanism was necessary to obviate the impact of differing ideologies of Pakatan partners on decision making.
Overriding political ideologies
He explained that Pakatan coalition partners were propelled by a desire to provide responsible and transparent government in the five states where they were enthroned.
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He said this motivation was sufficiently potent to override ideological differences among coalition partners such that the immediate policies that were being implemented were not held hostage to fundamental differences.
He added that the Pakatan desire to provide government that moves the “country away from racial politics that has been the defining character of politics under BN” overrode the centrifugal pull of clashing ideologies.
Khalid said the “fear of one race being sidelined” and the fear of another race coming into power “has always been the bogeyman that has been projected by UMNO-BN in order for them to stay in power”.
He said the Pakatan faced the challenge of educating the public that this “racial politics” was a tool employed by the BN to extend their hold on power rather than an actual danger posed by Malaysian society.
Cautionary note to Pakatan
According to Khalid, another challenge faced by Pakatan was how to manage change. He held that change would be better managed if Pakatan partners correctly identified the reasons why the public supported Pakatan in the last general election.
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He said he personally believed the main reason why Pakatan did well was that the people were tired of BN’s corruption and racial politics.
He said attributions by PAS for their success to increasing Islamic consciousness and of PKR and DAP to their attractiveness to voters, were not necessarily correct.
Khalid cautioned that incorrect attributions for their success would lead Pakatan coalition partners to “bring about changes which probably society at large is not completely ready to accept”.
He said the management of change would be better effected if Pakatan emphasised the need for political socialisation and reconstruction of social values which were warped by UMNO-BN’s domination of access to Malay society through mosque, and surau, and through the positions of village chiefs and security committees.
Khalid said the values perpetuated by UMNO-BN were based on fear, suspicion and racialist policies. He added that Pakatan should counter this politics of fear and race with a “more positive political philosophy where issues of social justice, economic justice and the role of government in ensuring national unity” is emphasised. He said this philosophy must be imparted and explained to Malay society “in a more Islamic perspective”.
Terence Netto, this erudite journalist, is trying to spin a story using Khalid Samad’s recent talk at ISEAS, Singapore.
What Pakatan Rakyat decision-making mechanism is Netto talking about? There is no such thing. Pakatan Rakyat lacks coherence, and is already losing focus. Its representatives, be they in Penang, Selangor, Perak or Kedah, are doing business as usual (UMNO-BN style), although they promised change. Power got to their heads; all these Yang Berhormats forgot that they were elected to carry out their promises to serve the people. Remember George Orwell’s Animal Farm types.
Guan Eng in Penang and Khalid Ibrahim in Selangor have become very arrogant and at the rate they are doing things, come GE13, Pakatan Rakyat which is a hodge podge of street protesters, left learning ideologues and discredited socialists, Islamic conservatives, ex-UMNO types and NGO personalities, will lose in a big way. They cannot manage expectations.
If Anwar Ibrahim goes back to gaol (God Forbid), there will be no one credible to take his place and hold Pakatan Rakyat together. PAS is an unreliable partner always playing the Malay Unity card with UMNO, while DAP wants so much to remain in the Opposition. So, kiss a two party system goodbye. UMNO-BN under Najib will rule Malaysia for quite a while yet. That is the reality.
Al-Tawakal - July 30, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Al Tawakal, can you explain why people like Zaid Ibrahim and Chua Jui Meng (PKR), Tunku A. Aziz (DAP) and others have joined Pakatan Rakyat fold. My answer is this: they all believe that we must begin New Politics in Malaysia and that a two party system is the way to go for good governance.
I for one know that we have in PKR new and young talent and also experienced people in our ranks and the next round of candidates for GE13 will be better educated, professional and capable of running the country. –Din Merican
dinobeano - July 30, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Zaid is horning his skills as a navigator. Chua has been around long enough to know if a ship is sailing or is sinking. Tunku Aziz wants to be different.
Mr Bean - July 30, 2009 at 11:31 pm
New Yorker Bean,
Zaid, Chua and Tunku Aziz share a few things in common; they all want change, good governance, and justice. They believe that a two party system will do that and provides voters to choose a government that will best serve their interest, provided there is free and fair elections. At the same time, we must attract qualified and successful people of good character to politics so that people can choose those that can serve them.
Technocratic Tunku Aziz is an indefatigable campaigner against corruption while both Zaid and Chua are politicians who are disillusioned with UMNO-BN and want to change politics. To all of them, Pakatan Rakyat offers the best hope for change. Voters in 2008 thought so too, but they did not do enough, which was to throw out UMNO-BN.
2013 or earlier could see the end of Barisan Nasional government and the beginning of a two party system. A stint as opposition will do UMNO-BN a lot of good. It will certainly make them humble and down to earth. No political party should be allowed to have a monopoly on power to rule indefinitely the way we allowed UMNO-BN to rule for 50 plus years.—Din Merican
dinobeano - July 31, 2009 at 8:10 am
Hi Al-Tawakal 9:17 pm
You said, “Power got to their (Pakatan Rakyat) heads; all these Yang Berhormats forgot that they were elected to carry out their promises to serve the people. Remember George Orwell’s Animal Farm types.”
I say: So, with greater democratisation, the people can vote (Pakatan Rakyat elected officials who are non-performers or corrupt) them out
You said, ” …. Pakatan Rakyat which is a hodge podge of street protesters, left learning ideologues and discredited socialists, Islamic conservatives, ex-UMNO types and NGO personalities, will lose in a big way. They cannot manage expectations.”
I say: What is wrong with street protests if carried out non-violently (especially if other forms of dissent are suppressed)? Did you forget the history of Malay nationalist protests against the proposed Malayan Union?
As for “left-leaning ideologues and discredited socialists”, sorry to disappoint you, with the current world economic crisis, left-Keynesianism is back in fashion! It is right-wing market fundamentalism and rent-seeking privatisation that is discredited. Two left-leaning intellectuals – - Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz — have also been awarded Nobel prizes for economics. Nothing wrong with Islamic conservatism as long as it is principled, does not use force on believers to conform, and respects the rights of non-believers to different lifestyles.
What’s wrong with ex-UMNO people if they are principled and respect democratic processes? What’s the problem with “NGO personalities”? You said: “If Anwar Ibrahim goes back to gaol (God Forbid), there will be no one credible to take his place and hold Pakatan Rakyat together.”
I say: The times create the man (and the woman). Others will spring up to take his place. Did you forget Nizar in Perak? Once social movements for genuine change get going, they are very difficult to stop.
You said: “PAS is an unreliable partner always playing the Malay Unity card with UMNO,” I say: Only a certain faction within PAS. The PR practices Big Tent politics where dissent is possible and compromises are made. This is what democracy is all about. Within BN, a certain dominant political party rides roughshod over all the other political parties. Genuine change is coming, my friend!
Phua Kai Lit - July 31, 2009 at 8:49 am
Phua Kai Lit ,
very well said. i don’t think AL – TAWAKAL will respond anymore . he probably has admitted himself into the tawakal hospital. lousy sod that tawakal fella.
PEACH ANN NACION - July 31, 2009 at 12:24 pm
“Technocratic Tunku Aziz is an indefatigable campaigner against corruption ..” Din Merican
But his globe trotting when he was in Sime Darby gained the ire of his boss.
Mr Bean - July 31, 2009 at 7:18 pm
Peach and Phua,
I am back, not in Tawakal Hospital. I admire your optimism, but the reality is that PR is squandering the goodwill it garnered from the GE12 March 8, 2008. At the same time, a new and more vicious regime led by Najib has taken over. The new Prime Minister is not giving PR a walkover. He wants to blow PR to bits with political C4s.
The PKR jewel in its political crown, Selangor under Khalid Ibrahim is inept and some of its ADUNs are under investigation and that includes Ronnie Liu and Teresa Kok. Selangoreans are frustrated by the lack of progress and there is a blog http://airmataselangor.blogspot.com devoted to monitoring the activities under Khalid. It is a blog devoted to bring PKR Selangor’s Khalid down. I think, he should be removed before it is too late; but for some strange reasons, Anwar Ibrahim is not doing anything to prevent the situation in Selangor from further deterioration. Azmin Ali should have been the MB, not Khalid.
Penang is making some progress but of late Lim Guan Eng has become an autocratic CM aided two lame Deputies including PKR’s Dr. Mansor Othman. Mark my word, at the rate these PKR and PR people are governing, they will be defeated in GE13. The rakyat is getting disenchanted with PR. Talk is cheap.
As for you two, go screw yourselves. Don’t let your optimism founded on naivety get the better of you.
Al-Tawakal - July 31, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Peach, Phua and Tawakal, what is up. Avoid hoarse language. No one should screw one another on this blog. –Din Merican
dinobeano - July 31, 2009 at 8:45 pm
“As for you two, go screw yourselves”
How do you do that??
Mr Bean - August 1, 2009 at 12:31 am
mr bean ,
i think Tawakal meant cyber sex. i think he maybe feeling lonely in hospital .
peach ann nacion - August 1, 2009 at 10:26 am
mr din ,
first let me thank you for allowing me some time and space in your blog . it was extraordinary and the experience was pleasant .
but if i am guilty of using ” hoarse language ” and if at anytime i did abuse your blog please accept my humble apologies because i am quite certain it was inadvertant. and i think i can assure you that it will not happen again .
salamat din
peach ann nacion - August 1, 2009 at 10:33 am
Hi Al-Tawakal
So you resort to obscene language because you are unable to
respond to my comments?
Phua Kai Lit - August 3, 2009 at 9:25 am