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Ijok can’t be repeated, Harapan must move forward

YOURSAY | ‘If GE14 is held next year, most probably BN will win…’

How can the opposition create another Ijok?

Kim Quek: I wholeheartedly endorse DAP MP for Serdang Ong Kian Ming’s perceptive and rather scientific discourse on the two by-elections.

First, BN’s victories in the two by-elections cannot be equated to an upsurge of support for the ruling coalition, as evidenced from statistical analysis of past by-elections carried out by Ong, and after discounting factors specific to these two by-elections.

Second, Pakatan Harapan needs to make extra efforts to build up an effective collective leadership and firmly project an image of a cohesive political force that is capable of running the next Malaysian government.

As a corollary to that, the name of Pakatan Harapan must increasingly replace that of individual parties. As a start, both the governments of Penang and Selangor should henceforth be always referred to as Pakatan Harapan state governments.

Third, Pakatan Harapan must urgently finalise its common policy platform that will capture the imaginations of all Malaysians - across all ethnic and geographical divides.

Finally, the issue of PAS as a formidable electoral block that has pivotal significance must be handled with care, for which the component parties must be in earnest and constant consultation.

Isana: The Ijok turnaround in the GE12 (2008) can't be repeated. The conditions and key individuals are no longer around to create it.

1) Hindraf just had a major demonstration in 2007.

2) Anwar Ibrahim was leading the battle.

3) Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat was around to moderate PAS.

4) No three-cornered fights.

5) The three parties (PKR, DAP and PAS) were on good terms and helped one another.

6) The rakyat see hope in Anwar and the loose coalition he was leading.

All these factors are no longer in existence. BN has dismantled its greatest threat.

Maplesyrup: If policies are what voters want, they would have booted out BN long ago.

It is not bread-and-butter issues, but our insatiable greed for free gifts and easy money that swayed some, especially those who are too poor to resist such windfalls that come once in five years.

While it is true that urban voters are interested in policies, they are not big enough a number to tip the balance. If not, why do you think Najib is spending so much time with the Felda settlers?

Anonymous_1371460635: Do whatever you all can but I think it won’t be in time for GE14 because time is not on your side.

If GE14 is held next year, most probably BN will win and you all need to wait for another five years till 2022 for another try for your dream of taking over Putrajaya.

Dont Just Talk: In the long term, it is better for Pakatan Harapan to work with the angel we know - the literate, moderate, Amanah leaders - than the alleged PAS devils that we also know but cannot be trusted.

As expected, three-cornered fights have been to Umno Baru’s advantage but what choice do the non-Malays have when they cannot trust PAS leaders with their hudud law.

Should GE14 be called by Najib next year, it can be safely concluded that PAS will be soundly defeated in the suburban and urban areas.

The Analyser: Try looking forward instead of this endless looking back to what has been a far from stellar history. This is a global world we live in where international developments are often as important, if not more important, than local developments.

I agree there are some lessons to be learnt from the past, but this is the 21st century where changes are rapid. Overnight developments can alter the course of history - totally.

So you are going to abandon the idea of policy issues because the voters get bored with them, are you? Maybe you should get better at explaining what policy changes actually mean to the man in the voting booth.

And how come the guys at the ceramahs get to hear about policy issues when nobody else knows about them? What are these policy issues you are talking about and where are they written down?

Postscript: As a subtle reminder, Pakatan Harapan governments (or whatever you like to call them this week, I still call them DAP and PKR governments) have a history of abject failure.

Lack of ethics and integrity, lack of vision, principles and direction, lack of transparency and accountability, failure to consult with the electorate have all contributed to a national disaster which should have been a bright light to the future.

CHKS: To me, the number one abhorrence is bickering and infighting among opposition parties (both inter- and intra-party). This is sickening. Don't blame too much on external factors.

The more you pin your blame on others, the more you are blind to your own weaknesses. This is one thing opposition parties can learn from BN - unity.

Secondly, for the opposition to be seen as a formidable force to take over Putrajaya, its leaders must be as squeaky clean.

It’s true that humans are not perfect, but they must walk the talk. What Rafizi Ramli has done on the ‘women and money’ allegation was correct.

Look at the Lim Guan Eng bungalow matter. The Penangites that I have spoken to say things like, "This is only an ordinary bungalow", "Only a small amount compared to 1MDB".

But as they say, a thief who steals a small amount is still a thief.

Hati Sakit Ku: Dr Ong Kian Ming, before you suggest any fancy ideas of the opposition recovery, why not try getting the opposition house in order?

Why doesn’t Pakatan Harapan have the courage to make its domain exclusively for the coalition partners, and for the time being, leave PAS out of the equation.

PKR is still the culprit and behaving like a political pariah living under the sufferance of PAS.

If the leadership from Pakatan Harapan does not have the political will to make tough decisions and have a vision for the future, the opposition will remain political zombies wandering in the wilderness.


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