ADUN SPEAKS | Malacca PN - a regime that fails in legitimating itself
During the Malacca state assembly that was held in July, the word pengkhianatan (betrayal) had caused a commotion in the hall.
Former Pakatan Harapan - now Perikatan Nasional - exco protested the use of the word by Harapan reps, claiming that it is hurtful (menyakitkan hati, as per Section 20 (m) (iii) of Standing Orders of the State Legislative Assembly) and that it was an inaccurate accusation because what they had done was not a betrayal, but supposedly “saving the country”.
Whether or not the word pengkhianatan was an accurate description for their defection that formed the PN regime, is still up for debate. However, this much is certain: the PN regime has yet to legitimate itself as a government that is fit to lead...
During the Malacca state assembly that was held in July, the word pengkhianatan (betrayal) had caused a commotion in the hall.
Former Pakatan Harapan - now Perikatan Nasional - exco protested the use of the word by Harapan reps, claiming that it is hurtful (menyakitkan hati, as per Section 20 (m) (iii) of Standing Orders of the State Legislative Assembly) and that it was an inaccurate accusation because what they had done was not a betrayal, but supposedly “saving the country”.
Whether or not the word pengkhianatan was an accurate description for their defection that formed the PN regime, is still up for debate. However, this much is certain: the PN regime has yet to legitimate itself as a government that is fit to lead, for the following reasons.
a) Lack of vision
Several questions have been raised in and out of the assembly hall. Will policies/initiatives that were planned and carried out by the Harapan government be continued?
During Harapan’s 22-month administration, not only did it fulfil over 80 percent of its general election manifesto, several previously unplanned but necessary initiatives/policies were also formulated and completed.
Just to name a few, Rumah Peduli, Skim Rumah Belia, NFCP in Melaka, ICT Blueprint, eSports development, Kad Peduli Sihat and leasehold land extension policy were carried out during Harapan’s time.
The Malacca PN government has chosen to discontinue some of these initiatives, while others have seen little to no progress to date.
It would be unrealistic to ask for a full manifesto from the PN regime at this time; nonetheless, a fair question to ask would be, in what way does PN want to prove that they are different and better than Harapan?
b) Condone abuse of power?
The 1MDB case was undoubtedly the epitome of corruption and abuse of power that had led to the defeat of BN in the 14th general election.
During Harapan’s tenure as the Malacca state government, much has been done to ensure corrupt practices are eliminated.
However, it was utterly disappointing and baffling that two staff members, who were previously sacked from a government-linked company (GLC) for abuse of power, got ‘invited’ back to work after PN came into power.
I have elaborated on the incident via media statements. When I questioned the state government during state assembly, I was provided with a vague and non-committal answer.
Unsurprisingly, to date, there is still no further statement from the state government, nor was there any action taken on the GLC staff mentioned.
What is PN’s stance in combating corruption and abuse of power, as well as upholding good governance? Do cases of serious misconduct and abuse of power, especially in agencies such as GLCs, not matter to PN?
c) Rakyat-centric?
In their state assembly closing speeches, two former Harapan exco members who are now serving under PN claimed that their defection had to occur because Harapan had allegedly deteriorated the Malay rights.
The instances mentioned in their speeches include the leasehold land extension for Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, the release of Bumiputera housing quota, and nominal charges for Independent Chinese Secondary School in leasehold land extension.
These were carefully put together with selective information to mislead the public into buying their malicious and unfounded allegations. One good example of that is the omission in their speech that Danaharta Bumiputera was set up to utilise levy charge of bumiputera housing quota and intended to provide financial aid to, among others, Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
This was a blatant attempt to propagate the narrative of “DAP must not be in government”, fanning the flames of racial dissension, especially towards Malay audiences. That narrative is perhaps, the weakest attempt to justify their defection from Harapan.
The following questions must be asked:
Where were these noble defectors when the policies were decided upon? Why didn’t any of them resign in protest over the 22 months, if policies were so disagreeable? Why only speak ill of Harapan now, when the rakyat is angry and lashing out at them after defecting?
If the Malacca PN state government is serious in leading the state, there must be a clear stand on whether all races in Malacca - the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Peranakan, Portuguese, Chetti and all - can be fairly and equitably treated, and whether the multi-culturalism in Melaka will continue to be exploited as a political model by its representatives.
Fanning racial sentiments to justify the backdoor incident is an insult to the Malaccan spirit of exercising moderation, tolerance and mutual respect.
I urge PN state reps who have taken the reins to speak with substance and govern with integrity, competency, and leadership, instead of pursuing racial-centric politics. Otherwise, the regime will only see itself crumble in the near future.
Kerk Chee Yee is Ayer Keroh assemblyperson.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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