After the political tsunami that occurred on March 8, 2008, we will soon see another change in political landscape in our country next month.

This time, the change might not be as significant as that of last year, but it will show the general sentiment among the public towards the two coalitions of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will succeed incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and lead the country starting from April 1. Right after taking the helm from Abdullah, Najib will face his very first challenge as the chief of BN - the three by-elections at Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang, and Batang Ai that will all be held on April 7.

The results of these three by-elections are not merely the matter of who will be holding the seats, but they are an indicator of public perception of the BN and the PR after all that happened since March 8 last year.

This will include on whether PR's administration in the five states is approved, whether the people are confident in Najib's leadership as the premier of our country and whether the seize of the Perak government from the PR is acceptable. Just to name a few.

It will be a total slap in Najib's face should the BN lose all the by-elections to PR, particularly the one in Batang Ai.

Given all the advantages that the BN possesses such as abundant resources in terms of funds and transports, their firm grip on the Sarawak government for decades, and their pervasive control of the media, there should be no excuse for a defeat in Batang Ai if it really occurs.

One could only attribute such a defeat to the mismanagement of the Sarawak state government over the years, the rising wave of anti-BN sentiment, and the correct strategies employed by PR leaders.

If PR happens to win all three by-elections, it will undoubtedly give the coalition new vigour after the fall of the Perak government and the public affrays among their top leaders. It will also mean that the mandate given by the people to Pakatan to rule the five states still remains strong as ever.

If PR aims to grab the federal government from BN in the next general elections, or to at least form an effective two-party system, it ought to convince the people that it is capable of ruling the country efficaciously, and this should start at the state level.

Not only does it need to prove that it can rule the country better than the BN, Pakatan needs to convince the people it is worth risking their votes for the coalition because we all know BN will resort to any approach, however extreme it is, to prevent from being overthrown.

The Selangor government has set an excellent example to all other PR'state governments. Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has shown his determination to manage the government in a more transparent manner by declaring his and his exco members' assets online.

Kudos to them for such a laudable policy but that is not sufficient to win the people's votes. How about the progress of all the ongoing development projects in the state? How about the tendering process for all the upcoming projects?

How have the people benefitted from the new state government? How is it different from the previous BN government in terms of transparency, accountability, responsibility and fairness to all? All these have yet to be answered.

One thing that all Pakatan component parties need to bear in mind is that the people treat Pakatan as an single entity and that each of them are an indispensable part for the coalition.

While PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim possesses the charisma to attract a large number of votes and his PKR is certainly popular among many constituencies, he and his party themselves are not enough to form a formidable front against BN.

Given the above reason, a transparent and responsible government must not only be established in Selangor itself but in all other PR-ruled states namely Kedah, Kelantan, and Penang.

Thus, a united and integrated coalition is critical to ensure Pakatan’s success in the next general elections. In regards to that, PR has yet to put in more effort towards achieving this goal.