I refer to the Malaysiakini report Slam the door on BN 'opportunist' .

I would like to make a suggestion for a common stand that all Pakatan Rakyat component parties can make in unison.

This will be more appealing to some component parties than others, but all component parties can realistically implement this, and I believe in the long run all the coalition’s parties, and especially the coalition as a whole, will be stronger because of it.

Since the March 2008 political tsunami, Malaysia is no longer a one-party system in practice. Until and beyond March 2009, Malaysians got a chance to compare and contrast Barisan Nasional to the fledgling Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

In this time, many former Barisan supporters have changed their preference to Pakatan, and so have many Barisan members and even some Barisan leaders.

Now, I believe, the time has come to slam the door shut, at least for a little while. We all remember how exactly the Perak crisis began: with a defection from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan.

Furthermore, with the talk of a PAS-Umno alliance, one cannot ignore the possibility that Umno will attempt to funnel some of it's own members into weaker PAS branches.

More generally, all parties face the problem of having to choose between embracing new members who were formerly Barisan, as opposed to favoring the long dedicated contribution of their old guard.

Due to these and other reasons, I suggest that all Pakatan Rakyat parties take a common stand in declaring a one-year moratorium at this time, barring anyone who was known to be a member of Barisan Nasional later than March 2009, from joining any Pakatan Rakyat party.

This move would go a long way towards eliminating Barisan opportunists, and also provide the Pakatan faithful a measure of respect, and a reassurance that their position is unique, exclusive, and truly appreciated.

It would also be a milestone in the development of Pakatan Rakyat, where we will have, I believe for the first time, all Pakatan component parties applying a common policy to their recruitment process.

Such a policy can, and should, be reviewed periodically. But I think present circumstances demand such measures.

And anyway, surely the pool of independent Malaysia is deep enough that Pakatan need not look to Barisan for talent.