For the first time in the history of the country after independence, the opposition coalition has become a strong force to take over the governance of the country. It was the historic March 8 2008 general election that saw a tough opposition in the parliament and the takeover of five states.

Pakatan Rakyat, being new to governance, has gone through some minor skirmishes within the coalition itself. But the state of affairs within the coalition as painted by the mainstream media (MSM) is not as serious as being touted.

Kelantan is invariably steady under the leadership of Nik Aziz Nik Mat, a charismatic leader loved by all Malaysians – Muslims and non-Muslims alike - despite all the harassment on his credibility by the MSM and some irresponsible blogs. Nik Aziz has, in a way, become the unofficial spiritual leader of Pakatan Rakyat and he will remain highly respected by all and sundry.

Selangor under the leadership of Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has emerged stable despite all the negative misinformation created by the MSM. ‘Sour grape politicians’ behind the grubby tactics to bring down the state government have had their numerous plans botched miserably. The people are not convinced by the cheap politicking used by some disgruntled politicians to topple Khalid and hence the state government.

The Selangor government with its people-friendly approach has gained much support from the people. Khalid’s experience as a former corporate man has seen Selangor stand strong economically in the midst of a near recession. Governance is now more transparent, accountable and competent.

Kedah’s Azizan Abdul Razak, despite leading a relatively poor state, has made much progress in a humble way to garner the admiration of the people in Kedah. The people are generally satisfied with his style of administration. His mild nature and friendly approach in politics have made him to be cherished by the Malays, Chinese, Indians and other minorities in the state.  

The people see in him a sincere leader who is trying to do his best for the welfare of the people.  The economic development spillover from Penang would categorically help Kedah prosper in the long run. Kedah is stable under Azizan and it will remain sturdy despite the tacit onslaught by some frustrated politicians and the MSM to destabilise it.

Perak was under Pakatan Rakyat until three state assembly persons decided to quit their respective parties for reasons best known to them. Two of them who were from PKR were condemned viciously by the MSM over allegations of bribery and corruption.

When these two representatives decided to quit the party, the MSM quickly made an about turn and painted a neutral image of them. This is a typical Malaysian-style propaganda stirred by the government-controlled media. Nevertheless, these three dubious characters were the real cause for the Pakatan Rakyat government to collapse in Perak. The majority of the people still consider Pakatan as the lawful government despite the recent court ruling endorsing Zambry Abul Kadir as the rightful menteri besar.  

Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin - the Pakatan Rakyat-appointed mentrei besar - has become an icon far more popular than Zambry in Perak. Nizar is still perceived as the MB of the people – a perception that will be hard to erase.

Nonetheless, the recent court decision favouring Zambry can be said to be a blessing in disguise. Pakatan Rakyat can now expressly mount a strong crusade to consolidate their position with Nizar at the helm to face Barisan Nasional in the next general election. The love and sympathy of the people for Nizar and Pakatan could see him and the coalition come back to power in Perak.

Among all the states under Pakatan rule, Penang has emerged as the most promising and could even become a success story for governance to be emulated by all other states in the country. Penang is very fortunate to have a leader of the calibre of Lim Guan Eng. Lim’s credibility, charisma and tactical ability could even make him the people’s choice for the prime minister’s post in the future.  

His strong background in accountancy, positive business acumen and with a no-nonsense approach towards handling the taxpayers’ hard-earned money has made him an exemplary leader. The perception that a Chinese leader cannot take care of other races has been proven wrong in the case of Penang. Lim has made history by instilling integrity and positive values in the people to work hard for a living.

Lim believes in teaching the people ‘to fish rather than giving them fish’. He has proven beyond doubt that by practising and open tender system in the state even the Malays can compete with the other races based on hard work and genuine ability. Umno cannot deny this observable fact.

The Malays and the other races in Penang have not been neglected as opposed to what the MSM has been spinning and twisting. Facts and figures are proof that the Malays or bumiputera in Penang are given contracts based on their honest ability to perform.

Under Lim’s leadership in Penang, cronyism and favouritism are out of question. Penang under Lim’s leadership will without doubt prosper. It will become another ‘Red Dot’ in this region if Lim is allowed to govern the state without sabotage by political enemies within and without.

All the MSM’s ludicrous propaganda against this charismatic man will not influence the people of Penang to abandon the DAP-led state government. Umno and BN, using the MSM, have failed to dent the governance of Penang under the stewardship of an able man – Lim Guan Eng.

Pakatan should not be unduly worried over the skirmishes happening within the party of late. It should be taken as a learning process as collective governance is still new to the coalition. The people and Pakatan should bear in mind that they have yet to control the federal government.

Power talks in politics and hence Paktan has to learn to be cool and further consolidate its position as a feasible alternative coalition and grow into a strong entity to win the hearts of the majority. It should not crumble just because a few selfish elected representatives whoare not happy with it.

The ruling coalition of over 50 years, seemingly, cannot accept defeat. They have put up a false front posing that they are the one and only saviour of all the people in the country. They just cannot accept the fact that in a democracy, the choice is always made by the people – the taxpayers and the stakeholders.  

Using the race and religious cards to stir animosity in the country is not going to help. Using religion and places of worship to create commotions, too, is not going to help. These acts have badly failed and tarnished the country’s image. The people are now mature enough to decide what is best for them.

Harping on the issue that ‘the Chinese and Indians are a threat to the Malays’ is not going to convince the people either. Neither will slandering the races with ‘names’ bring any benefit to the nation and its people.   

The psyche of Malaysians today is multi-racial enough not to be fooled by these tactics. Many Malaysians today are of mixed parentage and many are educated though many politicians have yet to realise this. Most Malaysians perceive the police, the MACC, the judiciary, the immigration department, the customs department and many other government agencies as biased.

What can the establishment do to convince the people otherwise? The die is cast. The people have made up their minds. Politicians have to learn to accept defeat. Politicians have to learn that they can never be forever popular among the people. Politicians are chosen by the people and the people have the right to discard them.

Politicians have to learn that they cannot cheat the people all the time. Politicians have to learn that a two-coalition system should be the best solution for all Malaysians. The people have realised this and they would like to go for a change. Thus, politicians should accept this resolution by the people.

Using the MSM and other vehicles to slander the opposition will not anymore convince the people to vote for the establishment. They are beginning to hate the establishment. Gone are the days when the people could be taken for a ride.