In the midst of seat tussles between DAP and PKR in the Sarawak state elections, both have claimed that their real enemy is not each other but BN.

My question is why engage in such as an empty and useless talk?

They could not be more wrong. BN is not their primary enemy. Their real enemies are obsession with myopia, inability to compromise, missing the forest for the trees and craving for power over real reforms. It is really futile to blame who was the cause of the present impasse. The damage has been done.

If both parties have yearned for real reforms and good governance, why is compromise so difficult? If their words are to be believed, surely there is nothing much to choose between PKR and DAP in terms of policies and programmes. Both have claimed to represent clean, inclusiveness and people centric governance. Surely a sacrifice here and there is worthwhile to attain a bigger objective.

I am afraid both have aims larger than their reform agenda. They think Sarawak is ripe for plucking. They have set their sight to take control over the state. My simple mind tells me that if they have sought after power, why would they want to fight so tenaciously for a few extra seats? Obviously, both DAP and PKR have not learned the term ‘pyrrhic victory’.

As ordinary citizens, we too could begin to doubt. Was the reform agenda real? Can we truly expect a clean and fair government from these two parties?

True reformists should be able to see the big picture. They should be able to sacrifice short-term setback for long-term gain. I do not know what is in the mind of PKR and DAP leaders but to me a few seats less in exchange for a better government is certainly worth the consideration.

What happened between PKR and DAP, and before this, between DAP and PAS and PAS and Amanah, have disappointed many Malaysians. But I guess these events have also made us more realistic of the plight we are facing. Politicians are like preachers; watch what they do, not just what they say. I am no longer as enthusiastic on opposition politics as before, are you?