COMMENT Umno’s born-again 'rising star' Khairy Jamaluddin has upped the ante to Pakatan Rakyat by challenging Anwar Ibrahim to form a shadow cabinet. 

Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong also argued fairly persuasively as to why Pakatan should put its money where its mouth is and one obvious way is, I agree, for Pakatan to start preparing for a shadow cabinet in Parliament. They have the numbers, too.

azlan Interestingly, many of my armchair critic friends seem to agree that this would be a positive step forward for Pakatan for one very important reason - that in the current BN cabinet, Pakatan actually has an easy sparring partner! The reality is that Pakatan can boast of a much better qualified, competent and credible alternative to the current government.

The BN in having to cater to and accommodate all their partners, particularly our dear kingmakers from Sabah and Sarawak, have no choice but to form a hotchpotch of good and not- so-good talent in the cabinet. We are already beginning to see semblance of ordinariness from members of the cabinet.

This is an excellent opportunity for Pakatan to expose the chinks in the armour of the BN ministers, in Parliament and in public.

Seriously, if Pakatan is preparing for GE14 (and if they want to win it), the formation of a shadow cabinet is an imperative step. You have to take the battle right to the front doorsteps of BN.

What better a time than now for the erstwhile leader of the opposition to commence delegating responsibilities to many of his also erstwhile colleagues, too, who, I think, can’t wait to get into a melee with their counterparts across the aisle in Parliament. And what better way than have them be part of a shadow cabinet?

azlan The mainstream media, as is obvious, will always showcase the performance BN parliamentarians while downplaying the role of Pakatan MPs.

An enthusiastic follower myself of proceedings in Parliament and in blogs, it is quite obvious to see that Pakatan MPs are getting the better of those in BN in debates, presentations and ideas.

With the formation of a shadow cabinet, there is no doubt Pakatan will be effective in the debates and with the talent that are already  existing within its ranks, it will have a field day in Parliament.

Let’s be honest, too, the 51 percent of Malaysians who endorsed Pakatan with a resounding popular vote in the 13th general election in May want to see that as well.

Excellent opportunity

Paktan has to wage a consistent battle of attrition, keep the BN on its toes, 'harass' the ministers, make them more accountable, expose their gaffes, follies and mistakes - this is the function of the shadow cabinet. The GE13 results clearly indicate that Pakatan must maintain the momentum.

Since Tunku Abdul Rahman’s time, I cannot remember if we have witnessed such a pliant and weak cabinet including, mind you, 12 Sabah and Sarawak ministers. (Ah well, I guess our friends there can finally say they have achieved equal partner status with their counterparts in Malaya in the federation of Malaysia).

With a lacklustre cabinet like this, what an excellent opportunity for Pakatan to demonstrate its talent in anticipation of GE14. And if it were to demonstrate the ever-widening gap in knowledge, skills and quality between a Pakatan shadow cabinet and the BN cabinet, the timing could not be better.

The BN strategists thought Pakatan's success in GE12 was a fluke, but GE13 showed that it was no fluke. And the possibility that in GE14 Pakatan could form the next government is actually becoming more and more plausible. Best that Pakatan does a ‘dry run’ now or it might never get the chance.

It goes without saying that the formation of a shadow cabinet will open the floodgates for particularly Umno and its junior partners to take more potshots at it.

There will be the expected condemnation of derisive, vicious and scurrilous remarks from the BN and their many proxies to do the dirty work for their paymaster and as, usual, demonising the usual ethnic comparisons on who can serve the people better.

azlan I imagine poor DAP will bear the brunt of the vehement attacks if they were to be allotted ‘plum’ shadow cabinet appointments.

Then the usual perennial remarks on race and religion will come into play and much worse - the inevitable play on the fact that Pakatan can never protect the rights and privileges of the (rich?) Malays. Only Umno can?

Perhaps, it is now time for Pakatan to advise Umno that protecting the best interests of the Malays is not the sole preserve of Umno. There is today, PKR, PAS and even the DAP (as in Penang) which are just as capable, if not, better to look after the interests of the Malays.

It is time that this fallacy must be put to pasture - this bunkum of a notion that Umno alone can protect the rights and privileges of the Malays.

Recently I met some Chinese Malaysian NGOs and some influential members of the community and I posed a question to them: what are their feelings, now that in the cabinet there are hardly any Chinese ministers?

Their answer: it makes no difference to them! The given view is that a minister in a Malaysian cabinet is a minister for all Malaysians irrespective of race, colour and religion. Well said.

NONE This is how it ought to be - that if you are a Malay, a Chinese, and Indian or a Kadazan or an Iban and any other race -  it is our responsibility to look after each other.

This has always been the way until some doctor came and set the clock back and disrupted the excellent race relations which have been so much a parcel of our lives for at least a couple of centuries or more. Utter shame.    

Finally, it is time that Pakatan learn to bite the bullet. It received a wonderful mandate from the people of Malaysia in GE13, popular vote included.

The people have the expectation and want to see Pakatan’s mettle in and out of Parliament. The time has arrived for a shadow cabinet. If you don’t do it now, you may never will.

RONALD QUAY is a native of Kuala Lumpur. Although a fairly well known personality in the sports, business and communications community, his true passion has always that of an activist, trying to do his bit to contribute towards a better Malaysia. He contributes articles to online news portals and the occasional mainstream newspaper.