COMMENT The recent motion by Umno in the Penang state assembly asking the government to cease all reclamation projects until a proper environmental assessment was done, is clearly case of a major entrapment.

It is strange that the party known to have approved many controversial and environmentally problematic projects earlier came out with this motion on Nov 20, 2015 in the Penang state assembly.

The problem was not so much the motion itself, but rather the position taken by one DAP state assemblyperson who supported the motion and the five PKR backbenchers who abstained from voting.

Although the DAP assemblyperson has apologised, the damage was done to some extent. However, the five PKR elected representatives stood their ground to argue that they abstained due to their conscience.

While elected representatives are entitled to vote according to their conscience, the fact remains whether they voted because of their conscience or because of something else. I think that the latter could be true.

For whatever reasons, it is obvious that the five PKR members have received some direction from the top not to vote.

Whether PKR is upset with the DAP for some reasons or not, or whether PKR felt that the DAP should not be given a carte blanche on certain matters, it is difficult to ascertain at this stage.

Pakatan Harapan got a beating

Even though Umno lost in passing the motion, it apparently emerged vindicated on the grounds that it managed to get the support of one DAP elected representative and managed to neutralise five from PKR.

Although this vindication has no material basis, the fact remains that Pakatan Harapan coalition got a beating as result of this motion. It clearly indicates there is conflict simmering in the relationship between DAP and PKR, the principal and dominant partners in the coalition.

Whether the politics of DAP and PKR have got anything to do with this is not clear, although there is talk circulating that the relationship between the DAP and PKR could have something to do with this act of defiance.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ( photo ) was quite upset with the turn of events last Friday and went to the extent of branding the five as working closely with Umno to undermine the Penang government.

Lately, PKR members have asked him to apologise for this remark.

However, it is quite understandable for Lim to lash out at the five for undermining the unity of the coalition.

Any leader would have done the same thing. What was done was not surely acceptable, even if we are to allow for differences of opinions in the functioning of the august House.

Anyway, the time has come for both DAP and PKR to do some serious talking about what ails the coalition and what must be done to heal the wounds, if there are serious wounds in the relationship between the two parties. It is obvious there are problems and they need to be addressed.

Umno in Penang is taking the credit for engineering the rift within the coalition, but surely Umno had no role in it. It is just that the motion presented an opportunity for the five PKR backbenchers to show their displeasure, not at Umno but at DAP.

Let us nip the problem at the bud. The next general election is not far away, so let us sit down and do some serious talking for the purpose of maintaining a healthy and vibrant relationship in the present coalition.

Internal differences can be sorted out through the available mechanisms and Pakatan Harapan members don't have to wait for state assembly sessions to vent out their frustrations.

The opposition coalition, as an alternative coalition to the BN, took so long to be established, so let us not "throw the baby out with the bathwater".

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and state assemblyperson for Perai.