Kadir: Selangor, Penang Gov’ts not in danger

The future of the informal opposition alliance depends on PKR negotiating a truce between DAP and PAS.

 KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor and Penang governments are not in eminent danger of collapsing, although the situation in the former state was complicated and possibly dicey, said a veteran newsman in his latest blog posting.

Former New Straits Times Group Editor in Chief Kadir Jasin was commenting on DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng declaring that “the DAP central executive committee accepts the PAS Muktamar motion severing ties with DAP and effectively, that Pakatan Rakyat ceases to exist”.

“The DAP’s stance makes the position of the PKR as a go-between awkward and difficult, especially in the absence of de facto Opposition Chief Anwar Ibrahim,” said Kadir. “The national informal opposition alliance is in disarray following the DAP’s declaration that ‘Pakatan Rakyat ceases to exist’.”

“The future of the alliance depends very much on the ability of the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, to negotiate a truce between DAP and PAS.”

It was more than likely that PKR, the DAP and PAS may still stay be together in Selangor as strange bedfellow sans the Pakatan umbrella, back to what they were before the 2008 General Election. “Pakatan only came into being as an informal alliance following the big win in 2008.”

He reminded that the three allies viz. PKR, DAP and PAS were almost equal in the Selangor Assembly i.e. PKR 14 while DAP and PAS have 15 each. “The Barisan Nasional (BN) has 12 seats.”

Again, PKR leads the state by providing the Menteri Besar (Mohd Azmin Ali). “If either PAS or DAP pulls out, the remaining two parties will have 28 seats in the 56-member house to form a minority government.”

The BN, he said, may be tempted to test its luck by provoking further rift between the DAP and PAS with the hope of seizing power. “A possible ally in any attempt by Umno was the ulama-led PAS. But that will give them only 27 seats, unless they could buy the loyalty of at least two PKR assemblymen.”

In Penang where the DAP leads, the government was secure as PAS has only one seat. The DAP has 19 and PKR 10 in the 40-seat assembly.

Lim, the Penang Chief Minister and Bagan MP, has said the DAP would work with all other forces that aspire to see an end to Umno/BN’s rule and to reshape and realign Malaysian politics with the aim of capturing Putrajaya for the people, noted Kadir.

“He blames PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang for the death of the coalition, saying that Abdul Hadi Awang’s recent actions as well as the party’s general assembly’s decision to sever ties with DAP meant that Pakatan’s Common Policy Framework (CPF) has broken down.”