The main thing that got Pakatan Rakyat parties winning 82 federal seats and five seats in Election 2008 was the fact that the three parties are not the Barisan Nasional.
Well, the trio – DAP, PAS and PKR – confirmed that today at their first national convention. They are not the Barisan Nasional.
So, what are they? No one really knows but it is a measure of how much people want Pakatan to succeed that many will be disappointed by a lack of flesh in the Common Policy Framework.
After all, a lot of smart people had a hand in drafting it after robust discussions and debates. Perhaps the reality of compromises meant their common stand hasn’t move much beyond what they promised in the Election 2008 campaign.
But there are positives. At least they had a national convention to discuss and finalise the ideas thrown up and out by the three allies.
After all, Barisan has yet to have one in years and many Malaysians are unsure what the ruling coalition that preaches 1 Malaysia actually stand for after 52 years in power.
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi couldn’t even hold a Barisan convention in his time in Putrajaya. He tried last February but Umno was not interested.
Today, three very different parties with differing ideologies are sitting down and trying to sketch a road map for the country. Even if it is just a doodle on the back of an envelope or ideas that need further thought and refinement.
Has Umno even bothered to ask MCA, MIC, Gerakan or its East Malaysian allies what they think of ways to improve Malaysia?
Even the proposals for 1 Malaysia that was due to be displayed yesterday was stymied by Umno ministers.
In that instance, Pakatan is already a winner. There was no racist rant or reaching for the race card, unlike at an Umno assembly.
The only thing that detracts from that is a lack of details that would turn their document into something tangible and achievable.
But if KPI czar Datuk Seri idris can ask Malaysians to withhold judgement for 12 months after Barisan has been in power for five decades, why shouldn’t Malaysians accede to PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar’s plea for support for the young pact?
After all, they surprised themselves and Malaysia by knocking the wind out of Barisan in March 2008.
They could have more surprises. Good or bad.
MI
19/12/09
Well, the trio – DAP, PAS and PKR – confirmed that today at their first national convention. They are not the Barisan Nasional.
So, what are they? No one really knows but it is a measure of how much people want Pakatan to succeed that many will be disappointed by a lack of flesh in the Common Policy Framework.
After all, a lot of smart people had a hand in drafting it after robust discussions and debates. Perhaps the reality of compromises meant their common stand hasn’t move much beyond what they promised in the Election 2008 campaign.
But there are positives. At least they had a national convention to discuss and finalise the ideas thrown up and out by the three allies.
After all, Barisan has yet to have one in years and many Malaysians are unsure what the ruling coalition that preaches 1 Malaysia actually stand for after 52 years in power.
Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi couldn’t even hold a Barisan convention in his time in Putrajaya. He tried last February but Umno was not interested.
Today, three very different parties with differing ideologies are sitting down and trying to sketch a road map for the country. Even if it is just a doodle on the back of an envelope or ideas that need further thought and refinement.
Has Umno even bothered to ask MCA, MIC, Gerakan or its East Malaysian allies what they think of ways to improve Malaysia?
Even the proposals for 1 Malaysia that was due to be displayed yesterday was stymied by Umno ministers.
In that instance, Pakatan is already a winner. There was no racist rant or reaching for the race card, unlike at an Umno assembly.
The only thing that detracts from that is a lack of details that would turn their document into something tangible and achievable.
But if KPI czar Datuk Seri idris can ask Malaysians to withhold judgement for 12 months after Barisan has been in power for five decades, why shouldn’t Malaysians accede to PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar’s plea for support for the young pact?
After all, they surprised themselves and Malaysia by knocking the wind out of Barisan in March 2008.
They could have more surprises. Good or bad.
MI
19/12/09
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