Can Anwar Formulate a PKR-DAP-PAS Axis?

Yesterday I wrote about the trio of political players -- PKR de facto leader DS Anwar Ibrahim, former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Blogger-cum-politicalforcetobereckonedwith Raja Petra Kamaruddin, and the adage of how "There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics; only permanent interests..." rings true.

I believe if the TRIO could subsume their personal interests to that of national interest, their CONVERGENCE OF INTERESTS would result in a heightened force to help dethrone the Pak Lah adminstration. At an individual level, it's not a Herculean task to unite to face the common enemy, at least temporarily for the coming General Elections. It is a Win-Win formula if only someone friendly to all the three individuals can peddle the common medicine to the trio.

And today I'd like to tackle a more intractable problem arising from another TRIO -- the three Opposition parties represented by Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Democratic Action Party and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia. They may face a common enemy in the reality of Barisan Nasional, headed by Big Brother UMNO, but CONVERGENCE OF INTERESTS thread is beyond a workable strategem at a party level.

Basically, PKR is one selling a new National Economic Agenda based on needs, not on race or colour or creed (to replace the NEP), with its attractions based on reforming a corrupt and incompetent Government.

The DAP has morphed from a multi-racial "Malaysian Malaysia" to a largely single race, Malaysian Chinese, party perceived as selling an out-dated Agenda still echo-ing its historic links with the PAP-led Singaporean republic. No doubt DAP leaders would still claim a multi-racial base, with some Malaysian Indian faces in its line-up, but can we recall any Malaysian Malay leader of some substance?

(NOTE: Desi hates classifying Malaysians into ethnic subgroups-- so the foregoing point is mainly as a statement of facts based on Malaysia's harsh political reality.)

PAS has just one over-arching agenda, which is Islam, and it won't budge from compromising with this its raison d'etre (reason of being).
DESI's SPECIAL NOTE OF DETOUR, NOT DIGRESSION: If I have my choice, I wish I could wave a magic wand and abolish any political parties anchored on any religion as its core agenda, whether Islam, Christian, Hindu or Buddhist. A parliamentary democratic system under a monarchy must separate the State from Religion. But this can become another forum topic which I won't take on today. Frankly , I don't foresee myself engaging on this topic any day soon as any discourse involving Religion as a highlight will be another Till-the-cows-come-home variety...sewrves no useful purpose in my humble opinion. So I hope my ER don't dwell too much on this sub-topic -- comments IN PASSING okay-lah!

Okay, now where was I?

The PKR-DAP-PAS alliance. Can it work as an Alternative Front to the dominant Barisan Nasional and who can formulate the axis strong and credible enogh to topple the incumbent BN Government?

At most, in the coming GE, they can form an adhoc electoral understanding -- as in the past GEs -- to "temporarily" face a common foe to "deny the BN its two-thirds majority". I get feedback to many Malaysian voters that they don't see the Opposiution getting its act together, and they will just vote for the Devil-they-know...How more sad a state can the electorate descend into?

*This suits the DAP fine. It has never harboured ambitions beyond fielding some loud voice in Parliament. It has ambitions to dethrone the Gerakan-led State Government in Penang though (well, as long as the Lim dynasty controls the party.)

**Ths suits the PAS fine. It knows for certain it won't appeal to the non-Muslims, so it aims only to form State governments in the Malay-heartland states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.

***This situation puts PKR in a dilemma.
It is led by a former Deputy Prime Minister.
Someone who was just one heartbeat away from the nation's CEO post will not bargain for anything less than the Prime Ministership, if not the coming GE, at least with the roadmap towards the GE that follows, most likely minus Pak Lah from the landscape, aqnd the subsequent one stretching over a decade.

Can Anwar convince DAP and PAS to pull their armies together to help him achieve that goal.
I believe the outcome depends on his sincerity in proving himself a true Malaysian leader in resonance with the new millennium, that his call for reform is not mere sloganeering but a genuine transformation of his corrupt UMNO days that saw him pay the highest price any politician in NegaraKu has paid thus far.

But Anwar must have Miss Patience by his side. Ten years from now he would be aged 70. Stark reality that stares at a politician racing against time, unless he can get some help from "unexpected" quarters. I won't elaborate on "unexpected" as this is mere rumours I've heard and also some stirrings in a writer's imaginative mind. Commission Desi on a 20million writing project and he may oblige-lah! Who was it who said: there is a price on everyone's head?

YL CHONG is prepared to give Anwar a second chance to prove himself in the next 10-15 years. But he and his PKR members must be 100 percent dedicated and focused for the long term gain and not be derailed by UMNO-like shortterm spoils. But there are also many Malaysians -- numbering among them some of my friends -- who aren't that generous to give Anwat the benefit of the doubt, so who can blame -- or persuade -- them? I tried.

And who is Desiderata to write of such lofty goals for Anwar and his band?
I declare I am an interested party -- I signed up for PKR membership just four months-plus ago. I did not sell out as I have always been an Opposition supporter. I just switched vehicles.