My Anthem

Saturday, August 16, 2014

An Individual and Political Entiry Are Fighting their own "Waterloo"...

The battles have been raging like wildfires for two weeks at least; for a longer period if the detractors said they started with the Kajang by-election or popularly now referred to as PKR's "Kajang Move".The result saw PKR President Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail being elected as the new State Assemblyperson for Kajang.

As to the two parties involved in battling for survival, I believe the individual named Khalid Ibrahim would meet his Waterloo as his fate was sealed the moment he received from his own party a "Show cause" letter. This means the party PKR which nominated him to become MB after the successful defence of Selangor by Pakatan Rakyat in GE13 on May 5, 2013 has withdrawn its support. By right the 68-year-old Khalid with long years of experience in the corporate world before venturing into politics via PKR, should realise that when a Company gives an employee, including the Chief Executive, a "Show cause" letter, he is told he is being sacked, for whatever the reasons it's NOT important or relevant!


Parti Keadilan Rakyat, headed by Wan Azizah, was forced to fight another Waterloo-like battle affecting the tripartite Pakatan Rakyat -- which also comprises DAP and PAS besides PKR -- because PAS did not show "solidarity" with its two partners by still supporting Khalid as Menteri Besar of Selangor and ordering its four Exco members to contiue serving under Khalid after the incumbent chief executive of the richest state in Malaysia went to the Sultan and got the royal consent to remain as MB after convincing His Highness that he, Khalid, still enjoyed the majority support of the State Assembly members totalling 56.

My reading is that Khalid lost the locus standi to continue as MB when he defied the party disciplinary board to "Show cause" why he should not be sacked; instead Khalid put oil to fire by sacking the three executive councillors (exco) from DAP and two exco from PKR on August 13 (one more PKR exco then overseas had since come back on 14 August and resigned as exco...). There was a "tie" in the Assembly numbers at 28 to 28 when Khalid assumed all the 15 State Assemblymen (ADUN) from PAS were with him, including the four exco from PAS who were retained, and the 12 UMNO ADUN also gave "unconditional" support, as expressed publicly by UMNO deputy pre4sident Muhyiddin Yassin, to Khalid to remain as MB.

Then surprisingly on August 14, two Selangor PAS ADUN, namely Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) and Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang),threw their support behind Wan Azizah as MB, going against their party's order. I applaud the
Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) and Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang), - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-to-investigate-reps-who-backed-wan-azizah-as-selangor-mb#sthash.FBrPvbel.dpuf
Hasnul Baharuddin (Morib) and Saari Sungib (Hulu Kelang), - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-to-investigate-reps-who-backed-wan-azizah-as-selangor-mb#sthash.FBrPvbel.dpufon 15 August openly threw their support via signed statutory declarations behind Wan Azizah as the PKR-proposed new Menteri Besar, but the duo were immediately instructed by party leaders to retract their SDs or face "serious consequences". This to me was a
"brave" action by the duo who told a press conference it was a move to save the State Pakatan Rakyat Government from an MB now without a majority as Khalid's backing was reduced to 26, and Wan Azizah's increased to 30. Khalid's refusal to admit defeat as the MB who has served six years, is still fighting a lusty, final round. A probable outcome is a dissolution of the State Assembly and an impending fresh polls -- giving UMNO/BN a heaven sent opportunity for a second chance within two years to recapture the richest state.

Key meeting of PAS leaders on Sunday 17 August

The decision-making body of PAS comprising its Syura Council of top ulama leaders and Central Committee will make a crossroads decision this Sunday (tomorrow) which will see if the alternative coaltion to BN will remain intact as a viable alternative to the BN. If PAS continues to stick to its guns to back Khalid all the way, the decision could see the beginning of the end for the tripartite Pakatan Rakyat. Hence, the nation, espececially the voters of Selangor, will pray very hard/heart ( I prefer 'heart' because that's where the heart of the matter lies!) that good sense will prevail. I proudly state that  I joined PKR as a member of the Seremabn divion in 2005, and in my quest for "change" for a better Malaysia mostly contributing my journalism skills, I hope as a political entity, PR will not succumb in this nigh-Waterloo battle. I believe PR leaders will put national interests before any one individual. An individual is not important in the nation's scheme of things. And Khalid Ibrahim is an inidividual while PR consists of three established political entities with a common vision, and that is to replace the BN federal government at Putrajaya.

So tomorrow's PAS' decision will impact the whole nation's destiny -- either PR can continue to thrive as a political entity, thus continuing the maturing of a two-coalition system in the country, or it may mark the parting of ways among the three component parties, which surely would depress the 52 percent of the electorate who voted for PR in the last general elections.

This prolonged crisis in Selangor could have ended if Khalid had just accepted his sacking from the party as marking the demise of his political outing in PKR. He should have sung Olde Blue Eyes' "My Way" and exited the political stage with his head held high and his positive image thus far largely intact. Well, power corrupts, including of the critical mind, and anyone sitting in the highest office will always believe he can overcome his Waterloo, fighting lustily till the end.

(August 15, 2014)

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