By Viktor Wong
TheAntDaily.com 15/8/2014
As the people are getting fed up with the intense politicking of both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition Pakatan Rakyat, it is time for political parties outside of BN and Pakatan to seriously consider joining forces to become an alternative voice for the people. It is also time for the people to seriously reconsider their voting trend to prevent these two coalitions from becoming too powerful.
BN’s 1Malaysia has become a mere slogan of convenience instead of promoting a non-racial approach and national unity as the ruling coalition’s dominant Umno is expounding racial and religious extremism, hate politics and threats. Other BN component parties like MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP had failed to prevent Umno from swaying to the right and had since become irrelevant. Corruption, power abuse and mismanagement by the ruling coalition are still happening.
On Pakatan’s side, many promises made in the last two general elections remain unfulfilled and are fading away. Crucial ones like the restoration of local council elections and parliamentary reforms had not been pursued seriously by Pakatan-led state governments. It is known that one of the Pakatan component parties is not in favour of local council elections but did not publicly oppose it.
Are we expecting them to shirk more of their public responsibilities?
It was the people’s disillusionment with BN that prompted them to vote Pakatan, in the hope of strengthening the opposition bench for more effective checks and balances.
However, Pakatan has performed below the people’s expectations. So, should we then vote for BN again in the next general election despite knowing its past and current misdeeds and wrongdoings? The people should be more careful in their voting.
Due to such unfavourable political trends, many would opt to stay at home and not vote for any of the two coalitions come polling day, but will such boycotts from the silent majority move these two coalitions? Certainly it will not.
First of all, why depend on a two-party system and limit our democratic choice to only voting BN or Pakatan? Why can’t we opt for a multi-party system by voting political parties outside of the BN and Pakatan coalitions into the legislatures so that issues of both BN and Pakatan can be exposed and scrutinised to ensure their implementation of policies will not go astray?
It is understood that Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has roped in Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and a left-leaning NGO, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) as well as other leftist NGOs to form the Left Coalition with the intention of educating people on greater democracy, equality and the third vote (local council elections).
Prior to that, PSM has been caught in an unusual position cooperating with Pakatan after the opposition coalition’s refusal to accept its application. In the last general election (GE13), PSM had a bitter experience of being betrayed by Pakatan when its candidates were challenged by Pakatan component parties.
Apart from that, PSM was also forced to adopt the PKR emblem when it contested two seats each in GE12 and GE13, on grounds that PSM’s fist emblem was unsuitable to the electorate. How long will PSM have to tolerate such an unjust situation?
PSM stressed that the newly formed but not formalised Left Coalition will only act as a watchdog to expose both BN and Pakatan administrations, politics and policies and cautioning them when they go astray, admitting that the newly formed coalition was not yet a third force. On the other hand PSM has yet to give up its attempt to join the Pakatan coalition.
But why has PSM initiated the Left Coalition while still harbouring hopes of joining Pakatan one day? Has PSM forgotten how it was betrayed in GE13 when it lost a state seat in a multi-cornered fight?
By looking at the situations in BN and Pakatan now, hasn’t PSM realised the importance of the Left Coalition and the need to let the people know why it should emerge as a third force? You are the alternative for the people but why still hesitate?
The people have become disillusioned with both BN and Pakatan, and the Left Coalition should take this opportunity to step in to serve the purpose.
As the people are getting fed up with the intense politicking of both the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition Pakatan Rakyat, it is time for political parties outside of BN and Pakatan to seriously consider joining forces to become an alternative voice for the people. It is also time for the people to seriously reconsider their voting trend to prevent these two coalitions from becoming too powerful.
BN’s 1Malaysia has become a mere slogan of convenience instead of promoting a non-racial approach and national unity as the ruling coalition’s dominant Umno is expounding racial and religious extremism, hate politics and threats. Other BN component parties like MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP had failed to prevent Umno from swaying to the right and had since become irrelevant. Corruption, power abuse and mismanagement by the ruling coalition are still happening.
On Pakatan’s side, many promises made in the last two general elections remain unfulfilled and are fading away. Crucial ones like the restoration of local council elections and parliamentary reforms had not been pursued seriously by Pakatan-led state governments. It is known that one of the Pakatan component parties is not in favour of local council elections but did not publicly oppose it.
Are we expecting them to shirk more of their public responsibilities?
It was the people’s disillusionment with BN that prompted them to vote Pakatan, in the hope of strengthening the opposition bench for more effective checks and balances.
However, Pakatan has performed below the people’s expectations. So, should we then vote for BN again in the next general election despite knowing its past and current misdeeds and wrongdoings? The people should be more careful in their voting.
Due to such unfavourable political trends, many would opt to stay at home and not vote for any of the two coalitions come polling day, but will such boycotts from the silent majority move these two coalitions? Certainly it will not.
First of all, why depend on a two-party system and limit our democratic choice to only voting BN or Pakatan? Why can’t we opt for a multi-party system by voting political parties outside of the BN and Pakatan coalitions into the legislatures so that issues of both BN and Pakatan can be exposed and scrutinised to ensure their implementation of policies will not go astray?
It is understood that Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has roped in Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and a left-leaning NGO, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) as well as other leftist NGOs to form the Left Coalition with the intention of educating people on greater democracy, equality and the third vote (local council elections).
Prior to that, PSM has been caught in an unusual position cooperating with Pakatan after the opposition coalition’s refusal to accept its application. In the last general election (GE13), PSM had a bitter experience of being betrayed by Pakatan when its candidates were challenged by Pakatan component parties.
Apart from that, PSM was also forced to adopt the PKR emblem when it contested two seats each in GE12 and GE13, on grounds that PSM’s fist emblem was unsuitable to the electorate. How long will PSM have to tolerate such an unjust situation?
PSM stressed that the newly formed but not formalised Left Coalition will only act as a watchdog to expose both BN and Pakatan administrations, politics and policies and cautioning them when they go astray, admitting that the newly formed coalition was not yet a third force. On the other hand PSM has yet to give up its attempt to join the Pakatan coalition.
But why has PSM initiated the Left Coalition while still harbouring hopes of joining Pakatan one day? Has PSM forgotten how it was betrayed in GE13 when it lost a state seat in a multi-cornered fight?
By looking at the situations in BN and Pakatan now, hasn’t PSM realised the importance of the Left Coalition and the need to let the people know why it should emerge as a third force? You are the alternative for the people but why still hesitate?
The people have become disillusioned with both BN and Pakatan, and the Left Coalition should take this opportunity to step in to serve the purpose.
