What will the Pakatan do on Sunday?

By Zaid Ibrahim

Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat. She recently issued a plea to the warring factions within the shaky Opposition coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat, to rise above “petty politics” and close ranks. She asked them to restore the people’s confidence in the Opposition, which she said received 52% of the popular vote during the last General Election. She said they must all unite as the rakyat are craving for “mature politics” and expect “good values and faith” from all Pakatan parties.

Like many people around the country, I feel sorry for Dr Wan Azizah. I am sure the statement was prepared for her by her party, as is every political move she makes. I am also she realises the enormity of the task ahead for the Pakatan, especially because all the problems are centred on her own husband, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. But how do you tell your husband that he is the source of all the problems?

On Sunday, the Pakatan Rakyat has to decide on many big issues, and not just what to do about Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. I hope Dr Wan Azizah will attend this meeting. She must first tell her husband that, if she wants to have any hope of nurturing a new political front with some political maturity, he needs to retire gracefully from politics. Without Anwar, the Pakatan can enjoy a new lease on life as there will be room for new leaders to emerge. It will become less saddled with “personal problems” that distract the coalition from more important national matters at hand. The opposition of PAS’s Majlis Syura to Anwar as coalition leader and a potential Prime Minister is a matter that needs to be resolved once and for all. PAS is an important component of the Pakatan. Dr Wan Azizah must put the coalition before her husband’s self-interest if she wants to continue to serve the public.

Secondly, the coalition needs to decide on Sunday that if they want to remove Khalid as Menteri Besar, they must do so by passing a vote of no confidence in the Selangor State Assembly, just as Pakatan demanded of BN when they removed Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as MB. Why should it be any different in Selangor? The central issue for the post of MB is still the same: does the Menteri Besar have the support of the House? If it wishes to be a mature political grouping then the Pakatan must not be afraid to carry out its decision in accordance with the law. To ridicule and humiliate Khalid publicly is not the right way to go about doing things, and is certainly conduct unbecoming for any party that presents itself as a practitioner of “mature politics”.

The Pakatan parties must not be afraid of losing Anwar or Khalid or even any of its coalition partners if it wants to be a real Opposition in the long term. Be afraid of losing your credibility instead. Stick to core principles, and only then can you expect others to believe in and support you. Preaching to supporters will not do any good if they know the leaders do not believe, let alone do, what they say.