As Pakatan squabbles, Malaysians left between a rock and a harder place

Analysis by The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — It is true that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) may not end up being the coalition many Malaysians invested hope in.

God knows the kind of open quarrelling between the partners of the political alliance that Malaysians have witnessed recently is beginning to suggest they are close to having irreconcilable differences.

And yes, the two-coalition system which we hoped for may not take off.

But even PAS, PKR and DAP standing on an individual platform appear to still offer more than what Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) can offer.

Umno has not changed much since March 2008.

It remains arrogant and corrupt. Few of its office bearers can pass the living beyond your means test.

In fact several of its MPs will not be able to account for their cars, houses or wealth they have to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right.

Several of them should not be in Cabinet or hold positions in the party. But they do.

Despite the prime minister’s promise of reforms, most of his party members from his deputy downwards continue to rely on the old race card.

If anything the words coming out from the mouths of some Umno members have made it hard for Malaysians to believe that the party has changed much since last March.

BN’s component parties have also not represented the interests of the non-Malay communities for years now.

The MCA has been in decline, Gerakan is hobbling, MIC is struggling for relevance and PPP is… well, PPP.

The PKFZ fiasco and the manner in which Umno/BN is trying to paper over the loss and impropriety, the Perak power grab and rampant wastage of funds (RM253.6 billion) all point to a decaying political power.

Dr Mahathir may have done Malaysians another favour when he asked what happened to the RM253.6 billion drawn down by the BN government in the last six years.

Do the maths and one can come up with the conclusion that each and every single Malaysian could have been given a tidy sum if the money was distributed to everyone.

A simplistic analysis would suggest that the multiplier effect of giving away Petronas money to all Malaysians could have had a more positive impact on the economy than whatever the government did.

In the final analysis: Yes the PR alliance looks to be in trouble but let’s ask the question: Who made Malaysia the mess it is today?