Multatuli would like to know what the Pakatan Harapan (PH) in-fighting is all about. “How they can justify rewarding themselves with brand new cars when the state is broke?…” He says that until DAP and the other PH parties in Perak tell the people what they want to do for them; all this in-fighting is just self-interest. Do you agree?
Factional infighting in political parties is a common thing. The question is what are they fighting for?
There’s nothing wrong if each is fighting to present its programme which they think is better for the people. A programme that delivers a better standard of living, a fairer society where no one is left behind, a programme that will unite the country.
So what is the in-fighting of the PH parties about?
Azmin Ali fights against Rafizi Ramli, who is no more than a proxy for Anwar Ibrahim. And having beaten Anwar’s man he now has to take on Anwar.
Azmin’s alleged homosexual affair is an attempt at killing him off politically as Anwar sees him as a threat to his claim to the prime ministership. This is just the same when Dr Mahathir Mohamad saw Anwar as a threat.
But what will Azmin bring to the table when he becomes leader? And for that matter what does Anwar want to do that he thinks he can do better than Azmin, or Mahathir who he wants to replace.
The same can be asked about the DAP in-fighting in Perak. According to reports, Paul Yong’s (the Ex-Co for Local Government in Perak) alleged rape of his maid is an attempt to silence him in the grab for power between two factions in DAP.
Apparently the Federal DAP (who are they?) wants to take control of Perak and the Perak faction is fighting back. Nobody really knows what the truth is.
In both the above cases, has anyone asked what is in it for the rakyat; or is it a cynical grab for power. Neither of the factions have bothered to explain to the people why the in-fighting. Why they think they should hold power and how it will benefit the people – because they have a better programme for the people.
In 2008 there was a similar in-fighting between the M. Kulasegaran/Thomas Su faction and the Ngeh Koo Ham/Nga Kor Ming Sitiawan faction. At one point it was the talk of the town that both wanted their man to be Mayor of Ipoh. But not one word about what they will do for Ipoh or Perak. They think they are entitled to office without telling the people what they want to do for them.
The rakyat – the people who put them in power – do not matter. They do not count – until the next election that is. These ‘warlords’ think they have no need to account to the people. They are more concerned with their ‘machais’ – to make sure when they have power to reward their followers which is their power base.
In keeping Ahmad Faizal Azumu in office what do the DAP leaders hope to achieve for Perak. Or is it a cynical clinging on to power irrespective of whether the MB delivers or not. We know already that the margins in the Perak Assembly is small but besides keeping out UMNO and PAS what will the DAP leaders who are fighting for control of the party do for the people?
Keeping out UMNO and PAS does not benefit Perakians as such. It is just a self-serving act. Unless of course they think they can deliver where the opposition will not. But so far they have not shown it.
Perak is the second poorest state in Malaysia. The MB stumbles from one blunder to the next. He is gaffe prone. The other Ex-Co members have not performed either. PH has been in power long enough for them to draw up a list of their achievements or at least a list of what they hope to achieve for Perak.
Have they got an environmental protection blue-print? Do they intend to phase out the use of single-use plastics? The State Inc owns a lot of land. What does it intend to do with it? Will it lease this land to farmers so that Perak can be a major producer of food not just for the State but also the country? Show us the plans they have for this land they are hoarding.
Has the State a plan to help the marginalised Orang Asli? Or does the MB intend to marginalise them even more? What is the plan to bring investments to Perak? What kind of investors? We definitely don’t need companies which will further degrade our hills or deforest our jungle.
What about public transport? Our public transport is pathetic compared to KL or even Penang. What about cleanliness? The situation in Ipoh gets worse every day yet the Ipoh City Coungil (MBI) kids itself that it is the Cleanest City in Malaysia because of a dubious poll or contest.
Until DAP and the other PH parties in Perak tell the people what they want to do for them; all this in-fighting is just self-interest. It’s just to give themselves the perks of office (how can they justify rewarding themselves with brand new cars when the state is broke) and opportunities to enrich themselves.
The only difference between PH and UMNO/PAS is that the latter is 100% racist. Otherwise they are both equally incompetent.
It would seem that whichever faction wins the people of Perak are screwed with Ahmad Faizal Azumu in charge. But why should the polticians care as long as they can cling on to power.
Three Malaysians – Malay, Chinese, Indian – in hot soup