Can PKR continue as the glue that binds Pas and DAP in a formal coalition?

The defection of 10 of PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative is the worst thing that has ever happened in the political history of Malaysia.

For Pas and DAP, this cannot be an asset but a liability. Although the political circumstances are different today, yet it dealt a damaging blow not only to PKR but the opposition coalition as a whole.

Clearly, it serves as the evidence of an increasing degree of unacceptable behavior in the opposition coalition. The attacks on the coalition and internal degradation seem to cause the parties to fall apart and mark the beginning downfall of the opposition.

Politically, major party defection is extremely rare and the defection took PKR by surprise. It was a crushing setback for opposition parties, instantly reducing what limited power opposition has in the Dewan Rakyat. The ability of the opposition to stop legislation or to block BN agenda is now crippled if not eliminated in some instances.

The engineering for political defection has long been heavily criticized for being unethical but no effective public effort being made to exert pressure over the issue and especially on the defectors. Typically, PKR too has been criticized for ineffectiveness in its basic mission which needs to bear the political consequences and be prepared for the worst political wave. On the other hand, it’s interesting to take note on the numbers of defectors that have we seen in the other direction.

Apparently, it frees people up to question what they really believe the relevancy of the PKR elected parliamentarians and state assembly representative.

The political climate is more unfavorable for PKR now and the opposition leader’s popularity has dramatically fallen. Several studies concluded that the opposition coalition do not have any takeover opportunity in the Dewan Rakyat, in fact the studies show no indication that the government of the day could be collapsed.

It is skeptical of the urgency of the defection of the PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative problem. After all, there is some precedence for PKR high leaders changing their minds.

There need to wonder how many more PKR high leaders will be outing themselves as skeptics? Ironically, they may never constitute a majority, and many of them have differing views emanating from contrasting political ideologies in coalition parties, it only need to take few of them to be right for the deflection for PKR to collapse.

The question therefore is not whether Anwar Ibrahim will retain as the Opposition Leader and PKR de facto leader, instead the deteriorating political influence caused by the political defection of 10 of PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative.

The critical question remains: Can PKR indoctrinate to retain its parliamentarians and state assembly representative as well as continue as the glue that binds Pas and DAP in a formal coalition?

Defection caused PKR faces uphill political battle

The opposition has suffered a grievous political blow due to the defection of Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim, Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng and Bagan Serai MP Mohsein Samsuri.

The defection caused the falling popularity and growing public dissatisfaction toward opposition. It gives historic opportunity to the ruling party to regain the political domination and opposition continued to fade.

Looking at the opposition hits by spate of defections and in-fighting, one can conclude that opposition has entered an era of dramatically declining influence and power.

Notwithstanding the fact that the unprincipled PKR politicians are political frogs, it is relatively clear that opposition has no reputation and credibility.

The defections of 3 state assembly persons from their respective opposition coalition party in the Perak State Legislative Assembly are typical examples other than the 3 MPs. 2 of them defected from PKR while the third left DAP.

Should another two PKR MPs Wee Choo Kheong and Zulkifli Nordin, whom were absent from the ‘pledge of loyalty’ gathering defect the party, the political power of the opposition will ruin further.

Undeniably, the deflection of PKR members of Parliament has caused the opposition to diminishing steadily the political influence space and moral preeminence.

It seriously undermines opposition's credibility and reputation. Clearly, opposition faces an uphill political battle.

Fairus quits hints Pakatan Rakyat has serious internal conflicts

Embattled Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who quit as the Penang deputy chief minister 1 earlier this month after allegations of being involved in illegal quarrying, finally resigned his Penanti state seat to force a by-election that could decide his replacement.


His resignation will lead to a by-election within 60 days in Penanti, which is under Anwar's Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

The question arises: Is the resignation hints that Pakatan Rakyat has serious internal conflicts or leaders who keep secrets from each other?

Mohammad Fairus, 33, said he took this step to resign as a state representative to protect the interest of his party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

It is the sixth by-election in less than a year and it was claimed that the by-election is deliberately planned to gain popularity and support. The party wants to create a 'wave' of support, thinking that they can always win back the seats that their assemblymen had vacated.

Ironically, the resignation hints that Pakatan Rakyat has serious internal conflicts or leaders who keep secrets from each other.

The only two Malay PKR assemblymen in Penang are Batu Maung's Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Sungai Bakap's Maktar Shapee.

Abdul Malik, who is a state executive councillor, is seen as the frontrunner but Anwar did not pick him last year when Pakatan Rakyat took the state from Barisan Nasional, opting instead for the inexperienced Fairus.

The allegations of Fairus being involved in illegal quarrying seem to be another cause of his resignation.

By far, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has completed its investigations and has handed the papers over to its prosecution division but Fairus has yet to be charged with any offence.

It was reported that DAP and PAS, PKR's partners in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, are not happy about forcing another by-election as the people were suffering from election fatique.

There have already been five by-elections since the March 8 2008 general election. The Penanti seat is under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, held by Anwar.

It has an electorate of 15,421, of which 70% are Malays, 26.7% Chinese and 2.7% Indians. Fairus won by majority of 2219 votes. Penanti falls within the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency (P044), held by Anwar, is a large seat in the middle of Seberang Prai.

Permatang Pauh has 58,459 voters and Penanti has the smallest number of voters in Permatang Pauh with 15,380 voters, the other two constituencies are Seberang Jaya with 22,790 voters and Permatang Pasir 20,289 voters.

During the March 8 2008 general election, Fairus won by a 2,219 vote majority after obtaining 7,346 votes to Umno's Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid who obtained 5,127 votes.