YOURSAY | ‘In this present scenario, ‘If a thing is wrecked, it is best to replace it’.’

In search of hope for Pakatan Harapan

FellowMalaysian: Bridget Welsh's account of the limbo and the present state of uncertainty that Pakatan Harapan is faced with deserves praises as none of Harapan's leaders are brave enough to make such an admission so far.

Bridget's has given Pakatan a miserable ‘E’ for their performance in the past three months.

In the eyes of Pakatan supporters, I believe this is not far from the truth. Perhaps it takes an independent assessment carried out by an external observer to drive the message across.

Ferdtan: Bridget is right about the flaws of the opposition. This is a wake-up call for them to do something before it gets too late. The problems are nothing new that we, the voters, do not know about.

However, politics is a strange creature; it is not one-dimensional; it does not only concern leadership, apparent disunity among the parties, and the political manifestos but it can be as simple as how emotional the voters are.

Love and hatred are two powerful weapons in all matters, especially in politics. Nurture that and you will win. Thus Pakatan, which is banking on the anger toward the incumbent Umno-led national government, may be good enough to win Putrajaya if they can plan well to communicate such messages to the voters.

Emotion is emotion; it does not need justification. Take the example of Guatemala's presidential election, an unknown former TV comedian with no experience in government, Jimmy Morales, won the presidency because the people are angry with the country’s massive corruption. His campaign against corruption gave hope to the people, and it paid off.

With the scandal-ridden government led by PM Najib Abdul Razak, don’t you see the parallel? This is the election is for Pakatan to lose than to win, on proviso the election frauds can be restricted.

On the other hand, a young politician, Canada's Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, won a stunning election victory based on love. “We beat negative, divisive politics with a positive vision that brings Canadians together." So miracles do happen.

Politics has no place for pessimists and naysayers. It took Nelson Mandela 25 years in prison before achieving success. Here’s a good quote from Bridget, “As long as the opposition focuses on its past, it will not be able to move forward.”

Pakatan, what are you waiting for?

The Analyser: An excellent summary, Bridget. Thank you. However, I would disagree with you on one count. It’s my understanding that the last thing Malaysia needs at the moment is a leader.

Surely, past experience has shown that leaders mean trouble, because at the moment leaders all have racial and religious ties.

Instead Malaysia needs a philosophy out of which a leader will evolve. At the moment any leader will be an Umno target, but they cannot harass nor intimidate a philosophy, especially when it’s a philosophy that is derived from the people.

The most overwhelming reason for Malaysia not having a leader in the short term is that the vast majority of the population (including the politically alert) will sit around and wait for 'The Leader' to tell them what to do.

While it’s acceptable that some of the population are drones, it is essential that a significant number of voters think and make decisions for themselves. The alternative is the impossible scenario - an autocratic democracy. Welcome to Penang.

Prudent: I agree on one thing: the leaders in Pakatan should drive the new coalition forward positively. But I think Bridget underestimated the impact of the many scandals in Najib-Umno-BN.

Analyser, I agree that Malaysians do not need a 'Dear Leader'. But we need both - a functioning leadership team and a credible basis (your 'philosophy'). The upcoming common policy framework should form this basis.

As for Penang's 'autocratic democracy', give me that any time instead of Najib's new National Security Council (NSC) democracy. And Penang is a better place to live than Kuala Lumpur any time.

Jaguh: I agree with Analyser. Anwar Ibrahim is everyone's leader but he is in jail. Winning Putrajaya has to be without Anwar.

So the philosophy for change has to be created. A leader of choice will emerge. When Anwar is released, that’s another matter. He can be mentor minister. Pakatan must have a winning philosophy to win the votes.

Send in the Clowns: No one doubts it was Anwar who managed to tie the loose coalition partners in the demised Pakatan Rakyat together and made it count. In his absence, it has created a leadership vacuum.

PKR is still chasing the ghost of PAS and in doing so, failed to project itself to be an effective leader of the newly formed Pakatan Harapan.

It is pointless crying over spilt milk but, there is no wind of change coming Pakatan Harapan’s way as long as PKR still behaving like a political zombie.

Perhaps, it may be better for DAP and Amanah to go their separate ways and have a complete new beginning. In this present scenario for the opposition, "If a thing is wrecked, it is best to replace it."

Citizen No 26: Yes, if PKR cannot let go of PAS, then it is better DAP and Parti Amanah Negara move on together without PKR.

The duo may not win Putrajaya in the short term, but they will become a strong credible force in the long term.

I do not see PKR waking up and reforming itself in the short term. It is time to cut the string and let PKR go loose on its own.

Isana: Three years (till the next due general election) for Pakatan to work things out and be more cohesive, and three years also for Najib to clean up his act and clear his rotten image.

So both coalitions have plenty of work to do before presenting themselves for the rakyat to evaluate and pick who’s better to lead the nation. Thirty-six months and we decide.

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