COMMENT | If we go back to very recent history, look at what happened and examine the list of parties who want to come into Pakatan Harapan under the “big tent” approach to “unite” all opposition parties, you can’t help but ditch it in favour of that small tent which just sticks to the three - PKR, DAP and Amanah.

First, what eventually led to the collapse of the Harapan government after it won convincingly in the last elections in May 2018? It was allowing a racist, narrow-minded self-interested party into the coalition by the name of Bersatu which restricts its membership to Malays only.

It was led by two very dubious people – Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin - whose track record amply showed that they could not be trusted but yet they were let in because some people, including some PKR and DAP top leaders, felt that was the only way to win the election.

I wrote here why Mahathir could not be trusted in an article in April 2017 after his party Bersatu was admitted into the Harapan coalition. I still remain totally flummoxed as to why he was allowed into this reform bid in the first place given his extremely poor track record.

Mahathir refused to set a date to pass the baton to Harapan head Anwar Ibrahim, and the Sheraton Move happened - Bersatu abdicated, taking 36 MPs, along with PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali who took a further 10 PKR MPs. The Harapan government collapsed because of the three traitors.

That should be more than enough evidence to show that you have to be careful who you bring in to help you win the elections. Mahathir’s Bersatu won just 13 seats in the last elections, immediately after which PKR had almost four times the seats at 47 and DAP 42. It would have gotten less if it had not been in the Harapan coalition.

Mahathir and Bersatu did not win the election for the coalition, other members of whom won the lion’s share. But they were hailed as victors and did not do as promised. The promise to a nation was hijacked by a mere 13 MPs...