November 27, 2008
Last year’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) general assembly went on with little fanfare and limited coverage. I remember how hard it was to find a write up of the proceedings.
For sure, there will be a marked difference this year.
The result of March 8 guarantees that it will be covered extensively. From a single Member of Parliament last year, the delegates who will walk into Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam, this weekend now include 31 Members of Parliament, the Menteri Besar of Malaysia’s richest State and a Deputy Chief Minister of Penang.
As the senior partner of Pakatan Rakyat, the assembly will showcase its vision and plans for gaining political ground. Not just for PKR but also for the Pakatan Rakyat.
(Pic Source: rotikacangmerah.blogspot.com)
When its head and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim steps up to the podium, he will require more than his usual oratory and election rhetoric. As Pakatan Rakyat’s most famous face and the glue that holds the coalition together, he will need to address a host of different issues – chief amongst which is the ongoing relationship between the component parties, bearing in mind their obvious contrasting ideological differences.
Post general election, some minor disputes have taken place including events that directly affect PKR, like the disagreement between Selangor Pas Youth and the Menteri Besar.
As a multi-racial political party, PKR also needs to strengthen its appeal and ideology among its supporters. In doing so, an explanation or some hard words on the incident that involved its Kulim Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament at the Bar Council Forum must be on the agenda. Apart from that, observers would be on the lookout to identify the heir apparent that will carry the mantle after Anwar leaves politics.
For the public domain consumption, Anwar needs to steer his way from the maze that is the lost opportunity for crossovers. He needs to be brave, go back to his promise of “Sept 16″ and finally end all unsettling innuendoes about taking over the Barisan Nasional government before the next general election.
If he decides to end the political play that has been dominating most of the news cycle these past few months, he would do well to reiterate the need to refocus on the business of administration. PKR’s performance in Parliament has not won the party many admirers, falling far short of voters’ expectations of a strong opposition in the august House.
Anwar’s task is not made easier judging from the recent developments on the other side of the divide. Umno’s transition plan has retained its place at the forefront of politics. The other contests notwithstanding, Datuk Seri Najib Razak received an almost unanimous mandate to take over the baton.
PKR’s most potent message is also under threat. The promise to bring down the price of oil. The risky decision made by Barisan Nasional to reduce the subsidy (that raised the price of petrol) seems to have paid off.
Although analysts argue that the current low price of oil is not sustainable, the fact that the Barisan Nasional government has reduced the retail price of petrol and diesel five times over the past few months, has silenced many critics.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad is also actively (and more importantly, as seen in the media) seeking to ensure further price reduction in food and other items. His rampaging trail recently had a small measure of success in the reduction of prices of nasi kandar, teh tarik and roti canai.
For the feel-good factor, Anwar would most certainly talk about the upcoming elections in Sarawak, where he hopes his platform will grow on the successes of the previous gains. He will cite the positive developments and successful talks with both Sarawak-based opposition parties and the response of voters. But with the post-Sept 16 reversal, he needs to tread on this road with great caution.
In this context, politics, commodity prices and roti canai share a similar attribute; what goes up, must come down.
How one prepares for the ups and down is what will make the difference.
(This article was also featured in Malaysia Today under the Guest Columnist Section)
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