The state of Perak was taken from right underneath the coalition. Pakatan is also in a difficult position of standing up for what’s right and being portrayed as disrespectful of royalty.
As if the Perak wasn’t trouble enough, the coalition has to deal with the fear of its elected representatives in other states jumping ship.
To top it all off, the first call for the coalition’s head Anwar Ibrahim to quit has been sounded, no less by DAP chairman Karpal Singh. Yet, whatever its troubles, this remains the golden era for Malaysia’s Opposition.
After its historic success in the last general elections, Pakatan Rakyat has gone on to win both by-elections held.
Two more are coming, and while overconfidence is a luxury the coalition cannot afford, it is certainly going into both as favourites. Since when does the Opposition go into by-elections as favourites?
The all-powerful mainstream media no longer has as such a dominant influence over public opinion, while the Internet’s free flow of information has greatly enhanced the ability of opposition leaders to get out information, views and ideas.
And while political shifts in Malaysia are historically defined by race, Malaysians of all ethnic groups have turned to Pakatan, or away from BN, including the once steadfastly BN Indian community.
Despite the unfortunate current scenario, Perak has proven that Pas and DAP can work together to govern, even if there are differences in both party’s positions on religious issues. The government has proven so popular (or perhaps, the BN move was just so unpalatable to Perakians’ sensitivities) that even the state’s much revered Sultan is not spared from criticism for his refusal to accede to the dissolving of the state assembly.
The popularity of the Nizar administration is not without reason. The people-centric policies such as granting of land titles to Malay and Chinese residents of new villages and Kampung Tersusun (which Najib was adamantly against) have been well received. In other Pakatan-run states, there are differences too.
In Selangor, illegal billboards have been torn down, and there have been fewer demolishing of religious places of worship. The residents of Kampung Berembang have been given new homes.
In Penang, a major Wi-Fi project was delayed to alleviate the concerns of some groups, even though there is little evidence that the globally deployed technology causes health risks.
Pakatan is not perfect. Far from it. But for right now, it need not be.
After tolerating incompetence, corruption and arrogance for so long, Malaysians see the change in attitude as both welcome and apparent. There’s little doubt that it is to Pakatan’s advantage that it is new to governance. Many of its leaders have yet to be corrupted by the lure of power and wealth, while the public is more willing to give it a chance.
Malaysians are neither dumb nor blind. While we cringe at some of Pakatan’s actions and are embarrassed by the infighting and counterproductive press statements its leaders like to make against one another, we do not disregard the different approach the coalition has to governing.
Many of us also sympathise with the near insurmountable tasks it faces.
The BN-run Federal government has made life difficult for the states, while some civil servants still struggle with the idea of working for the government and BN are not one and the same.
On top of that, it has to deal with all sorts of sneaky underhanded tactics by rival politicians and their media partners who want to undermine, if not overthrow, the elected government.
But for all its difficulties and challenges, Pakatan Rakyat can take heart in two silver linings: One, BN has shown little desire to change its ways, as the Perak coup has shown. This certainly doesn’t help repair the severely damaged image the coalition has in the eyes of regular Malaysians.
Second, more and more Malaysians have become politically awakened. It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to say that the strong reaction over the toppling of the Perak government must have caught everyone involved by surprise.
The support for Nizar of Pas (the Pakatan party with the fewest seats in the state) by Malaysians of all backgrounds is also heartening. As long as Pakatan remembers that its strength comes from the many of us who want to see integrity, competence, accountability and justice take the place of discrimination, corruption and arrogance, it will be able to weather these tough, yet encouraging, times.
Instead, it is the BN coalition that should worry. Even with all the resources, state machinery and power it has, it is still struggling to win over the people’s hearts and minds. That’s not a sign of things going well.