Sin Chew Daily
Dr Mahathir Mohamad not only wants to set up a new political party, but also a new opposition alliance to beat the Barisan Nasional.
The roadmap of Mahathir’s new party is yet to be disclosed, but the mission is not a secret to all – to bring down the Najib administration. The same objective goes with his so-called new alliance.
Given the overly narrow scope of the proposed party, I doubt it will go far from here.
Perhaps the former prime minister doesn’t even bother about the long-term survival of his new party, and the so-called new party and new alliance are but an expedient tool for him to bring down Najib, completely devoid of any lofty aspiration or long-term plans.
Even before the new entity comes into being, it is destined to fail.
Prospects for the new opposition alliance doesn’t look any brighter. Mahathir was never a core figure in the opposition camp, and has taken sides with the opposition this time “by chance” under specific circumstances. No one can tell whether he will still remain loyal to the camp once the situation reverses.
Simply put, Mahathir has only wanted to bank on the strength of the opposition to fulfill a private mission.
I’m sure both DAP and PKR are well aware of this, but given their relative weaknesses at this point of time, they have no choice but to come together to tackle a major foe.
The former Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition had been declining steadily since its exceptional performance in the 2013 General Election, when it overtook BN for the first time in popular votes.
From Anwar Ibrahim’s conviction, the defeat in the Teluk Intan by-election to the total collapse of PR, followed by the crushing defeat in Sarawak and the losses in the recent twin by-elections, the opposition camp is at the bottom of the valley.
The establishment of Pakatan Harapan (PH) among PKR, DAP and Amanah was meant to reinstitute the dynamo but the poor showing in the twin by-elections has dealt a further blow to the pact.
The depressed PH indeed needs an urgent booster, and Mahathir hasn’t come at a better time.
The two antagonistic sides are willing to lay down their arms and work together not so much for the moral high ground but rather as a result of precise calculations.
Politically speaking, such expedient collaboration or alliance is not unknown, but for an opposition camp that upholds lofty aspirations and cherishes the ideals of democracy, teaming up with the wrong partner would only erode its political morality further.
During his 22-year rule, Mahathir was known to be an autocratic leader who came under heavy criticism from the opposition for his part in destroying the country’s systems. And now because of one common target, they choose to walk hand-in-hand.
Politically it is not wrong for parties to come together to tackle a really powerful enemy, but if they only focus on near-term interests and form a rushed expedient marriage at the expense of political morality and principles, I wonder if we can expect a lift in our national politics through such a development.
Sin Chew Daily is a local vernacular publication
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