From Terence Netto
For all his earnestness, former MCA vice-president Ti Lian Ker is on to something. He often signals that he is unhappy with his party’s standing in the Madani government.
He has been chafing at the bit for some time, trying to get the administration to find space for MCA in the ruling coalition.
A similar effort is being made by MIC’s leadership duo, R Vigneswaran and S Saravanan, who are also restive over their party’s status, akin to that of children who must be seen but not heard.
Periodic noises from Madani supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that this restless trio should cool their heels and wait for more fortuitous circumstances to prevail must have been like hints on the release of hostages in Gaza over the past two years of their captivity – useful for providing cold comfort, but nothing more. But even the captivity in Gaza did end.
MCA and MIC may be dangling at the frayed end of the Madani thread, a situation that would have to end, though it’s hard to see how it could just yet.
This is not a counsel of despair; it’s a counsel of realism.
The longer MCA and MIC are left to dangle on the periphery of the ruling coalition, the more necessary it becomes for the two BN parties to emit signals to Perikatan Nasional, especially its Bersatu component, that cohabitation could be possible.
The two BN components should be subtle in how they invite PN’s courtship, while stopping short of consummating any relationship.
Reports of dissensions within Bersatu provide the backdrop for the party to be amenable to talks with potential new allies, such as MCA and MIC.
Amidst this apparent pliability, compromise can be forged and accommodations can be made.
The mere hint that progress is achievable would induce Madani to re-evaluate its position.
Should all this occur, it would be preferable to the current sterile state of stagnation and the sight of outspoken leaders chafing at the bit over their exclusion.
Which is why fisticuffs between interlocutors on the one side, like Puad Zakarshi, and on the other, like Ti, are useful for exploring the boundaries of their disagreements and positions.
And for telling observers something that is a fact of democratic politics – that the dice are always rolling.
Therefore, don’t be complacent and presumptuous.
Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.