KUALA LUMPUR – Senior lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has issued a stern warning to Pakatan Harapan (PH) to bring about renewal or face the bleak possibility of sitting on the opposition aisle once again come the next parliamentary term.
Without mincing her words, the former Malaysian Bar president said the coalition, in its current state, does not instil hope in the rakyat, and that it needed a new narrative to have a chance of securing majority support.
She also bemoaned the decision by key senior leaders in the coalition to remain in their positions instead of giving way for the younger generation to step up.
While she did not go into details, PH and its leaders have been consistently playing up issues of corruption and abuse of power within the government for years, in its bid to dethrone the ruling bloc.
“There are not enough disruptors within PH. They are just the same people, dishing out the same narrative. And I’m telling you, you’re not giving hope,” she said during a forum to discuss former Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof’s new book, Parliament, Unexpected, last night.
“The problem with keeping these same people there is they think and react only to Umno-type behaviours. Many years of Umno’s way of thinking have been indoctrinated, and a lot of leaders have gotten used to it.
“The disruptors like Muda and the younger generation, they are the ones giving hope, not those with the same narrative.
“You (PH) better do something about addressing what the people want for the next general election, because I know many who are not bothered to vote because PH has got no new message or hope.”
Ambiga was commenting to a question from a member of the floor on the Malay-Muslim narrative seemingly being played up by Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional.
She said more leaders should instead emulate DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, who despite having contributed tremendously to the country, knew when it was the right time to leave active politics.
Lim had, during DAP’s national congress in March, announced his retirement from electoral politics and decided not to contest for any post in party polls, bringing to an end decades of active involvement in the arena.
Opposition no longer change-maker
Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was also critical of the lack of desire for change shown by PH and the opposition as a whole.
Drawing comparisons to Umno, the Muar MP noted how the Malay-based party, despite being seen by many as less progressive, appears to have nominated more youth candidates to contest in the recent state elections.
“The biggest mistake of the opposition is that we keep talking about change, but we are no longer a change-maker. We are hesitant to change and are comfortable (with how things stand).
“My message to the opposition is that if you are unwilling to change, then let’s battle it out,” he said, possibly referring to Muda’s readiness to go head on against its opposition allies in the polls.
DAP’s Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh, while admitting to have underestimated Umno’s chances of returning to power post-GE14, accused the party and PAS of racialising issues.
She said PH’s failure to counter the race and religion narrative played up by the then opposition has also instilled fear among the public towards the PH government.
“We could have played up the racial card, but of course that won’t be right. Now, things are more peaceful because we (opposition) are responsible MPs.”
Ariff, meanwhile, offered some insight into the inner workings of the government during PH’s time in power, including internal bickering over certain reform proposals.
Among others, he said there was some pushback from certain leaders over his appointment as Dewan Rakyat speaker, as well as on other bills such as the one on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
He said despite that, PH managed to overcome its internal division and came up with a number of good proposals for reform, although some were not delivered.
Ariff said that while some of these were due to overpromising in its manifesto, the Malay-Muslim narrative championed by the then opposition had also led to certain promises not being delivered. – The Vibes, May 20, 2022
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