Alternative to BN: PAS-DAP Government?

Since March 8th 2008 (“838”), almost everyone has been using the BN as a punching bag to vent their frustrations. Some of the criticisms against the BN, I suppose are valid, in particular the weakness of the delivery system. The best of policies do not seem to trickle down to the Rakyat due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, apathy, and plain corruption. The “little Napoleons” with their misguided notion of “Ini hak kerajaan” have on many occasions put aside even constitutional provisions in their tasks.

Unchallenged by the Rakyat and not monitored by their ever busy politicking political bosses, the civil servants reign supreme in this country as the decider of the ordinary Rakyat’s fate. But the civil servants is not what I intend to discuss here. It is BN as the convenient punching bag. In the history of Malaysia, never before has BN been so badly bruised.

Is the BN a total failure? Is UMNO, MIC, MCA, PPP, Sarawak component parties, etc of the BN completely devoid of leadership capabilities? All the other weaknesses, including alleged arrogance on the part of BN not withstanding, has the BN not delivered anything at all since the birth of Malaysia? No development, peace, stability, employment, good laws, at all? None whatsoever? So, we are positively different from most of our neighboring countries due to total coincidence? For the sake of this article, let us assume that is so.

Why did we become like that? Obviously of course, we cannot lump all the blame on the BN politicians. What about the apathy of the Rakyat? More importantly, in the context of this article, what about the opposition – DAP and PAS? What were they doing? Yes, lets take a look at DAP and PA and see if the tables can also be “unfairly” (?) turned against them as it has been done to BN.

Now, with the advent of a “savior politician”, the Pakatan Rakyat, a loose coalition, presents itself as the alternative to BN. Ironically, the savior is a product and trainee of the BN politics! This goes to show that since merdeka, neither DAP nor PAS has been able to cultivate from itself an “acceptable and capable” savior of the People. What have they been doing all this while then?

As a party, what does DAP and PAS stand for in practical terms? PAS is all Malay and DAP is mostly Chinese. Touchy. Description of realities surely does not wander into the realms of racial politics? Suddenly since 838, many in urban areas seem to believe that racial politics is dead. Why? Because some “revolutionary blogs” have declared it so and others have made up their minds to believe it. I am all for non- racist poltics but lets look at the realpolitik that is existent today.

Back to PAS. It is made up of all Malay. It will be so forever unless it changes its party constitution. Since it is a theological based party and the chosen theology is “Islam”, only those who profess Islam will be accepted members and leaders of the party. I am not talking of so-called non-Muslim supporter clubs of PAS. I am also not distracted by decent personalities like Nik Aziz. Personally, I admire and have the greatest of love and respect for the man. I am talking of the party, the party machinery, its objectives, its general acts and omissions.

Let me ask you. Over the past 30 years, give me an example of programs for the non-Muslims conducted by PAS. Ah yes, they fought for the Chinese caught up in the along problem due to gambling. No, wait. That was Ustad Micheal Chong of MCA. Come to think of it, can you quote me a study, or a project or a demonstration or anything organized or conducted by PAS ALL these years for the Non-Muslims? Quote me one, please. This is where the problem starts. I as a Muslim believe that Islam is for everyone and by that I do not mean I want everyone to be Muslims.

You want PAS to unite all Malaysians? They can? How many non-muslim excos in Kelantan? UMNO and PAS are both Malays and they are divided politically. There are even allegations that among PAS and UMNO members, they cannot even work together outside of politics. Is this so? And let us come to the subject of PAS and Islam. Do all Malays accept PAS’s brand of Islam?

BY the way, what is PAS’s brand of “Islam”? They have been speaking of “Negara Islam” for years. In concrete terms, do you know what they mean? Is the current state of the Nation “unIslamic” as a whole? Or are they referring to merely the imposition of “shariah laws”, to mean “Negara Islam”? If this is so, then all our civil laws today are not “shariah” because……..?? These are questions that Raperas need to address objectively.

To be the Government, you need, at the very least, the experience of governance with diverse groups of different ethnic and religious background, even differing understanding of the religion….does PAS have this experience? This same question can be posed to DAP. Does DAP have this experience? In fact other than electoral pacts, can DAP and PAS produce evidence to show that the have worked together for the benefit of Malaysians? Malaysian Malaysia as a rallying cry alone is inadequate.

Again, when I speak of DAP, I am not singling out personalities like Lim Guan Eng whom I respect. We want to look at it as a whole. For me, I think DAP has done more as an opposition over the years than PAS ever has. Having said that, has DAP succeeded in shedding itself of the image of a Chinese based party? Do people accept DAP as multi-racial? Is that why it won in Penang? A majority Chinese constituency is considered multi-racial?

People must ask: why has DAP and PAS, two big and established opposition parties in Malaysia, has never worked together all these years. Maybe even form a shadow cabinet. Since 838, do the people even know who among them will be what if they form the Government?

So sure and yet not plan???? People, I have always maintained, politicians are completely delusional and they want to take us along.

So, between the bad boy BN and the “hopeful” PAS-DAP, what’s your verdict? Which is the lesser evil?