Contrary to a Malaysiakini report that Aug 10 will be a day of reckoning for Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang sees the date as heralding D-Day for Pakatan Rakyat.
                 
"It is D-Day for Pakatan whether it can continue carrying the hopes of Malaysians for political change," the veteran DAP leader said in a media statement.

The Gelang Patah MP also admitted that Pakatan was facing its worst crisis since the opposition bloc’s formation after the 12th general election in 2008.

"The developments in the past two weeks pertaining to the issue of the Selangor menteri besar have gravely undermined public confidence in Pakatan as a viable alternative coalition to BN," he said.

The crisis of confidence further heightened when, apart from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat backing Khalid, the PAS Syura Council today also declared its support for the menteri besar.  

Council chairperson Nik Aziz and his deputy Haron Din said in a joint statement that the decision was made based on public interest, which surpassed the interests of individuals and parties.

Expressions of support aside, recent weeks have also witnessed public spats between Pakatan members, with the latest being PAS MP Nasrudin Hassan accusing Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of awarding the Penang tunnel project through direct negotiations.
               
Guan Eng today told Nasrudin to retract his "lies" or risk being sued.

PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, on the other hand, urged Pakatan members to stay positive and reminded them that they represent the people's hope for change.

Meanwhile, Lim believes that the coalition can survive the crisis of confidence if Pakatan leaders are committed to the original aspirations in the formation of the opposition bloc and its common policy framework.

"If all Pakatan leaders continue to be guided by the common policy principles and framework, Pakatan will forge ahead to its destiny to replace BN in the next general election," he added.

Lim said the alternative was "too horrendous to contemplate as Pakatan will be relegated to the footnotes of Malaysian history".

Malaysiakini today theorised that Sunday would be D-Day for Khalid as PAS and DAP would convene top leadership meetings to decide whether he should continue as menteri besar.


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