DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng may have declared Pakatan Rakyat “dead”, but a DAP MP is looking forward to “exciting” times ahead for the opposition.

 

Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim said political lines have shifted from “solid to dotted”.

 

On the surface, it may appear as if nothing has changed. For example, Salleh Man ( photo ) the sole PAS assemblyman in Penang, is still part of the state government, he explained.

 

“Actually some things have changed, the coalition has become more dynamic, it is not as rigid as in the past,” Sim said, during an interview with Malaysiakini in Bukit Mertajam.

 

“The benefit of this is that we are not just talking of brand A, B or C, of PAS in Pakatan, or Umno in BN,” he explained.

 

“We are talking worldview, essence, and principles. Whoever adheres to these principles, reflected in what the people showed they wanted in the May 5 national polls in 2013 - which is Pakatan’s common policy framework - they are our friends,” he added.

 

Sim said this meant that Umno members who agree to the state policies in Penang - even though the party is enemies with Pakatan at the national level - should be allowed to show it.

 

If this happens, Malaysia would then shift from a two party system to a more dynamic coalition, he asserted.

 

“This would allow politicians like me to better reflect the wishes of the people at the local level. This is good as people are not just tied to the policies decided by the party’s central leadership, they can accept policies that their constituents want them to, at the grassroots or state level,” he added.

 

Sim said the opposition is moving into “something very exciting” as the future without PAS unfolds. 

 

He added it may be confusing initially, and difficult to understand, but in time would be accepted by the people.

 

“One simple analogy is this - between brand A and B, if the choice is just changing from A to B but the content is the same, then there is no point in changing. This happens in a fixed two party system.

 

“But now we are talking about content and not just branding. We are currently moving to the essence in coalition building.

 

“True, this is not easy to explain to the ground but for the young, this is the meaning of new politics, where there is no baggage from the past.

 

“We can better reflect what our constituents want without being tied to the central leadership,” he stressed.

 

Although Sim envisaged a bumpy road for now, where explaining to current situation may be “problematic, even chaotic”, he said everyone has to move on.

 

Ties severed

 

Lim, who is Penang chief minister, announced the death of Pakatan last Tuesday, after PAS, at its 61st muktamar in Selangor, decided to cut ties with DAP.

 

The delegates accepted a motion by the Dewan Ulama without debate as they were retaliating towards DAP’s decision to cut ties with president Abdul Hadi Awang ( photo ), over his move to table a private members bill on hudud in Parliament.

 

However, DAP and PAS cannot seem to agree on whether Pakatan was dead or alive, as PAS insisted that the coalition is still alive and it is still with Pakatan.

 

All eyes are on the PKR-led Selangor government now, on whether Menteri Besar Azmin Ali, who is sandwiched between DAP and PAS, can govern the state effectively.

 

Azmin, who is PKR deputy president, feels Pakatan is still salvageable, although his president DR Wan Azizah Wan Ismail concurred with DAP that the coalition was dead.

 

Still working together

 

Meanwhile, PKR’s Machang Bubok assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon  said despite the break-up between DAP and PAS, supporters of both parties continued to work together for the benefit of the people.

 

“Events like buka puasa during the Ramadan, which involves all parties in Pakatan, will continue despite the current situation,” Lee ( photo ) told Malaysiakini , when interviewed at Alma, Bukit Mertajam.

 

Machang Bubok has the most village security and development committees (JKKK) - 17 in total - and many of the members come from PAS.

 

“I meet with JKKKs every month. We may face problems at the central leadership, but on the ground, we need to carry on our work for our constituents who come from all sectors.

"A people’s government means more focus should be placed on the people,” he said.