Resuscitation proposal for opposition front
Beh Lih YiPublished: Jan 11, 2006 5:39 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
It is a do-or-die situation for opposition parties. An analyst has cautioned that the three major parties must work out a common co-operation plan if their long-term survival is not to be jeopardised.
The long-term survival of opposition parties is at stake, says an analyst, who suggests a way out of the thicket of relationship problems.
It is a do-or-die situation for opposition parties. An analyst has cautioned that the three major parties must work out a common co-operation plan if their long-term survival is not to be jeopardised.
Ibrahim Suffian, the director of the independent opinion research firm Merdeka Centre, cautioned that both PAS and DAP would not be able to expand beyond their current base because of the limitations of their messages.
He also said the number of parliamentary seats that can be contested by the opposition - especially by PAS and DAP which relies on Malay and Chinese-majority seats respectively - is "slowly sinking" due to changes in electoral demographics.
At present, PAS has six parliamentary seats while DAP holds 12.
"The leaders must look at the future and figure out whether this is the way they want to proceed. If they stick to where they are now, they are merely concerned about short-term losses but not about long-term survival," he told malaysiakini when contacted.
"The demographics (of the electorate) are changing; soon DAP will be fighting for 20 seats and maybe PAS will be fighting for 25 or 30 seats, while some 200 more seats will be out there to be contested," he said.
The relationship among the parties has been a tricky one since DAP, which joined Barisan Alternatif (BA) in 1999, left two years later after crossing swords with PAS over the latter's insistence in forming an Islamic state should it come into power.
The other party in the opposition coalition is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Eliminate suspicion
On Saturday, PKR adviser and ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim addressed a party retreat organised by the DAP, a move which raised eyebrows among political observers in view of his ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between DAP and PAS.
However, both DAP and PKR leaders denied that Anwar had made any specific proposal for DAP to rejoin BA. They also said there was no discussion of seats or of an electoral co-operation plan for the next general election due in 2009.
On this, Ibrahim said the parties need to get rid of the "suspicion and distrust" among them as his previous polls findings have suggested that the Malaysian public wants to see a more credible opposition in which they would have confidence.
"They must work out some form of collaboration. Even if they don't come up with a solid pact like in 1999, they ought to come out with a basic co-operation plan based on an agreement not to attack each other publicly and in terms of how to resolve national issues," he said.
He noted that PAS has tried to shed its hardline Islamic image with its president Abdul Hadi Awang - seen as a conservative - being relatively quiet recently. He has allowed second-line leaders like deputy presidenty Nasharuddin Mat Isa and vice-president Husam Musa to issue statements on party matters.
He also pointed out that, interestingly, the party did not promote its Islamic state agenda during the Pengkalan Pasir by-election last December in the PAS-led state of Kelantan.
"I think the DAP is still waiting to see probably how far PAS goes in moderating its image... DAP is pretty insistent that it wants nothing to do with Islamic state, while PAS is caught because it can't publicly declare it is dropping this from its agenda."
Explain to public, media
Ibrahim conceded that even if the two parties can agree on common ground, the question of how to sustain the relationship will not be an easy task due to several external factors. Among these is that the ruling Barisan Nasional and mainstream media could exploit the issue.
"How would DAP respond to such situation? Although there is no specific agreement to co-operate with PAS, the fact the parties are working together would imply there is agreement over their respective stances. So, they must work out how to explain this to the public and the media," he added.
Early last year, the PAS leadership had decided to 'soften' its stance on its Islamic state policy by reverting to the BA common manifesto adopted for the 1999 general election. This was also to close ranks with other opposition parties after PAS' dismal showing in the March 2004 polls.
The 1999 BA common manifesto is silent on the setting up of an Islamic state but accepted the practice of Islam as a way of life. Nonetheless, DAP then voiced scepticism as to whether PAS could ever make such a concession.
Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reiterated that his party would not consider collaborating with any party that does not subscribe to the view that Malaysia is a secular state.
Ibrahim Suffian, the director of the independent opinion research firm Merdeka Centre, cautioned that both PAS and DAP would not be able to expand beyond their current base because of the limitations of their messages.
He also said the number of parliamentary seats that can be contested by the opposition - especially by PAS and DAP which relies on Malay and Chinese-majority seats respectively - is "slowly sinking" due to changes in electoral demographics.
At present, PAS has six parliamentary seats while DAP holds 12.
"The leaders must look at the future and figure out whether this is the way they want to proceed. If they stick to where they are now, they are merely concerned about short-term losses but not about long-term survival," he told malaysiakini when contacted.
"The demographics (of the electorate) are changing; soon DAP will be fighting for 20 seats and maybe PAS will be fighting for 25 or 30 seats, while some 200 more seats will be out there to be contested," he said.
The relationship among the parties has been a tricky one since DAP, which joined Barisan Alternatif (BA) in 1999, left two years later after crossing swords with PAS over the latter's insistence in forming an Islamic state should it come into power. The other party in the opposition coalition is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Eliminate suspicion
On Saturday, PKR adviser and ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim addressed a party retreat organised by the DAP, a move which raised eyebrows among political observers in view of his ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between DAP and PAS.
However, both DAP and PKR leaders denied that Anwar had made any specific proposal for DAP to rejoin BA. They also said there was no discussion of seats or of an electoral co-operation plan for the next general election due in 2009.
On this, Ibrahim said the parties need to get rid of the "suspicion and distrust" among them as his previous polls findings have suggested that the Malaysian public wants to see a more credible opposition in which they would have confidence.
"They must work out some form of collaboration. Even if they don't come up with a solid pact like in 1999, they ought to come out with a basic co-operation plan based on an agreement not to attack each other publicly and in terms of how to resolve national issues," he said.
He noted that PAS has tried to shed its hardline Islamic image with its president Abdul Hadi Awang - seen as a conservative - being relatively quiet recently. He has allowed second-line leaders like deputy presidenty Nasharuddin Mat Isa and vice-president Husam Musa to issue statements on party matters. He also pointed out that, interestingly, the party did not promote its Islamic state agenda during the Pengkalan Pasir by-election last December in the PAS-led state of Kelantan.
"I think the DAP is still waiting to see probably how far PAS goes in moderating its image... DAP is pretty insistent that it wants nothing to do with Islamic state, while PAS is caught because it can't publicly declare it is dropping this from its agenda."
Explain to public, media
Ibrahim conceded that even if the two parties can agree on common ground, the question of how to sustain the relationship will not be an easy task due to several external factors. Among these is that the ruling Barisan Nasional and mainstream media could exploit the issue.
"How would DAP respond to such situation? Although there is no specific agreement to co-operate with PAS, the fact the parties are working together would imply there is agreement over their respective stances. So, they must work out how to explain this to the public and the media," he added. Early last year, the PAS leadership had decided to 'soften' its stance on its Islamic state policy by reverting to the BA common manifesto adopted for the 1999 general election. This was also to close ranks with other opposition parties after PAS' dismal showing in the March 2004 polls.
The 1999 BA common manifesto is silent on the setting up of an Islamic state but accepted the practice of Islam as a way of life. Nonetheless, DAP then voiced scepticism as to whether PAS could ever make such a concession.
Yesterday, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng reiterated that his party would not consider collaborating with any party that does not subscribe to the view that Malaysia is a secular state.
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