COMMENT | Malacca polls show Harapan's systemic dysfunction

“When are the world’s political parties going to get appropriate symbols: snake, louse, jackal, ... trash can, clown face... dollar bill with bat wings on it?”

- PJ O’Rourke, 'All the Trouble in the World'

COMMENT | The upcoming Malacca state polls could have been the perfect opportunity for Pakatan Harapan to discover the coalition’s state of play post-Sheraton Move and MOU with the federal government.

It would also have been the perfect opportunity to discover if and how the Malay uber alles political parties could manage a state election without imploding.

With PKR giving the impression that they are willing to work with political mercenaries who not only brought down a Harapan government but also a PN government, Harapan demonstrates yet again that the political corruption they accuse the federal government of applies to them as well.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim saying that Harapan - even though there is dissension in the ranks - was giving these frogs time to formally apply to join the coalition is another nail in the coffin for Harapan. Tian Chua claiming that Harapan needs to work with anyone to ensure victory should inform us of the mindset of political operatives in Harapan who coddled the old maverick and played dumb about the events leading up to the Sheraton Move.

The news cycle should not be dominated by items highlighting the internal bickerings of Harapan. The narrative should not be of how Harapan is attempting to obstruct an election or courting political frogs or how Harapan is attempting to form another government through the backdoor.

All these news stories do is...