BN will topple, Pakatan told to get ready

Gear up and change your mind-set from that of opposition leaders to that of government, because the possibility of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) taking over at the federal level is becoming very real, PAS Youth told PR parliamentarians and state representatives today.

Its chief Salahuddin Ayub said BN component parties are currently torn apart by internal problems and are too distracted to focus on the business of governing.

And given the expected crossing-over of at least ten BN MPs to PR “in the next few weeks” and the “domino effect” this will have on other BN parliamentarians, this has given rise to the situation where PR leaders have to fill the void left by a distracted BN, said Salahuddin.

“We are not dreaming, it (forming the federal government) is a possibility that can come true at any time,” he told a press conference at PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

PKR, PAS and DAP’s unprecedented victories at the March 8 general election saw them retaining Kelantan, taking over Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, and cutting BN’s two-thirds majority hold in Parliament.

Paradigm change

The ensuing leadership crises that have beset three of BN’s largest component parties - Umno, MCA and MIC - have also been accompanied by efforts spearheaded by PKR to woo MPs from the ruling coalition.

PKR vice-president Mohd Azmin Ali has claimed more than 30 BN MPs are already in the PR bag, enough for it to form the government.

Before PR parties can expect to take over the federal government, however, its elected representatives must be undergo a ‘paradigm’ change, said Salahuddin.

This involves going from being able only to identify and criticise the shortcomings of the BN-led administration to one where they can formulate and implement constructive alternative policies, he stressed.

Towards this end, “experts” will be called in and asked to advise PR parties on how to fill the void left by a distracted BN, he added.

PAS MPs and state assemblypersons will be meeting at a “special seminar” in Ipoh within the next few weeks on the role they can play during this crucial period and in the future.

This will culminate in the convention for all Pakatan MPs and state assemblypersons to be held on April 27 where the elected representatives will discuss, among other things, their changing relationship with government bodies and agencies, said Salahuddin.

All these efforts will also go towards presenting a PR front that can convince the public it is a credible “government-in-waiting”, said Salahuddin.

“We welcome all discussions in the interests of the people and the country. We are looking forward to establish and strengthen our relationships with all government bodies and ministries,” he added.

On another matter, Salahuddin lauded the announcement by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that he would raise with the cabinet the proposed abolition of the Sabah Federal Development Department (FDD).

Salahuddin also called for the same thing to be considered for the FDD in Kelantan.

Among the criticisms that have been expressed of the FDD system is the incidence of overlapping that have occurred with state development policies.

Salahuddin also said the government should ensure that FDDs are not set up in the other four states ruled by PR, and asked that it respect the “spirit of federalism” that governs the administrative system of the country.

Pig-breeding options

On the controversy over the proposed centralisation of pig-breeding farms in Sepang, Salahuddin called for a public awareness campaign to inform people of the relevant issues connected to it as well as the options available to them.

The present Selangor government may either ignore the problems related to illegal pig farms as the previous BN-state government did, or ban them altogether as the Singapore government has done, said Salahuddin.

The third option, which the state government has proposed and is aimed at centralising such farms using the latest technologies and management methods as found in German and New Zealand, may well be the best one available, said Salahuddin.

However, all such options and the relevant issues must be presented to the public and their feedback has to be obtained before any decision is made, he said further.

“I’m sure that in the event of a referendum and discussions with the rakyat... the third option will get the agreement of the rakyat,” said Salahuddin.