Pakatan should offer viable alternative
Athi VeerangganPublished: Jan 20, 2009 5:02 PM | Updated: Jan 20, 2009 7:03 PM
Pakatan Rakyat should not be carried away with euphoria of the Kuala Terengganu by-election victory, but rather should capitalise on it to collectively showcase itself as a viable alternative to Barisan Nasional, cautioned an academician today.
KT victory should not be taken by Pakatan as the green light from the rakyat for the opposition coalition to take over Putrajaya.
Pakatan Rakyat should not be carried away with euphoria of the Kuala Terengganu by-election victory, but rather should capitalise on it to collectively showcase itself as a viable alternative to Barisan Nasional, cautioned an academician today.
Universiti Sains Malaysia senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian pointed out that the Pakatan state governments in five states have an all-important responsibility to offer a viable alternative to boost public confidence on the opposition coalition.
"Since achieving unprecedented electoral gains in last March general election, Pakatan state governments have yet to prove themselves as viable alternatives to previous administrations.
"It's time for them to prove their worth and make the people believe that Pakatan would be a viable and dynamic alternative to form the federal government," he said.
Pakatan won Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor state governments, while retaining Kelantan, and denied BN its two-thirds parliamentary majority in the last election.
Instead of harping on same rhetoric issues such as corruption and the draconian Internal Security Act, Sivamurugan said the Pakatan governments should start implementing long term people-orientated development policies.
"So long the state governments do not implement such policies, the people would not see it as an alternative government to BN in the next general election," he said.
He cautioned Pakatan leaders that they would be making a mistake if they thought majority of the people have already accepted the coalition as the alternative federal government, based on last week's electoral gain in Kuala Terengganu.
PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut polled 32,883 votes to defeat Umno's Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who garnered 30,252 votes, and independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat, who secured only 193 votes, to win Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat during the by-election on Jan 17.
Pakatan must boost confidence
Sivamurugan claimed the PAS victory in Terengganu was mainly due to the choice of candidates and the anti-BN sentiments among the voters. It was not an expression of public confidence towards Pakatan, he added.
"Even with all allegations against him, the BN candidate still managed to secure more than 30,000 votes.
"It was not a landslide victory neither was it an overwhelming show of confidence by Kuala Terengganu voters, mostly Malays, for Pakatan," said the lecturer.
He said the majority of the people, although were unhappy with BN on various issues, have not fully trusted Pakatan's credibility, capability and unity.
Pakatan needs to show more solidarity and collectivity on various contentious subjects such as the Islamic state, Hudud laws, good governance, media freedom, education, equality, business and employment opportunities.
"Only by doing this, Pakatan can boost the public confidence and be voted to power in Putrajaya," he told Malaysiakini.
Universiti Sains Malaysia senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian pointed out that the Pakatan state governments in five states have an all-important responsibility to offer a viable alternative to boost public confidence on the opposition coalition."Since achieving unprecedented electoral gains in last March general election, Pakatan state governments have yet to prove themselves as viable alternatives to previous administrations.
"It's time for them to prove their worth and make the people believe that Pakatan would be a viable and dynamic alternative to form the federal government," he said.
Pakatan won Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor state governments, while retaining Kelantan, and denied BN its two-thirds parliamentary majority in the last election.
Instead of harping on same rhetoric issues such as corruption and the draconian Internal Security Act, Sivamurugan said the Pakatan governments should start implementing long term people-orientated development policies."So long the state governments do not implement such policies, the people would not see it as an alternative government to BN in the next general election," he said.
He cautioned Pakatan leaders that they would be making a mistake if they thought majority of the people have already accepted the coalition as the alternative federal government, based on last week's electoral gain in Kuala Terengganu.
PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut polled 32,883 votes to defeat Umno's Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who garnered 30,252 votes, and independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat, who secured only 193 votes, to win Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat during the by-election on Jan 17.Pakatan must boost confidence
Sivamurugan claimed the PAS victory in Terengganu was mainly due to the choice of candidates and the anti-BN sentiments among the voters. It was not an expression of public confidence towards Pakatan, he added.
"Even with all allegations against him, the BN candidate still managed to secure more than 30,000 votes.
"It was not a landslide victory neither was it an overwhelming show of confidence by Kuala Terengganu voters, mostly Malays, for Pakatan," said the lecturer.He said the majority of the people, although were unhappy with BN on various issues, have not fully trusted Pakatan's credibility, capability and unity.
Pakatan needs to show more solidarity and collectivity on various contentious subjects such as the Islamic state, Hudud laws, good governance, media freedom, education, equality, business and employment opportunities.
"Only by doing this, Pakatan can boost the public confidence and be voted to power in Putrajaya," he told Malaysiakini.
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