In the final lap to the 13th General Elections, Pakatan Rakyat leaders should focus single-mindedly to win support of the majority of Malaysian voters for the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Programme and not fall into the Umno/barisan Nasional “Divide-and-Rule” trap.
Let us be guided by the Joint Statement of Pakatan Rakyat leaders when Pakatan Rakyat was formed in 2008 which reaffirmed the solidarity, commitment and consensus basis of PR to implement an agenda to develop the nation and create a prosperous society based on justice, freedom, democracy and good governance, irrespective of ethnicity, religion and culture.
The Joint Statement of PR leaders dated 12th April 2008, bearing the signatures of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Ismail, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and myself, states:
“The policies of Pakatan Rakyat are centred on objectives that have been agreed upon and accepted by the leaders of the three parties that are keADILan, DAP and PAS. Among these are to develop this country on the basiss of justice, create opportunities for all citizens to enjoy national prosperity and to accord priority to those who are poor and marginalized. “Pakatan Rakyat is not the forum nor is it the place for any group or individual to champion personal ideologies or that of its component parties. Although there have been individuals who express personal views that differ from the agreed agenda of Pakatan Rakyat, those views are clearly personal. They do not represent that of any of the Parties in Pakatan Rakyat. As such, all leaders and members of Pakatan Rakyat have been directed to desist from expressing views that contradict those that have been mutually agreed upon by Pakatxan Rakyat.
“There is no one party that is the backbone of Pakatan Rakyat. In fact, the strength of Pakatan Rakyat is based on principles of equality and spirit of co-operation among leaders of Pakatan Rakyat in keeping with the mandate that has been given to us by the people during the 12th General Elections.”
For more than two years, the country has been waiting for the holding of the 13th GE but the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s indecisiveness and vacillations because of his lack of confidence in the outcome of the polls have seriously sapped economic confidence in the immediate future for the country.
Time is running out for Najib for the window for him to choose the best timing for dissolution of Parliament has been reduced to a pitiable five months as come April 27, 2013, the current 12th Parliament stands automatically dissolved even if Najib out-Hamlets everyone and still cannot decide when to call for polls.
However, I do not believe Najib wants to make world history as belonging to the rare breed of government leaders who could not even decide when to hold general elections and have to hang on until there is an automatic dissolutuin of Parliament under the Constitution.
I would expect the 13th General Election to be held in February or March next year. With the final three or four months to the 13GE, this is the time for all Pakatan Rakyat leaders, members and supporters to make the supreme effort to mobilise voters throughout the country to rally behind the PR Common Policy Programme and not to allow Umno/BN and their media, whether printed or electronic, to drive a wedge of division and dissension among and between Pakatan Rakyat parties.
In this connection, it must be pointed out that recant reports that the DAP had agreed that hudud would be implemented if Pakatan Rakyat captures Putrajaya in the 13 GE is completely untrue and baseless.
The DAP stand that hudud is not suitable nor appropriate for Malaysa because it is against the Constitution and the plural characteristics of Malaysia is an open, constant and consistent DAP position for the past 46 years of the party history.
DAP has made our stand clear and this is why it is not part of the PR Common Policy Programme, which can only be amended if there is consensus by all the three PR parties.