MAKING IT WORKS

The nation and perhaps the entire world is watching closely with interest whether the five states won by the Opposition Parties, namely Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, Penang and Selangor will be able to rule the five states in an effective manner, and are far better that those states that continued to be ruled by the Barisan Nasional . Differences do exist and it will not be easy to just leave them aside. More importantly such weaknesses and failures will be highlighted by the Barisan Nasional and the media that are controlled by them to cause instability in those five states.

Whether these five states will be continued to rule by the Barisan Rakyat (Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Democratic Action Party and Parti Islam Malaysia) in future will depend much on the co-operation among these three parties). Their success will then no longer be manipulated by the Barisan Nasional and the media. In all probabilities more states may fall to them in the next General Election, and their success attained will be envy by the states ruled by Barisan Nasional.

As said, it will not be easy to put aside the differences that existed among the parties that make up the Barisan Rakyat. Even before the new Menteri Besar and Ketua Menteri are appointed there are already demands from various sectors that the lines up of the State EXCOs posts. These are not healthy signs which may jeopardize the effective functions of the five states in questioned.

Due credit deserves to be given to the newly appointed Menteri Besar of Kedah, who is offering EXCO position to newly elected DAP and to the Independent in Kedah. The other three other states (Kelantan been excluded) should follow the fine example shown by the newly appointed Menteri Besar of Kedah. I believe DAP and Keadilan should appoint the sole PAS member in the Penang State Assembly to as an EXCO member as well. Think of the long run impact Barisan Rakyat.

Top party leaders from parties that make up the Barisan Rakyat should sit down and deliberate seriously and come to agreement on maximum co-operation among them. Notably in this aspect is the role to be played by Datuk Seri Anwar from Keadilan.

To ensure the voices of Barisan Rakyat are also heard in the Dewan Senate, I believe the Senatorship should be offered among others to Syed Husin Ali (Deputy President – Keadilan), Mohammad Sabu and Datuk Mustafa Ali. Forget about what the Barisan Nasional would comment on these appointments, as past performance proved that they are even bigger culprit.

Barisan Nasional continues to rule Malaysia, and may continue to do for many years to come. The obvious advantage that the Barisan Nasional possessed is the support they get from Barisan Nasional parties in Sabah and Sarawak. Together these two states contributed 52 Members of Parliament from the total of 180 Members of Parliament won in Malaysia 12 General Election. Barisan Rakyat should make an effort to intensive their efforts to spread their wings all over these two states. Perhaps get the existing local parties in these two states to become members of Barisan Rakyat, and give an all out efforts to strengthen them. The Barisan Nasional in these two states will be able to remain power for sometime, but the least the Barisan Rakyat could do is to win some seats (both Parliament and States) from these two states.

In the past, too often DAP and Keadilan contested for the same seats in both Sarawak and Sabah, and by doing so the Barisan Nasional easily won the seats. Some of the seats were marginally won, and it is not something impossible for Barisan Rakyat parties to win seats in these two states. Barisan Rakyat must make it appears that they are ready to rule Malaysia, and should go all out efforts to make it happens in the next General Election, which will be about four years from now, or earlier. Make it as the main agenda.