KUCHING: Why is Pakatan Harapan (PH) in chaos? And will Tun Dr Mahathir reach out to Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS?
In dwelling on these issues, a political analyst Datuk Peter Minos remembered when the component parties of PH were united in opposition to BN when it was helmed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The odd thing is now that there is no more BN and Najib, PH seems to be breaking up due to internal conflicts.
“When PH had a common foe and bogeyman in Najib they were really solid and united,” he observed.
“They met and talked like lovers. They demonstrated together, suffered together at the hands of Najib and gang; harassed, hit left and right; and humiliated, but they stood solidly together. They helped and consoled each other like best friends and comrades.
“Now, what do we see? Take PKR, for example. There are expulsions and a press war pitting one leader against another.
“Nobody would be surprised if PKR eventually break up, one lead by Anwar and the other by Azmin.”
As for DAP, it is breaking up due to a truly bad misadventure, arrogance or wrong thinking. They offended so many Malayan Chinese by playing the fool with Chinese education issues, in particular cutting funds to TAR University which is so dear to the community.
“Why, we don’t really know. Probably it’s because Lim Guan Eng has uncontrolled bias against or hatred for its rival, MCA, that started and ran TAR University,” said Minos.
Perhaps, he said, it is too late for DAP to make amends as show recently by the Tanjung Piai by-election in Johore where the party and PH self-destruct due to some dumb moves.
Minos claimed that DAP had been too subservient to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The Chinese do not like this.
But behind all the troubles faced by PH is Najib’s absence from the political front. The coalition has no one else to blame whenever they messed up.
“No more bogeyman to hit. No pressure or fear to unite them and so PKR and DAP have to look inwards at themselves and that’s when they realise they have too many weaknesses,” said Minos.
Strangely, he said, the two smaller partners in PH— Bersatu and Amanah —are pretty steady, but they must be pretty worried about DAP and PKR.
“But what can they do besides just watching them implode, like looking at a fast-running train losing its brakes and heading for a big crash and tragedy.
“The only person who may benefit from the problems and travails in PKR and DAP is Tun Dr Mahathir. He could just meet with Umno and PAS plus MCA and MIC… forget the past and unite and form a new government,” he said.
He believes that if Tun Mahathir could team up with past foes in Anwar and Lim Kit Siang, there is no reason why he cannot patch up with old BN.
Minos said politics is like that and it is actually real life.
