Merger Push in Perak

I read with interest on the merger talk between PAS and UMNO to form a new Perak State Government in the NST today. The Perak Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali was ‘magnanimous’ enough to offer the post of Menteri Besar to PAS. Probably the talk of the merger is the result of earlier secret talks between Pas and UMNO on the Malay unity agenda.

As much as I would like to see the BN wrestle back the five states held by the opposition, I don’t agree that it should be done through such back door methods.

First of all, the people have spoken through the ballot box in the last general election. Not only did they vote for the candidate, they voted for the party AND the coalition. That being the case, we should all respect the people’s choice and not try to reshuffle the cards after the event.

Both Pas and UMNO must bear in mind that it was not only the Malays that voted them in. Both parties received votes from all races through the coalition mechanism. PAS especially enjoyed an unprecedented amount of goodwill from the Chinese and Indian voters in the last general election.

PAS and UMNO had different agendas, different priorities and belonged to different coalitions when they went into the 12^th General Election. The votes they received were cast based on the two different corners that they fought from. That being the case, won’t their action now tantamount to a betrayal of trust of both the voters and their coalition partners?

Forming a government through such back door tactics will erode the confidence of our people on the very political process in this country.

Just as much as I am opposed to Dato Seri Anwar’s idea of forming a Federal Government through defection of BN MPs, I am opposed to forming a state government in Perak through the so called merger of PAS and UMNO.

At best it would be a marriage of convenience, at worst it would be abandoning the principles of consensus upon which the Barisan Nasional had been built upon.

Would PAS abandon its stated mission of forming an Islamic State or UMNO concede to PAS’s pressure to form such a state? What about the wishes of voters that chose them based on their opposing manifestos? What about the bond of understanding of partners that fought along their side?

PAS and UMNO must make it clear if they are willing to break ranks with their coalition partners so everyone will know where they stand. In any event PAS and UMNO, by their conduct, had lost the moral high ground to question any coalition partner on their loyalty to the coalition.

Another dark cloud that hangs over this whole episode of PAS-UMNO merger is the question as to whether this will push our nation into the abyss of blatant racial politics. God forbids if this were to happen as there won’t be turning back and Malaysia will be consigned to join the ranks of some of the worst countries in Africa.

It is in the best interest of our political system, our people and our nation that both PAS and UMNO return to the business of good governance and win back the confidence of the electorate through their performance instead of attempting to run circles around the system by forming a ‘secret pact’.

Please concentrate on the Nation Agenda instead of any narrow racial or religious agenda.

Murugesan Sinnandavar