WITH naysayers saying Pakatan Harapan may have met its Waterloo in Melaka, an Opposition leader said that the prediction was far from the truth.
“Having said that, Pakatan must engage in politics of dignity, which means sticking to our principles the face adversity,” said Penang Deputy Chief Minister Prof P Ramasamy.
In the Melaka state election, Pakatan got decimated by only winning five of the state seats contested. In the 2018 General Election, the coalition won 11 seats.
With the drubbing received, many of Pakatan’s supporters and leaders have called for Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to resign and pass the leadership mantle to younger members.
Touching on the matter, Ramasamy reminded his colleagues that Pakatan should never become like the ruling coalition, where the latter was all about appeasing the majoritarian community at the expense of minorities.
He also said that Pakatan should not shirk its responsibility towards all Malaysians; majority group or otherwise.
“In a nutshell, we should be champions of human dignity, not about playing footsie to the sectarian racial and religious interests of the Malay majoritarian community.
“In this respect, one can say that our defeat in the Melaka state elections is testimony to our uncompromising principles on certain fundamental issues.
“If racial and religious interests are in the forefront of Malaysian politics, it is certainly not the fault of the Pakatan,” Ramasamy reminded.
Be better, Pakatan
With that said, the veteran leader said that Pakatan should keep its focus on building a nation where diversity is celebrated, unlike other political outfits who are bent on perpetuating differences among various communities for narrow political interests.
“These narrow-minded political parties play up racial and religious sentiment not because they have altruistic concerns but more of accumulation of wealth.
“And since accumulation of wealth for them is a never-ending process, there is a constant need for these vested interests to invent and reinvent the racial and religious thesis,” Ramasamy noted, adding the real beneficiaries of its benefits were the ruling class, not common Malays.
The Perai state assemblyman also remarked: “Pakatan must go beyond the mundane and ordinary to envision the future of Malaysia, based on equal rights of its citizens irrespective of race or religion.
“In short, Pakatan must articulate to embrace the future to provide hope and dignity to all Malaysians.” – Nov 27, 2021
