Ijok: 16 million health clinic??
From Malaysiakini,
Are these figures accurate? Does it make sense to build a 16 million health clinic for a population of only 10,000? Does a health clinic cost 16 million? Unless of course, only if they are planning to build a small district hospital, this amount is ridiculously high. Even a house in KL would not have fetched such a high price. So what promises did BN actually give to these Ijok folks?
If BN is so flawed then why are they still winning? Perhaps the flaw is with PKR itself.
Rather than lamenting on the loss, I think that PKR should seek solace with the fact that 40% of the voters actually voted for them. They should consolidate their position by showing sincerity in service rather than bickering about inconsequential fights between Anwar and UMNO. PKR should move away from Anwar based arguments to more relevant local, federal and international issues. Datin Seri Wan Azizah should also relinquish her presidential position to remove any taint that she may carry from the Anwar saga. PKR needs to seriously reinvent themselves, not as a political party but rather as a organisation that could be an independant critical appraiser of the present Government.
If PKR is to win an election, it must be seen as a possible alternative to the present Government. It must have the ability to show resolve at all levels including international issues. The opposition front must show cohesiveness at all times, not just during election campaigns. They must be seen to have the ability to form the next stable government and bring Malaysia forward.
I feel that it may serve the opposition well by having a shadow government. In this way, they can participate at all levels and be seen as a possible alternative to the present administration. As of now, the opposition parties are ruled in an authoritarian fashion with PKR controlled by Anwar , DAP by Lim Kit Siang and PAS by Nik Aziz. This egoistical political stance will not serve the opposition well and might not be appealing to new members.
It takes years if not decades to build a good foundation to gain the trust of the people. Get involved in things not political, reach out at all times. Current opposition tactics are at best antagonistic and adversarial. If they do not change, then that is where they will continue to stay.
Are these figures accurate? Does it make sense to build a 16 million health clinic for a population of only 10,000? Does a health clinic cost 16 million? Unless of course, only if they are planning to build a small district hospital, this amount is ridiculously high. Even a house in KL would not have fetched such a high price. So what promises did BN actually give to these Ijok folks?
If BN is so flawed then why are they still winning? Perhaps the flaw is with PKR itself.
Rather than lamenting on the loss, I think that PKR should seek solace with the fact that 40% of the voters actually voted for them. They should consolidate their position by showing sincerity in service rather than bickering about inconsequential fights between Anwar and UMNO. PKR should move away from Anwar based arguments to more relevant local, federal and international issues. Datin Seri Wan Azizah should also relinquish her presidential position to remove any taint that she may carry from the Anwar saga. PKR needs to seriously reinvent themselves, not as a political party but rather as a organisation that could be an independant critical appraiser of the present Government.
If PKR is to win an election, it must be seen as a possible alternative to the present Government. It must have the ability to show resolve at all levels including international issues. The opposition front must show cohesiveness at all times, not just during election campaigns. They must be seen to have the ability to form the next stable government and bring Malaysia forward.
I feel that it may serve the opposition well by having a shadow government. In this way, they can participate at all levels and be seen as a possible alternative to the present administration. As of now, the opposition parties are ruled in an authoritarian fashion with PKR controlled by Anwar , DAP by Lim Kit Siang and PAS by Nik Aziz. This egoistical political stance will not serve the opposition well and might not be appealing to new members.
It takes years if not decades to build a good foundation to gain the trust of the people. Get involved in things not political, reach out at all times. Current opposition tactics are at best antagonistic and adversarial. If they do not change, then that is where they will continue to stay.
4 Comments:
In a way, I agree with you. Tip O'Neill was the one who reminded politicians that "all politics is local".
Sure there are strategic national matters that need to be resolved but in a Westminster system like ours, the challenge is to win the local vote first.
Nonetheless, I don't get the feeling that the PKR folks are feeling sorry for themselves in this electoral outing. There's a general sense of achievement even if a by-election was lost. Significantly, the party still managed to retain 50% of the Malay vote and gain up to 60% of the Chinese vote.
Also a thought on your comment about how the Opposition parties are administered in an authoritarian manner. Personally I'd beg to differ. I think what is probably true is that there are very strong personality-oriented entities within the political movements in Malaysia - on both sides of the divide.
Having been part of PKR since her merger with PRM, I don't see a sinister, calculative hand in defining the agenda of the party. As a matter of fact, the decision making process is pretty inclusive and involves various levels of the administrative heirarchy, from the federal down to the local divisional levels. Perhaps it is the lack of political organisational skills on the ground level that results in those on the lower levels less confident and willing to participate in the process.
There's also the sociological aspect that we must look at. Our society has generally been geared towards rewarding material achievers and the exhortation of the materially successful. The liberal arts is generally frowned upon as being "dead-end" and if I'm not mistaken, even our public universities no longer have a philosophy faculty. This provides fertile ground for material-incentive political campaigning to gain support, even if its temporary.
Contextualising it in Ijok, 90% of the Indian community voted for BN. Of that number, a large majority of them live below what you and I would even acknowledge as poverty. I have seen the glazed eyes and look of hopelessness in the eyes of the people who live in the estates. It isn't too difficult to sell your vote if you need the money for your next meal.
Nonetheless, thanks again for your thoughts. They give something worth chewing upon.
Dr Cheah, although I appreciate your comments on the organizational aspects of PKR, I agree with Bob K comments on the inclusive decision making process in PJR. As Bob and I are writing from our personal experience and invovlement, you must acknowledge that although your comments may have some validity, you come across as a typical example of the vast majority of middle class Malaysians content on being arm-chair critics. It is easy to point out the flaws of others, but it requires commitment, dedication and sacrifice to participate in the 'reformasi' process. Enough of critics, you either can be part of the solution by participating as an active member of society to bring about 'real' change or continue to be a part of the malaise of the middle class 'NATO' - "no action talk only' class. This group of people can really make the difference if they want too. They are the biggest in numbers who can influence the majority of society. The choice must be made now. Would the middle class respond?
Thank you for your comments. Perhaps I have erred on the actual organisational practices of PKR and yes perhaps I do fall into the NATO class.
Unfortunately, PKR is perhaps not portraying itself in proper light and thus they are perceived incorrectly. As a voter, I need reasons to vote for the opposition apart from just for the sake of check and balance. My views of PKR will definitely not be unique to myself and may represent the views of a huge chunk of middle class, termed a malaised NATO group.
Making comments concerning politics does not necessarily require me to be part of politics. Although I can only draw conclusions from what i read from the mainstream press and that of malaysiakini and blogs, this is what the majority of the voters will rely on NOT the hands-on approach that was advocated.
PKR has portrayed itself and continues to portray itself as a Anwar based party. Anwar was never a taint-free politician before his fallout with Mahathir and this fact will not appeal to voters if PKR continues to closely associate itself with Anwar, with most political comments coming from him rather than the upper echelon of PKR. Even Datin Seri Wan Azizah was surprisingly silent in the media considering that she was the president of PKR.
Lastly, being part of Government service and contracted by the "Aku Janji" pledge, I can only make comments for now. :-)
Thank you for your comments once again.
Dr Cheah,
I think your views warrant some thought. There is definitely a PR gap somewhere that needs to be closed.
One more observation though on your comments, Wan Azizah has actually come out with a lot of public statements and positions on issues, esp. in the area of gender equality , healthcare, and workers rights, which seems to be her particular interest.
Unfortunately, the media seems intent on painting her as a subservient wife and figurehead for Anwar and tend to downplay her role in Parliament and deny her press and air time. That's one contributing factor also to the perceived "Anwarista" look of the party. It might or might not be deliberate, that I can't say.
But a visit to PKR's website and also a look at the Hansard of the Parliament will show you a very different Wan Azizah that the media would like you to see. :)
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