dari ChangkatNingkeBTP
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
PKR might be seen as the lynchpin for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but last Sunday’s Hulu Selangor by-election has revealed its partners to be equally effective as the pact’s driving force.
PKR put up Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as the candidate, promoting his national stature in all their campaigns, but lost to MIC’s P. Kamalanathan, who was voted in with a 1,725-vote majority on mainly Malay and Indian support.
While PKR’s campaign was marred by news of party members defecting almost on a daily basis, both PAS and the DAP remained solid in terms of both supporter loyalty and organisational prowess.
It is understood that contrary to denials by PKR leaders that the defections were of no impact to its campaign, the resignation of one of its leaders — Hulu Selangor PKR division treasurer, Dr Halili Rahmat — had almost brought the party’s machinery to a total halt.
“For PAS, the campaign was organised in three waves. For the first wave, it was generally agreed that PKR would handle it entirely,” a PAS official told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.
“Our observation indicated PKR was in a mess. The resignation of Halili had almost paralysed them as he was influential there and also the purse stringer.
“It was only when we came in, at the second wave, that PR’s machinery begin to move especially in the Malay areas,” he added.
The PAS official revealed that PKR had no virtually no network on the ground in Hulu Selangor. It had but a single branch in each voting zones whereas PAS, despite being the outsiders, had three branches working for each polling zone.
“Even so, their branches were virtually ineffective, and we had to go in and give them a help. If not, God knows...” added the source.
Innuendos pointing to PKR’s ineffective campaign were everywhere.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustapha Ali had recently said, “I don't mean to belittle PKR but it was our machinery that worked hard to campaign in the Malay areas”.
Another was Klang DAP MP, Charles Santiago, who was on PR’s campaign trail throughout the by-election. He had blamed the inefficiency of PKR’s machinery, among others, as cause for their defeat.
This was admitted by party elections director, Fuziah Salleh, who pointed to the “lack of competence and experience on the part of the local level leaders” to handle the massive by-election.
This flagging performance was also blamed on the splits within PKR’s machinery. It is understood that the machinery was divided into three camps: one of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who was hand-picked to lead the campaign; the second, of vice-president Azmin Ali; while the Hulu Selangor candidate himself, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, wielded the third.
“So what this shows is that, even at the most crucial of times, PKR cannot put aside its differences. Are we betting that they would in the future? After Hulu Selangor, it looks unlikely,” said another PAS leader who did not want to be named.
Fuziah, however, denied that their machinery was divided, saying it had instead brought the allegedly warring leaders like Azmin, Khalid and Zaid together.
Another key element missing within PKR is its ideological strength said the PAS leader further. Other parties, the leader contended, have their unique “element” to keep the party intact except for PKR.
“BN’s support have always relied on money. That is their ‘element’. For PAS, we have Islam and the concept of loyalty and discipline. That is what holds us together. I don’t know what DAP has but it seems to be working. Only PKR is hit with desertions. I don't see what are the ‘elements’ that hold PKR together,” said the PAS source.
This view is generally shared by political observers, who noted that PKR has yet to project a solid ideological image apart from its enmity towards its rivals, BN.
In the meantime, PKR is betting only on the frail consensus that its de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is accepted by both PAS and DAP as a possible prime minister should PR take over federal power.
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