Uncle Lim's Myopia

my·o·pi·a (n.) (source: American Heritage Dictionary)
- Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning

Originally I was going to blog about the Perak Dilemma, but since I heard about DAP's intention to boycott the new Perak MB's (Perak PAS secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin) swearing-in, my anger and frustration know no bounds.

Is this the decision of the DAP CEC or is this the decision of Uncle Lim himself? And if it was indeed the DAP CEC that mooted this ridiculous boycott, I would have expected Lim Kit Siang, in his capacity of advisor, to talk the DAP CEC out of such a move.

What in the world was Uncle Lim thinking?

Firstly, it was agreed by all three parties of the DAP-PKR-PAS coalition to abide by the decision of the Regent of Perak.

“All parties within the coalition have jointly agreed on the submission of the three names for his decision. We would like to impress upon the people that all three parties have unanimously agreed to fully endorse whichever candidate is chosen,” state DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham said at the Perak DAP headquarters. Read here for more.

To boycott the swearing-in now would call into question DAP's sincerity and credibility in the coalition. It would also reflect upon the rakyat that DAP's words are as fickle as BN's.

Secondly, does it matter who is the MB of Perak? After all, as Ngeh pointed out in the same article:

"The post of Mentri Besar is just to lead the state government and state executive council. Whatever decisions to be made will be done in full consultation with all three parties."

And since DAP will have more people sitting on the state exco, what is there to fear?

Thirdly, all eyes are on Perak now for if the coalition prove to be a success in Perak, then there is hope for the other Malay states. The uniquesness of Perak, unlike Selangor or Penang or Kedah/Kelantan for that matter, is that there is a huge population of both rural Malays and rural-semi urban non-Malays.

Whilst both groups live in harmony and tolerance, their thoughts and ideologies are polls apart. It is for the coalition to prove to the non-Malays that they have nothing to fear over PAS and to prove to the Malay population that they too have nothing to fear over DAP. There is a larger objective at stake here than the rights/needs of individual parties.

Instead of boycotting the swearing-in, I would have expected DAP (together with PKR and PAS) to hold ceramahs for the non-Malay population to explain and ease their fears over the choice of the MB.

Finally, the non-Malays have so long fought for meritocracy, this is the time to put our money where our mouth is. In all the articles that I read, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has been singled out as the most qualified person to take over the Perak MB's seat. And if meritocracy is to rule the day, why should he be denied the Perak MB's seat just because he is a PAS member and not a DAP or PKR member?

I have utmost respect for the Sultan and the Regent of Perak. I believe that they would have taken the rakyat's best interest at heart when making this decision.

So please Uncle Lim and fellow DAP assemblymen, do not disappoint the rakyat. Do not destroy our hopes just when it has just taken flight.

Do you really want to pass the state government back to BN?
Do you really want to provide BN with ammunition to shoot down the coalition?
Do you really want to destroy your chance at fulfilling the rakyat's mandate?

Think before you act for the repercussions could be dire. It would not only impact the governance of the state of Perak, it would also impact the governance of the other coalition states. But beyond that, it would also impact the rakyat's confidence and trust in you. The RAKYAT ... that is made up of Chinese, Indians, Malays and others ... who voted against the BN and brought to power the coalition.

Uncle Lim and fellow DAP assemblymen, please see the bigger picture!