What now Barisan Rakyat?

By SV Singam

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Tonight, we will learn the outcome. The Barisan Rakyat may end up gloriously victorious and be invited by His Majesty to form the next government, or we may merely have broken the BN stranglehold by denying them a 2/3 majority. If the electoral cheating was extensive and successful enough, we may have been deprived of even that. But whatever the case, Barisan Rakyat has to have a game plan, going forward. 

One of the saddest moments for me in recent days was to read that Lim Kit Siang had denied the existence of an umbrella body called the Barisan Rakyat under which DAP and PAS had agreed to cooperate. I can understand where he was coming from. The Chinese population still harbours fears about the PAS agenda. If MCA were given a chance to capitalize on those fears, DAP could lose big time. 

And that is the source of my sadness – that such a political environment has been cultivated and permeates deep into the psyche of the rakyat. Such deep-held feelings will hinder the forging of a true Bangsa Malaysia. 

The fault lies with both DAP and PAS. Just before elections is the worst possible time to be forming alliances. Such alliances always smack of being marriages of convenience. It is not fair to expect the rakyat to place their trust in such organisations. Thus DAP and PAS have had to pretend the alliance never existed. But those involved in campaigning know the real truth – that in fact, the cooperation between the two parties was remarkable. 

What they have to do, now that they don’t have to posture to the electorate for several years, is to announce the “formation” of a people’s cooperation front, the Barisan Rakyat, that is designed to transcend the race-religion barrier and unite all of as Anak Bangsa Malaysia. DAP folk have to bring PAS people into their constituencies (and vice versa) and let the people see their real face. PAS and DAP have to work together on community projects to demonstrate that their cooperation is not merely an election gimmick. 

DAP has to capitalise on the fact that PAS has endorsed the People’s Declaration and agreed to “build a government based on values common to all the great religions”. PAS has to assure non-Muslims that there is no hidden Islamic agenda, that PAS wants the government to be built on spiritual and ethical values that are common to all the great religions. 

PKR has some strong leaders but, due to overreach, some are of doubtful calibre. There are also many questions about the unstated ambitions of PKR. There are fears that UMNO-style politics may creep in. PKR leaders have to work overtime to dispel such anxieties. Building a genuine working relationship with DAP and PAS after these elections is the best way to demonstrate their sincerity. 

Political parties are not used to the idea of being overseen by citizen committees. In the pre-election frenzy, they may have agreed to such ideals but the proof of commitment comes now. Parties of the Barisan Rakyat have to form a government, shadow or otherwise, and each minister has to work with a citizen committee put together for that portfolio. Such citizen committees will comprise professionals and experts in their fields who can provide clear input untainted by personal political agendas. MPs who don’t have ministerial responsibilities will have to work with citizen committees addressing other areas of concern to the rakyat. Fixing of broken or clogged drains can also be on the agenda, although low in order of priority. 

The other critically important matter to be taken care of is the registration of the Barisan Rakyat as a legitimate political entity with its own logo that will be used for future elections. Heck, if it can be ready for the by-election to bring Anwar into parliament, why not! 

Then there is the matter of a common logo. There are many creative artists out there who can surely do better than I can. But to start the ball rolling, I have designed what could be used as a unified Barisan Rakyat flag and logo. 

Bouquest and brickbats equally welcome. J

SV Singam                                                                                                                                                                                       Anak Bangsa Malaysia                                                                                                                                                          Barisan Rakyat Malaysia