The
Kajang Move: Game Changer in Putrajaya Quest
I am aware that there is a lot
of explanation that has to be made on the decision to vacate the Kajang seat to
force a by-election. I am also acutely aware of Dato’ Ambiga’s advice communicated
personally to me that we have to be as honest as possible with the people.
Apology to the public
So let me begin by offering
the sincerest apology to the Malaysian public especially the voters of Kajang.
The by-election will certainly consume public money and public space at the
time when the people have to go through economic hardship.
There is no excuse for wasting
public money except to offer my sincerest apology and for the party to be
prepared if the voters of Kajang decide to punish us.
In all honesty, as the
strongest proponent of the scheme I bear most responsibility for the decision.
Dynamics in Umno, racial and
religious controversies
Yet precisely because we are
honest to ourselves and the people, we have to acknowledge that there are
problems and challenges that we are facing in Selangor that require
intervention.
While Khalid Ibrahim’s
administration has shown sterling performance over the last 6 years that
endears him to the public, there are rooms for improvement in many areas
especially given the latest dynamics in Umno.
It is an open secret that the
move to remove Najib Razak has begun. As a party strategist, I cannot rule out
the possibility that Najib is removed and Umno falls to the ultras led by
Mahathir Mohamad’s faction.
The unscrupulous attack and
schemes to take Selangor by hook or by crook will begin the moment the weak
Najib is removed. Even as we speak, Umno’s cards are all too obvious in the
latest round of racial and religious controversies stirred up in Selangor in
the last few months.
Should Najib fall, expect a
full blown manipulation of racial and religious issues to create mistrust and
frustration with the Selangor government.
Model state as a launchpad for
Putrajaya
While Khalid Ibrahim’s
administration has set a gold standard in integrity and prudence in managing
public funds, we also have to admit there are also other areas that we can
improve.
We need radical approach to solving the traffic woes, the pace of
affordable public housing has to pick up. There is a need for more rigorous forward
planning of water resources in Selangor and some hard decisions have to be made
soon. We have to vigorously protect the rights of the minorities who are the
targets of Umno’s political game.
As an MP, I certainly believe
we can do better especially with regards to cleanliness and livelihood of the
people. We have the potential to be a model state with least potholes in
densely populated areas.
In other words, Selangor has
to be doubly better than what it is today if it were to become a showcase for
Pakatan in its quest for Putrajaya. Just as Istanbul was a launchpad for
Erdogan and Jakarta is a launchpad for Jokowi, Selangor can be a great launchpad
for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya.
Fortification of Pakatan in
Selangor
The job is not done and we are
about to face another round of onslaught from Umno.
Therefore, while it is
certainly inexcusable to spend public funds unnecessarily in a by-election, it
is an even bigger dereliction of public duty if we do not do anything, knowing
that this round is going to be tougher.
What PKR and Pakatan Selangor
need is a fortification so that we can expedite reforms and simultaneously fend
off political attacks and manoeuvres from Umno. We need as many of our top
leaders around Selangor to defend Selangor because it remains the crown jewel
of any political coalition in the country.
Hence the decision to field
Anwar Ibrahim for a state seat as this provides an option that we can readily
exercise should the need arise.
Does this mean there will be a
change of stewardship of Selangor government? Maybe yes, maybe no. But we do
have the option to optimize our leadership potential if Umno stirs up more
trouble.
Option is key. Having the
option means having the flexibility of manoeuvres that can easily frustrate Umno’s
game in Selangor especially with regards to racial and religious controversies.
Avoid the Kedah experience
At the end of the day, I know
no amount of explanation can soothe the public anger. I only appeal for time to
let the rationale sink in and space for us to do the necessary.
I also have to apologise on
behalf of my party for the differences we have among ourselves that are seen as
factional and often frustrates the public. Yet we trying our best to resolve it
now for the sake of Malaysians, because not doing it now will certainly condemn
us to the same experience of Pakatan in Kedah. We learn the lesson bitterly
that differences must be managed early because the party always has to be whole
to face Umno.
The game-changing Kajang Move
Good political leaders will
never be popular. It pains me that we have to drag Anwar Ibrahim through this
and subject him to public anger, yet his willingness to be a part of the bigger
picture is the mark of the man.
Throughout the last few days,
I reassured myself that it was Churchill who chose to be unpopular and remained
a minority voice of alarm against the advancing Nazis till the end despite a
public popularity to appease the Nazis. At the height of Nazi’s power,
Churchill stood alone when every one else in Europe bowed to Hitler.
The conviction of doing the
right thing, in the face of extreme criticism and public anger, remains a
yardstick of what an honest leadership is.
I thank the top leadership of Pakatan
who understand the necessity of doing this. I thank my comrades in the second
leadership line up of Pakatan who have given the moral and political support
for us to proceed.
I hope that one day when we
are in Putrajaya, we can look back to the difficult days of what will be called
the “Kajang Move” as the game changer in our quest for Putrajaya. I honestly
hope that it will our defining moments that allow us one step closer to
Putrajaya.
I may be naïve and ridiculed
for my naivete, but that’s as honest as I can be.
Let’s look ahead for a
stronger Pakatan in Selangor poised to take over Putrajaya in the next election
and don’t look back.
Rafizi Ramli
29 January 2014