Karpal Wants New Leader For Pakatan

A Kadir Jasin

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[UPDATE, Feb. 10] -- PKR V. Arumugam has resigned as Bukit Selambau State Assemblyman. Anwar Ibrahim said another Indian is likely to represent the party in the by-election.

UPDATE, Feb. 9]

1. Malaysiakini reported that the DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, has backed Anwar Ibrahim as Parliamentary opposition leader as well as the leader of Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

2. The Pas Bukit Gantang Member of Parliament, Roslan Shaharum , died this morning at 50. In last March general elections, Roslan defeated the Barisan Nasional heavyweight, the Umno Treasurer Abdul Azim Zabidi, by a majority of 1,566 votes, polling 20,015 votes against Azim’s 18,449 votes.

3. Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak today announced that Exco member V Arumugam of PKR has relinquished his Exco post but will continue as Bukit Selambau state assemblyman.

[Original Post]

THAT the DAP’s strongman, Karpal Singh, lashed out at the Barisan Nasional and blamed the BN for practising the game of defections is only to be expected.

But when the DAP Chairman and Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament up his ante against the de facto head of Pakatan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim, the final outcome could be devastating to the informal three-party coalition.

The independent news portal Malaysiakini described Karpal’s latest diatribe as “an outburst” and said it could have deep implications for the Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

Karpal, according to the Malaysiakini, openly urged Anwar to step down as the leader of the alliance. He blamed Anwar for the disarray in PR by his continuous rhetoric about forming government with the aid of defectors from Barisan Nasional.

Karpal also had harsh words for his colleagues, especially party’s supremo Lim Kit Siang and secretary general Lim Guan Eng for their inconsistent stand on party hopping.

According to Malaysiakini, Karpal did not mince words. He accused Anwar of causing trouble to PR.

"He (Anwar) has created enough trouble and it is time for him to bertaubat (repent)."It's time Pakatan got itself another leader," he said.

Karpal's biggest complain was Anwar's support for defections of elected representatives. Soon after the 2008 General Elections, Anwar had claimed that he had enough defectors from BN to form the federal government.

However, despite his repeated assurances, the takeover did not materialize.

Talking to reporters at his office in Penang, Karpal reiterated this stand that party hopping could never be justified.

He said he was somewhat confounded by how Anwar could have openly espoused and encouraged crossovers after the people gave a resounding mandate to the Pakatan on March 8 last year.

In the interest of the public and, in particular, the Pakatan, Karpal said Anwar has a lot to answer for creating the woes that the Pakatan is in now.

Karpal also blamed the BN for practising the game of defections – giving examples of how the ruling coalition had pinched DAP leaders in 1979 and 1982. In the latter instance Anwar was in Umno and the BN.

"I only hope Anwar did not learn of the morality, or rather immorality, of political kangaroos hopping form the opposition to the BN during the time he was in the BN.

"Be that as it may, the intelligence of the rakyat should not be underestimated by politicians from either side of the divide.

"The trust of the people cannot and should not be taken for granted by elected representative," he said.

As for the ongoing crisis in Perak, the DAP chairman said the solution lies squarely on the shoulder of the judiciary, given that the Sultan of Perak had appointed a new BN Menteri Besar and is poised to appoint a new Exco on Tuesday.

"The predicament faced by the rakyat in Perak is the consequence of political treachery and large scale deception and commission of fraud on the voters by the assemblypersons who have deserted the party, the strength of which placed them in the state assembly," he added.

The Perak PR government collapsed last week when two assemblymen from Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and one from DAP defected and pledged support for the BN.

The sole BN assemblyman who defected to the PKR days earlier made an about turn and returned to Umno’s fold.