Mission possible for Opposition

I was passing through Jalan Penrissen at 4 ½ Mile last Friday evening amid pouring rain which at first I thought had resulted in the traffic hitting a snag.

But as my quantity surveyor friend drove further up the road, we saw a large crowd gathered at an empty land, right opposite the Chan Furniture shop, sitting at dinner tables and listening attentively to a speech delivered on stage with a huge backdrop of Change We Can.

As I wound down the car window, we could see a man on stage who clad in batik addressing the crowd, estimated at about 3,000 to 4,000 with blaring speakers which made his fiery speech audible even across the street.

That man is none other than PKR de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who came here for a Friends of PKR dinner.

PKR state assemblyman for Padungan, Dominique Ng Kim Ho who had earlier cast doubt whether his party chief would be allowed entry into the state was proven wrong when Anwar and his entourage whom among others included the Menteri Besar for Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, PKR secretary general, Sallehuddin Hashim and several MPs were all let in by the Immigration Department without hindrance.

Many including some of his closest allies may have called him bluffing when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Opposition could wrest at least five states and denied the BN coalition its two third majorities in the March 8 general election last year.

But his prediction caught many by surprise when his prediction turned up to be no bluff at all but a reality, the true sentiment on the ground that people have turned tired and simply wanted change in this country which has long ruled by the BN since independence.

The PR coalition found itself forming the state government in five states in Peninsular while denying the BN coalition of its two third majorities in parliament, a feat which is very much attributed to the charismatic Anwar who binds the PKR, DAP and PAS into a formidable coalition.

Recently, this once heir apparent to the premiership and protégé of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad before his sacking as the latter’s deputy in 1998, said the Opposition would be eyeing the state election which could be held anytime from now until 2011.

And who on earth this time could brush aside Anwar should he once again were to say that the Opposition could deny the two third majorities or even toppled the state BN to add Sarawak into its feather?

And yes he did it again, this time saying that the Opposition would capture the state in the coming state election.

It has been almost a year after the general election and it seems that the PR run states have been receiving accolades from the people, for instance the CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) practised by the Penang state government and the issuance of perpetuity titles to new villages in Perak.

And recently, state assemblyman for Ngemah, Gabriel Adit and former Members of Parliament, Jimmy Donald and Jawah Gerang joined the PKR together with thousands of their supporters.

State DAP chief and state assemblyman for Bukit Assek, Wong Ho Leng has claimed that the party was in talk with some disgruntled SUPP members over possible crossover after the state oldest political party remains stagnant with all its leaders still cling on to power despite endless call for change within and outside the party.

The PKR and DAP will go into talk soon on the possible avoidance of multi cornered fight and if the talk goes smoothly and without any hiccups, we can expect straight fight in all the state seats.

With the state BN controlling two third majorities in the legislative assembly and the Opposition eight seats which all came at the courtesy of SUPP, the coming state election will be a huge task for Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud to maintain the feat.

The rural areas will no longer be the bastion for the BN with the PKR making its presence felt while the urban seats needless to say will most likely see further casualties especially those under the SUPP.

The current economic climate will further erode the people’s support to the government coupled with the rising cost of living and the possibility of job losses and pay cuts.

The protracted land issue will be a contentious one in the coming state election and Anwar was quick enough to seize the sentiment on the ground by saying that land would be returned to its rightful owners.

PRS president and Minister of Land Minister, Datuk Seri James Masing is not so optimistic with the PKR’s presence and he had rung the alarm bell to the state BN in his recent New Year message.

All eyes will definitely be on the state election and with Anwar convincingly told his crowd that PR would give state BN a run for its money, we better take him seriously this time.