When the final whistle was blown in the clash of the weekend it favoured Liverpool the Home side winning 2-0. Most of the staff at audie61 are Manchester Unitd fans and one can tell from their faces how devastated they were. Anyway this writeup from Malaysiakini has ruffled more than a few feathers. We copied it in full for those who are not subsribers of Malaysiakini so that everyone will have their own reaction and make up their own assessment. Im sure the party boys /girls of PKR would rather be Liverpool fans than MU after the next GE 13th.Which side would you rather support …This is the reality………………………………………………PKR’s losing game of musical chairs
Oct 26, 09
11:28am
Rather, the sordid internal state of affairs within PKR and frequent open squabbling between Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners masks a growing anxiety among its own activists.
There are fears that Anwar (left) does not have it in him to lead Pakatan Rakyat to another overwhelming electoral victory at the next national polls.
It is not just Anwar’s plodding pace that worries, but his ability to position capable and effective leadership at the state level.
Party insiders felt that for that to take place, appointments should be made only after sufficient feedback from the ground, an in-depth study of the local political scene and a well-thought strategic plan before the appointments are made.
Slow to progress
In recent months, murmurs of discontent rumbled about the lack of momentum and PKR’s supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s lethargic approach to transforming the party into a force strong enough to win the next general election.
The sudden gust of in-fighting and internal rivalry arising from state chairmanship appointments over the year was enough to make many wonder if the party is weakening in support.
On Sunday, Anwar chaired his 62-member Supreme Council and the agenda included a reshuffling of its party’s state chairmanship line-up.
Ardent supporters believe Anwar has to silence the rumblings from among his ranks and file over strategy and tactics related to such appointments.
There is now a perception within his ranks and file that Anwar is suffering from a surfeit of new ideas, lacking focus and without an impetus for quick decision-maki
ng.
More seriously, there is also a belief that the gulf between his party and NGOs is widening due to eroding confidence towards the Pakatan coalition of which PKR is a major player.
Even DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang (right) has publicly acknowledged eroding confidence.
Many are beginning to doubt whether Anwar is able to transform his party into an unstoppable fighting machine under such circumstances? Time is running out.
PKR leadership can only undertake a major shift in direction, enhancing its organisational strength provided the adviser spends more quality time running the party and spends less time travelling overseas.
The liability incurred by a lackadaisical leadership is already telling.
This week, newly appointed Azmin Ali’s departed in a huff following a memorandum signed by 18 division chiefs calling for his removal. There was much media speculation that the appointments of state chiefs was akin to playing “musical chairs”.
Although the PKR leadership had clarified that Azmin’s tenure expired in October, the strained relationship arising from an appointment seems to suggest that there was little deliberate thinking on strategies and long term vision over such appointments.
It is a lesson learnt. The formation of a new National Integration Council comprising top ranking party leaders from the state and the peninsular is seen as a compromise and remedial action on the erred political judgement.
Yet, it also raises the pertinent question whether Anwar understands the strategic importance of having suitable and longer serving state chairmen to strengthen the party network and machinery.
In doing so, critics also contend that Anwar needs to behave more like a hare than a tortoise and unsurprisingly, some within his party view Anwar as “fiddling while Rome burns.”
Confidence shaken
To some of his core supporters, Anwar does not seem to be reacting positively enough to the growing recognition and demand for reform, particularly within PKR.
Confidence in PKR and Pakatan’s ability to transform our national political force into a two-party system in the country is wearing thin by the day.
Understandably, voices of concern are growing louder within the party that PKR is steadily lacking the firepower, plodding along instead of racing towards the next general election.
Will this major reshuffling of state chiefs be another play of musical chairs? Or will the appointments be well received from the ground and not just another excuse for political arrangements or simply expediency for political patronage?
Whether the recently announced major reshuffle of state chiefs will pump more renewable energy and effectiveness remains to be seen.
Azmin Ali, as expected, was given the Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur state portfolio previously held by Abdul Khalid Ibrahim who will likely retain his Selangor state chairmanship.
Libaran assemblyman Yhamrin Zaini was appointed the new Sabah state chief, replacing Azmin (left).
Mustaffa Kamil Ayub now heads Perak state following a short stint as Sarawak state chief.
The frequent changing of the guard in the state is a bad practice. Many could hardly warm their seats, draw up any organisational charts or consolidate local support before they are whisked away to another state.
Others argued that the appointment of state chiefs is a broader issue which must be backed by collective local support within the state, clearly aware of local sensitivities before the party enters an aggressive new phase of reforms.
But in politics, you cannot fake it. The appointment of state chiefs is an illustrated case in point; Anwar cannot afford to continue plodding slowly along. Many viewed Anwar as being unable to carve a clear set of directions or give a convincing account that PKR and Pakatan as a coalition can get its act together.
Will the new appointments be handled wisely or a protectionist backlash from states further hurt PKR’s image further?
As the adviser to the party, Anwar should know that a wisely thought-out appointment exercise can go hand in hand with the party’s agenda to consolidate a stronger support base while an idle endorsement will bring more political turmoil spawning more instability within the party.
As a critic remarked, “There is no before and after, PKR and Pakatan coalition share the same destiny, only one more chance at the next general election but unlikely after that.”
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