Are you unsure whether you should be a supporter of Pakatan Rakyat? Well, we can help you by providing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the opposition coalition as they attempt to take over the government which you had (apparently inadvertently) voted for in the last elections.
A SWOT analysis is a tool used by consultants to draw tables in their reports for their clients, or when they decide that a report does not have enough bullet points. Additionally, it is also a tool for the consultants to indicate to their clients that they, the clients, should pay the consultants a lot of money. So, a SWOT for Pakatan Rakyat would look like this:
| Strengths |
Weaknesses |
- Consists of three non-racial parties which are representative of the following ideologies:
- Social democrats who believe in fighting for an equal and secular “Malaysian Malaysia”.
- Islamists who believe in fighting for a welfare state, which will eventually be an Islamic state.
- A right-of-centre party set up to fight for justice and fairness for the people, starting with their own founder.
- It will be a coalition of equal partners.
- Has dynamic leader, hell-bent on toppling the current government because of the government’s ineptitude, corruption, nepotism, cronyism and several other -isms (and scams involving land).
- Has a collection of professionals, civil society members, clerics and former members of the ruling coalition to ensure a transition would not be too onerous.
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- See item 1 in the Strengths column.
- See item 2 in the Strengths column.
- Has dynamic leader, hell-bent on toppling a democratically elected government by enticing the government’s MPs to crossover into his coalition, effectively forcing a regime change without going to the polls.
- Has a collection of street demonstrators, agitprop practitioners, hard-line fundamentalists and former bitter members of the ruling coalition to ensure that a transition would be a circus.
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| Opportunities |
Threats |
- Has indicated that they would call for fresh elections within a year of gaining power, to seek a proper mandate from the people.
- Has pledged to free all ISA detainees upon takeover.
- Has indicated that they will repeal certain Acts, such as the PPPA, the UUCA, and certainly the ISA.
- Has pledged that the New Economic Policy and its successors will be replaced with a New Economic Agenda, which would eradicate poverty for all races as one of its main thrusts.
- Has pledged to reform the judiciary.
- Has indicated that the 3rd vote may soon be available again (that’s local councils and municipalities, by the way).
- May allow greater freedom of expression, the right to assembly, peaceful marches and gatherings.
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- May not call for fresh elections within a year, and may instead wait until 5 years later, to shore up power and influence so that they can ensure themselves of gaining the mandate from the people – and the opportunity to gerrymander.
- May appoint up to 5 Deputy Prime Ministers, one each from the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan and Other communities, resulting in a continuation of the aforementioned circus.
- May be conducting a myopic hunt for abuses of power, corruption and other nasty things (allegedly) committed by the outgoing government that they might forget to actually govern.
- The New Economic Agenda which would eradicate poverty for all races may end up exactly like the New Economic Policy.
- May find that delivering on their promises may not be that easy.
- May end up having to deal with endless assemblies, marches and gatherings started by the deposed government parties.
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So, there you have it, a brief SWOT analysis of a potential Pakatan Rakyat government. We hope that it has helped in your decision making process.
Filed under: Mentera Moden | |3 Comments
Yessss!!! Today is Malaysia Day, the country comprising of the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Except Singapore is now ex-Malaysia. After the General Election on 8th March 2008, the people of this country had been promised – repeatedly, incessantly, without let – that today, 16th September 2008 a new dawn will emerge. We were promised – repeatedly, incessantly, without let – that after 51 years of being led by the same racial-based government, a new beginning will emerge.
The people of Malaysia was reminded – repeatedly, incessantly, without let – that on the 16th of September (insyaAllah!) a new, non-racial-based government will be put into place, one that is not delineated by parties which represent exclusively the Malays (UMNO), the Chinese (MCA), the Indians (MIC), the Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others (Gerakan, PPP, err … ) and the, uh, other parties (PBS, PBB, SAPP, some more, some more, ekcetera). We were informed – repeatedly, incessantly, without let – that a new coalition which represents (sort of) left-wing social democrats that believe in a secular Malaysia (DAP), (sort of) right-wing neo-fundamentalist killjoy conservative Islamists (PAS) and (sort of) right of centre, cult of personality, equal rights to everyone, all children of every race are my children, justice forever (PKR) will unseat the current, ossified and putrid, ruling coalition.
And yesssss! the new government today, 16th September 2008, will be one founded on transparency, accountability, competency. It will be fair to all races, all sections of society, without fear or favour, while protecting the special position of the Malays and other indigenous peoples, as well as the position of the Malay Rulers.
This new government will abolish the ISA, restore the independence of the Judiciary, ensure equal distribution of wealth to the people, abolish poverty, rejuvenate the economy, remove the Printing and Publications Act, the University and University Colleges Act as well as other unfair, cruel and draconian acts which impinge on the freedom of the people.
And because the new government recognises that there might be ethical and moral questions on the manner in which they seized government, today 16th September 2008 (Malaysia Day), there is a committment to hold a new General Election within 6 months to a year. So that this new government will obtain a proper mandate from the people, many of whom have supported them from before the 8th March General Election to this fateful day, 16th September 2008, where a new dawn, a new beginning, a new Government is formed!
Furthermore, this Pakatan Rakyat Government is a government of the people, to serve the people. And the leaders of this new, social democratic secularist Islamist centrist government WILL NOT LIE TO THE PEOPLE.
16th September was the date, which is today. We see that the leaders have not lied, about the number of cross-overs that they’ve got. The leaders have not lied about the change of government on 16th September.
And that’s why, today, 16th. September, Malaysia Day, the fateful day …
We still have the same government we did yesterday.
Filed under: Mentera Moden | |No Comments
Saya cuma nak cakap, Datuk memang hebat. Penyokong-penyokong Datuk pun, ish … hebatlah. Memang pahlawan Melayu abis-abis. Saya memang kagum dengan tindak-tanduk Datuk tu. Ye lah kan, pegi koyakkan gambar Koh Tsu Koon tu, memang power. Lepas tu, ancam nak bunuh reporter sorang … ish … ganas! Mengancam, sungguh mengancam. Lagi satu, masa Datuk bagitau kat cina-cina tu toksah jadik macam Yahudi kat Amerika tu … terpegun saya dengan kuasa Datuk berpidato. Saya lansung tak terpikir nak kaitkan orang Malaysia dengan Yahudi. Kat Amerika lak tu. Intelek Datuk sememangnya tinggi menggunung. Lagi tinggi dari Bukit Cina kat Melaka tu.
Tinggal saya cuma nak cakap je lah, kalau Datuk pikir semua Melayu akan sokong Datuk kalau ada apa-apa, Datuk kena pikir lagi sekali lah ye. Sebab saya sendiri akan berada bersama-sama orang Malaysia. Tak kira lah bangsa apa pun. Bukan Melayu je tau.
Tu je la saya nak cakap. Kthxbai.
Filed under: Mentera Moden | |2 Comments