1. Thread: Making a New Political Alignment Work
 
There has been much speculation, in light of recent events in Perak, that Pakatan Harapan could forge some kind of cooperation with UMNO and Barisan Nasional.
 
Anything taking place in Perak will have national repercussions

2. A development of this kind will naturally be a major, if not earth-shaking event in Malaysian politics.
 
As a KEADILAN MP, I firmly believe that PH is the best platform to achieve a progressive, equitable Malaysia
3. Any new alignment must have the interest of the rakyat at heart—this is non-negotiable.
 
However, it must also be recognised that political realignments are nothing new in Malaysia
4. After the May 13 1969 tragedy, the National Consultative Council was created by Tun Abdul Razak, in part to restore socio-political as well as economic normalcy for Malaysia
5. Except DAP, all the other main Opposition parties took part in the NCC – PAS, the People’s Progressive Party and Gerakan. DAP was protesting the detention of its Secretary General Lim Kit Siang.
6. This process led to the creation of the Rukunegara and the endorsement of the NEP to address poverty and economic identification with race.
 
Soon, PAS, PPP, Sabah Alliance Party, and two Sarawak parties SUPP and PBB joined the original members of the Alliance Party to form BN
7. The coalition dominated Malaysian politics until its defeat in 2018.
 
KEADILAN & DAP worked with PAS several times in the past, including via PR. We put aside years of acrimony and suspicion to work with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, allowing BERSATU to enter PH in 2017
8. In 2018 PH brought down BN—the first time a change of power had ever happened at the federal level in Malaysia.
 
While PH did its best to reform Malaysia, it admittedly made mistakes. We failed to focus on bread-and-butter issues so crucial to many Malaysians
9. Our handling of wedge issues like race, religion and language left much to be desired—this not only gave momentum to our political foes but exacerbated rather than healed our country’s wounds.
 
But the key is for us to learn and grow from our mistakes

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