Commentary - How long can this political crisis go on?

Politics in Perak has reached a more urgent level after the drama of an open-air “emergency assembly sitting” but there is no sign that either side is ready to concede.

It was not a scene that many in the crowd thought they would witness in their lifetime – a State Legislative Assembly “sitting” in the shade of a giant raintree smack in the middle of Ipoh.

Or, at least, that was what the Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen declared it to be.

They were in formal suit and tie, the Speaker V. Sivakumar wore his embroidered songkok and ceremonial robes while the almost brand new Toyota Camry bearing the official seal of the Mentri Besar was parked nearby.

It was quite a surreal scene but the huge crowd that turned up to watch the event seemed to take it rather seriously.

But then, so much of what has happened in Perak in recent weeks has not been anything that Perakians imagined they would see.

And after what happened yesterday, it is difficult to see how much longer things can go on this way.

There seems to be twin sets of everything in Perak – two Mentris Besar, two executive councils and even two sets of lawyers representing the respective sides. It has become quite farcical.

Both the Pakatan and Barisan Nasional have tried to checkmate each other every step of the way and the result has been a political stalemate that has left Perakians confused, frustrated and unhappy.

Reporters have had an even more uniquely tough time. If they refer to Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the Mentri Besar, they are reprimanded by Pakatan supporters; if they refer to Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the Mentri Besar, they are reprimanded by Barisan supporters.

There are two governments and no opposition in Perak, as they say.

The question on many people’s mind is: When and how will all of this end?

The Merdeka Centre survey on how people felt about this issue was quite apparent on the ground yesterday. The Pakatan crowd saw a racially mixed group while the Malay sentiment was clearly split.

Among the more hardcore supporters on either side, there is very real anger over what they see as their right to power as illustrated by a number of brief but fierce scuffles yesterday.

Were it not for the political handlers controlling the situation, things could have become really ugly.

Yesterday’s events demonstrated just how determined Pakatan is in pushing the boundaries and in challenging the political standing and legality of the new Barisan government.

It is evident Pakatan has no intention of backing off from its claim to power even though Nizar looked like he had lost weight and the Speaker seemed quite overwhelmed as he was escorted to his car after the dramatic morning.

As far as they are concerned, the State Legislative Assembly has been dissolved and Dr Zambry and his six executive councillors have been suspended.

Their goal is to force a state election, something the Barisan has little intention of doing.

“They have filed legal suits to challenge the legality of the new Mentri Besar and to declare the seats vacant. Let the courts decide instead of resorting to street action,” said Datuk Chang Ko Youn, an adviser in Dr Zambry’s executive council.

He said Nizar should have asked for a dissolution of the State Assembly when he still enjoyed the majority.

“It was only after he lost the majority that he pressed for fresh elections. It was too late,” said Chang.

Analogies have been drawn between what is happening in Perak to that in Thailand, where the King consented to the formation of a new government after the incumbent regime lost its majority in Parliament.

But the Thai solution has not been ideal because the losing side has resorted to street protests or people power as they call it.

As for Perakians, they cannot even see the light at the end of the tunnel. But everywhere one goes in Ipoh, people have an opinion on the politics around them.

Even the Chinese, so notorious for keeping their political opinions close to their chest, are now getting it off their chest to just about anyone who will listen.

But it cannot be denied that regardless of whether people support Pakatan, Barisan or are undecided, there is widespread sentiment that the medium-term solution lies in a state election.

Otherwise, the political drama will continue with no real winners and the losers will be the rakyat.

The people are looking to the Perak palace for a wise solution.

- THE STAR