Restore public confidence in Pakatan

Pakatan Rakyat leadership must not allow the sex tape caper to distract focus from the Sarawak election, says Lim Kit Siang.

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership must not allow the worst case of gutter politics in Malaysia – the Carcosa sex tape caper targeting Anwar Ibrahim – to distract focus from the Sarawak general election or those behind the latest political conspiracy would have achieved one of their objectives.
With nomination for the Sarawak elections in nine days’ time, it is urgent and imperative to restore public confidence in the Pakatan Rakyat, which had recently come under a bout of adverse publicity particularly in the past fortnight.
The key to the restoration of public confidence in Pakatan Rakyat for the Sarawak general election is to resolve seat allocations for the Sarawak state general election without any more delay.
In fact, such negotiations should have been concluded already and not been allowed to be so protracted and inconclusive.
I was very disappointed that DAP-PKR seat negotiations were not resolved on Thursday as I had convinced  the Sarawak DAP leadership that last Thursday should be the deadline for the conclusion of seat allocation discussions so that Pakatan Rakyat can assure the people of Sarawak and Malaysia of a one-to-one contest between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional in the April 16 Sarawak election.
Thursday’s seat negotiations broke down however when DAP leaders found that instead of five contentious seats to be resolved, another seat was added increasing the list to six.
It would be a great disaster if there should be multi-cornered contests involving the DAP and PKR in five or six constituencies in the Sarawak general election for it would gravely undermine public confidence in Pakatan Rakyat not only in Sarawak but in Malaysia.
Sarawak DAP has the full autonomy to finalise seat allocation negotiations but the national DAP leadership is confident that Sarawak DAP leaders are fully committed to the larger goal of ensuring that the Pakatan Rakyat secure a major breakthrough in the Sarawak elections which will pave the way for greater Pakatan Rakyat success in the 13th national general election.
There must however be a greater sense of urgency by everyone concerned to resolve the seat allocation negotiations so as to ensure a one-to-one fight against the Sarawak Barisan Nasional in the most important state general election in the history of Sarawak and Malaysia.
Every day counts!
Lim Kit Siang is DAP parliamentary leader and MP for Ipoh Timor.