Black swans or not, the opposition must work together

YOURSAY | ‘Since losing the 2013 GE, what has the opposition done to salvage themselves?’

Black swan moments - the regime’s options

Kim Quek: This praiseworthy analysis (Parts I and II) by DAP’s Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong ought to be studied by all who have the interests of the country at heart, in particular, political leaders and pundits, many of whom merely babble the superficial.

There is little doubt that Umno has degenerated to its lowest and weakest in history. On the other hand, the opposition has some hills to climb before it can defeat Umno-BN.

Chief among these is to reach a nation-saving consensus between Bersatu and the previous grouping of PKR-DAP-Amanah that will also be acceptable to their traditional followers.

And what could inspire more confidence than putting up posters of Dr Mahathir Mohamad-Anwar Ibrahim-Lim Kit Siang after reaching their consensus - to usher in a new era where all will prosper equitably under the Malaysian sun?

Anonymous #70881335: Black swans or not, the opposition must unite and work together. Right now, they are just a fractious group of political parties with only one common aim of opposing Umno-BN, nothing else.

God forbid, if the opposition wins power in the next GE, our country is not going to get better, maybe worse.

Existential Turd: The penultimate paragraph took the words out of my mouth. Bersatu and to a lesser extent, Pakatan Harapan, has been vocal about deposing PM Najib Abdul Razak as the first step towards realigning Malaysia towards a more sustainable development path.

However, they are less clear about what the following steps are, so much so that, they sound like they are a one-issue party. That is the impression the voters keep getting.

Umno can pull the carpet from underneath Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan just by engineering Najib's safe retirement; without persecution and keeping most, if not all, the alleged riches he amassed. If worse comes to worst, he may be allowed to go on exile with all his ill-gotten riches intact.

That will undercut Bersatu's raison d'etre in one fell swoop. That would satisfy all of Bersatu's demand, but none of the sustainable development that we all yearn for. It just goes to show how shallow is the opposition's vision.

PAS is Past: The opposition must believe in the greater good - stopping and getting rid of Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) and Umno is the first goal.

They must not think about their own self-interests. This country cannot survive another four years of their rule.

FellowMalaysian: Since losing the May 2013 general election, what has the opposition done to salvage themselves, reinvent their strategies or organise themselves ready for the next GE, which is less than a year from now?

Will Liew address this issue earnestly and sincerely before embarking to ponder on the woes and weaknesses of Umno-PAS?

Can Pakatan Harapan or Liew honestly say that the new opposition will be perform any better than Pakatan Rakyat did in 2013?

Justice: There is nothing really inspiring and visionary from the opposition alliance. It’s worst in the rural seats.

The opposition alliance should ‘sponsor’ civil society groups who can help spread the message of change among the grassroots.

Civil society groups can also be a good source of election candidates for the opposition alliance. This is because they operate among the grassroots so the grassroots know them well and they also know the problems, needs and aspirations of the grassroots.

They also have good networks among the grassroots, which can be ‘switched on’ as their election campaign machineries during the election.

Mama Mia: The opposition pact is a dead failure if it keeps relying on former Umno leaders who created the rot.

How can the opposition pact win people's hearts when they keep sidelining their own lieutenants by keeping old figures?

Expect more black swans to appear in Malaysian politics

Justice: Remember Najib’s motto - "Cash is king." Therefore, he will not hold the election unless and until he has secured the cash for the election.

Liew, the opposition has to have effective strategies in Sarawak to win seats there. Until now, such strategies are yet to be seen and the election is getting nearer by the day.

Legit: Liew, do you honestly think that Umno is going to quietly have their breakfast while looking at your smart analysis?

They have already started all their tricks for GE14 and waiting to swallow the opposition. Stop openly talking about your strategies.

Dr Suresh Kumar: Instead of strengthening his and his party’s chances to win the next GE by serving the people with sincerity, Liew is giving hints and clues to Umno to restrategise and whack him on their face.

Kheng: I am bewildered. What is Liew trying to prove here? Sharing his analysis in public domain that may allow Umno-BN to take advantage and realign their strategies and shore up their defences?

Tulan: Don't worry, Kheng. He knows what he is doing. He is not doing the ‘who let the dogs out’ thing.

Awang Top: Liew failed to gauge that Malay voters are very unpredictable - it all depends on what happens on the eve of the election.- Mkini