BN component parties in crisis

In aftermath of the general elections last year several Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties had came down with severe problems, tussles and crisis which are affecting the credibility BN coalitionas a whole.

Umno, the major and leading component party of the BN coalition is downed with intense bickering and infighting as well as factional disputes involving its leaders in Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu tussling with each other to hold on to their respective positions. As the result, most of its state leaders were replaced by party national leaders who are not even from the states concerned, thus making these parachuted new state leaders difficult to understand the needs of the local Umno leaders and members.

Perlis started its sword fighting when the then long-serving menteri besar was suddenly replaced by a politically unknown after the general elections. In Kelantan, factional tussles are clearly shown in public with not much success of calming the situation which is getting worst. In Terengganu, the long-serving menteri besar was also abruptly replaced by a relatively unknown low-key politician after the last general elections.

And now, the situation in Terengganu is expected to go on from bad to worst. State Umno leaders and their state assemblymen issued threats to harm each other over their differences and tussles. The ten Umno assemblymen even boycotted the state assembly proceeding earlier citing “security” reasons for doing so.

If situation turns worst, a no-confidence vote or possibility of a Perak style coup d’etat is expected to take place in an attempt to overthrow the current menteri besar who is from the same party.

In MCA, the party’s president Datuk Ong Tee Keat and his deputy president Dr Chua Soi Lek continue to tussle in public in order t outdo each other and had since made clear of their factional rivalry. Datuk Ong is not going to compromise or give way and so does Dr Chua himself.

In MIC, old guards under the leadership of Samy Vellu continue to hold firmly on the party, resisting any attempt to change or reform the party and preventing young bloods from taking over. Any potential rivals or future opponents are swiftly identified and crushed in order to curb their influences.

Gerakan, with Dr Koh Tsu Koon now at helm as party president faces a big challenge now trying to hold the party together after its massive defeat and their Penang base tumbled in last year’s general elections. Most of its prominent leaders had since left the party for Pakatan Rakyat component parties or went into “semi retirement”. The latest headline recently is the party’s vice president Huan Cheng Guan had given an indication that he too will soon leave the party citing dissatisfaction and non-reform of the party’s top leadership.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is embroiled into yet another leadership crisis after decades of factional struggle with both Datuk M.Kayveas and Datuk T.Murugiah claiming the party presidency and now with two party presidents and two supreme councils at helm. The Registrar of Socities (ROS) is also going after the PPP leaders for their failure to submit their annual returns and accounts of several years.

The soon to be BN new component party, Indian Progressive Front (IPF) is also embroiled into leadership crisis, following the death of its founder president Tan Sri MG Pandithan. The initial faction currently presided by the wife of the late president while the other faction was lead by a rival leader who claimed to have support from branches and divisions that made him an acting party president. Both rival factions in IPF are expected to hold their party elections in order to “legalize” their claims to the respective positions and their rival supreme councils as well. Will IPF be able to make it into the BN fold then?

Looks like the BN is beginning to disintegrating from within, starting from the very top Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP and then ………….all will fall apart.

If BN still resist change and did not want any reform, let it be. We already had an alternative now. Let us not waste our time and get on with it.