By Lim Kit Siang, Gelang Patah MP

Sunday, August 10, 2014 is not so much D-Day for Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor Mentri Besar but D-Day for the six-year old Pakatan Rakyat whether it could continue to embody the hopes and aspirations of Malaysians for political change to usher in the new politics of justice, freedom, accountability, transparency, good governance, Malaysian unity and harmony after decades of UMNO hegemony, corruption and injustices.

The Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council at its meeting on July 23, 2014 with the participation of leaders from all three PR component parties of PAS, PKR and DAP, agreed on two things:

(i)  The change and replacement of Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim; and

(ii) PAS and DAP to convene meetings of their respective Central Committees to decide on the PKR nomination of Dr Wan Azizah                  Ismail as the new Selangor Mentri Besar.

The developments in the past two weeks pertaining to the issue of the Selangor Mentri Besar after the July 23 meeting of PR Majlis Pimpinan have gravely undermined public confidence in the unity of purpose, cohesion and future of Pakatan Rakyat as a viable alternative coalition to UMNO-Barisan Nasional to bring about the political changes as hoped for by Malaysians as demonstrated in the results of the 13th General Elections on May 5 last year, with over 52 per cent of the popular vote supporting PR.

Pakatan Rakyat is faced with the worst crisis since its formation after the 12th General Elections in April 2008.

Can Pakatan Rakyat survive its worst crisis of confidence?

This will depend on the commitment of all Pakatan Rakyat leaders to the original aspirations in the formation of Pakatan Rakyat and the common policy framework agreed by Pakatan Rakyat component parties in the past six years, particularly in the first PR statement on 1st April 2008 which pledged “to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of religion or race, as enshrined in the Constitution”.

If all Pakatan Rakyat leaders, whether DAP, PAS or PKR, continue to be guided by the PR common policy principles and framework so as to give hope to Malaysians for the long-needed changes in the political landscape in the country so that Malaysia can become a united, just, democratic, competitive and prosperous nation which holds itself out as beacon of light of a successful multi-racial and multi-religious nation to the rest the world, then PR will forge ahead from strength to strength to its destiny to replace the UMNO/BN coalition in the 14th General Elections.

The alternative is too horrendous to contemplate, for PR will be relegated to the footnotes of Malaysian history.