by Howard Lee

“The third stage of a Monarch butterfly’s lifecycle is the chrysalis, or pupa, stage. The chrysalis stage lasts from the time the caterpillar spins its cocoon until the time the full grown butterfly emerges. An observer can even determine how long the chrysalis stage has progressed simply by the color of the cocoon, which begins green and progresses through brown to yellow to orange.“

Some would read the current turmoil in Selangor as a grave threat to democracy and the will of Selangorians. And yes, to a large extent, the people’s will for a Pakatan state Government is at stake due to perceived dithering by PAS, as well as PKR’s seemingly premature and rushed nature in imposing the Kajang move culminating in the butterfly effects unfolding before us.

PAS right now is the biggest loser, with guns from all sides being fired at them, including from their own leadership and grassroots. We have heard citations of our Parliamentary Whip system being betrayed and party lines being painted over by some, for self-preservation and/or defence of higher principles depending on the vantage point that is chosen from which to view the situation.

All in all it’s a pretty dark and dank outlook for Pakatan, whilst BN is sitting in their war room with their legs stretched out grinning from ear to ear, waiting for the collateral damage figures to roll in before they step out and up smelling of roses.

But I would like to invite all to suspend the preconceived incriminations towards Pakatan, and specifically PAS right now and take a bird’s eye view of the situation.

I implore you all to see the current seemingly self-destructive PAS as a party that has stepped into a process of transitioning from the “PASganti UMNO” mindset, to the “PAS for all” mindset.

I invite you to look at this as an act of necessity and political maturation much like one of a Monarch caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.

The positive side, is that PAS is having their, albeit very public, but very much needed internal debate of what they want to become moving forward; the political courage to embark upon this journey, though ugly but very honest and gravely needed is something that even my own party is yet to drum up.

I remain hopeful and positive that, the Selangor crisis aside, as well as Pakatan’s survival aside, if PAS’ metamorphosis produces a new PAS for all, Malaysian politics will truly enter a new chapter.

PAS went into their current chrysalis stage being green and is now looking murky and brown, almost dirty. No one will deny that, not even among their own rank and file. The Monarch butterfly’s pupa or chrysalis stage end is signified by its turning to the colour orange . The caterpillar emerges as its new, bright orange glorious self thereafter.

Let’s hope the parallels in colour of the Monarch butterfly’s metamorphosis with Pakatan is an omen from nature for what might become of PAS in time to come.

We hope the Butterflies in PAS will rally around the visions set forth since 2008, as well as the dream of a PAS for all, in a Malaysian Malaysia, for the rakyat. – The Rocket

* Howard Lee is the State Assemblyman for Pasir Pinji, Perak.

*The views expressed in this article are the personal opinion of the columnist.