Sin Chew Daily

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) has been ousted. Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said, "Umno does not rule out forming a new state government with Pakatan Harapan."

In simple terms, Umno joined its enemy to topple an ally then considered to form a new government with the enemy. This enemy is Pakatan Harapan.

DAP, which has 16 seats, comes under Pakatan Harapan. Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming takes the initiative to express the possibility of "conditional collaboration" with Umno. He gives seven reasons to work together. The reasons are quite convincing.

For many years, Umno and DAP are at loggerheads. Umno brands DAP as an anti-Malay party. To the DAP, Umno is corrupt, greedy and hungry for power. This time, both rival parties are trying to put aside the bad sides of each other for their own interests. Will this be a breakthrough? This will very much depend on the ground sentiment.

Is Umno willing to be with DAP? Out of 59 seats in the state assembly, Umno currently has 25. Amanah has five and Parti Keadilan Rakyat three. There is also an independent and another seat from Gerakan. Umno can take over the state government with a total of 35 seats if all these parties come together. Anwar Ibrahim would have betrayed DAP if this becomes a reality, but this is impossible to take place!

Sources revealed that Anwar gave his set of conditions that all parties under the Pakatan Harapan had to be represented in the joint government, and not a case of Pakatan Harapan joining Umno. PH will remain as an opposition party if the collaboration does not come through.

Since the change of government took place on May 9, 2018, only few politicians who were firm in their political ideology. When politicians who defect are not shameful while those who stick to their principles are regarded as idiots, politics seem to be a union of permanent interests and a fine art of deception!

From the formation of PH to the ruling power, each party has its own interests. After the collapse of PH, the power struggle continues. At state level, several state governments – Perak, Johor, Kedah, Sabah and others, have changed hands. If the Umno-PH combination is successful, the political landscape at state and federal levels can be changed again. Overturning the Perak Menteri Besar is not going to be an isolated case!

Since the Sheraton Move, Malaysia has entered an era of warring states as in the history of China which had several hundreds of tiny nations ruled by warlords! It took close to 500 years of annexation for the territories to be consolidated into seven zones before the birth of Qing Dynasty.

PH, is made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah and others. The Perikatan Nasional is comprising of Bersatu, PAS, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Rakyat Sabah and others, while Umno, MCA and MIC are under Barisan Nasional. All these coalitions, together with Parti Warisan Sabah and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air are also consolidating. The coalitions are held ransom by the tiny parties in the alliance. Due to the culture of crossover to other parties, the situation is expected to remain for some time. 

If DAP can work with Umno this time round, it will still have to cross the hurdle by facing the grassroots. 

Should people vote for candidates instead of parties in the next general elections for the various Chinese-based parties to deliver? The political scenario in the last three years tell us that there are no permanent enemies or friends in politics, only permanent interests, as said by British Prime Minister Henry John Temple Palmerston or "politics is a fine art of deception" by German philosopher Immanuel Kant.

So, are Chinese the chess players or just pieces of chess in the coming general elections?