Pakatan Rakyat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Malaysia

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Malaysia
Other countries · Atlas
 Politics Portal
view • talk • edit

Pakatan Rakyat, (PR) (English: People's Pact; Chinese: 人民联盟) was established on April 1, 2008. The political coalition comprises of a group of Malaysian opposition political parties, namely (DAP, PKR and PAS), which worked together as the Barisan Rakyat (or People's Front) during the 12th Malaysian general election in 2008.

Pakatan Rakyat is to be led collectively by all three parties and pledged to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians. With the establishment of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, state governments of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor are known as the Pakatan Rakyat state governments.

Contents

[edit] History

The Pakatan Rakyat is a development of the concept of Barisan Rakyat (English: People's Front) that was created during the election campaign of the 12th Malaysian general election in 2008. Barisan Rakyat was the banner and policy position document which a group of Malaysian opposition political parties (DAP, PKR, PAS, PSM, MDP and PASOK) endorsed and coalesced around for the 12th Malaysian general election in 2008.

The concept was conceived by Malaysian human-rights lawyer and blogger Haris Ibrahim, and is based on a pledge to uphold egalitarian, transparent and responsible governance in service of the people (or rakyat).

The unprecedented electoral successes of these opposition parties in the 12th Malaysian general election, held on 8 March 2008, led to their forming state governments in five out of the 13 Malaysian states, and occupying 37% (82 out of 222) of the seats in the federal parliament. In view of this, the leaders of PKR, DAP and PAS decided to solidify and streamline the alliance by jointly announcing on 1 April 2008 the new banner, Pakatan Rakyat, under which these parties are to cooperate and govern based on a common set of policy positions and principles. It was also announced that the Leadership Council of the Pakatan Rakyat will consist of the leaders of the three parties, and a Joint Secretariat, consisting of three leaders each from each of the three parties, will develop the foundation and framework of the Pakatan Rakyat subject to the approval of the Leadership Council.[1] This structure is in accordance with the consensus-based approach promulgated by the Pakatan Rakyat.

PKR, DAP and PAS have also won in the recent general elections 41, 73, and 86 seats, respectively, in the various state assemblies.

[edit] Pakatan Rakyat's Component Parties and Leaders

[edit] Members of Pakatan Rakyat's Shadow Cabinet

Portfolio Shadow Minister Actual Minister
Leader of the Opposition Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail Dato' Seri Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Dato' Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Razak

[edit] Pakatan Rakyat's Members of the 12th Parliament of Malaysia

Pie chart representing proportion of parliament seats won by contesting parties.
Pie chart representing proportion of parliament seats won by contesting parties.
Parliamentary results map of Malaysian general election 2008
Parliamentary results map of Malaysian general election 2008
  • Negeri Sembilan
    • P128 - Seremban - John Fernandez (DAP)
    • P130 - Rasah - Loke Siew Fook (DAP)
    • P132 - Telok Kemang - Kamarul Bahrin Abbas (PKR)

[edit] Pakatan Rakyat States & Chief Ministers

[edit] Disputes with Barisan National

 The neutrality of this section is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.(May 2008)
Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

PAS and PKR are members of the existing Barisan Alternatif which was formed in 1999. DAP was originally a member, but quit the grouping two years later, due to bitter disagreement with PAS over its Islamic state policy.

MCA and Gerakan leaders, including the MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, seems to be competing among themselves to lash out at the DAP for misleading the Chinese in Malaysia in the 12th general election over PAS’ Islamic state agenda.

In fact, when on September 29, 2001, the then Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad declared that Malaysia was an Islamic state, unilaterally, arbitrarily and unconstitutionally abrogating the cardinal nation-building principle in the Constitution and Merdeka “social contract” that Malaysia is a multi-religious and secular state with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State, there was not only no objection from MCA and Gerakan leaders – they gave immediate public support.

Similarly 2007, when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak trampled on the Malaysian Constitution and the 1957 “social contract” and declared Malaysia as an Islamic state, there was not a whimper of opposition or protest from Ong Ka Ting and the other MCA, Gerakan and Barisan Nasional Cabinet Ministers and leaders.

Pakatan Rakyat Leader Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the Islamic state issue has not been raised by PAS for several years now and that the coalition would only deliberate on issues explicitly raised by the three parties. Wan Azizah also stated that it is impractical to turn multiracial and multi-religious Malaysia into an Islamic state as everything must be based on the federal constitution. It would take two-thirds of parliament to vote in changing the federal constitution thus making it impossible to make Malaysia an Islamic state. [2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's blog
  2. ^ Impractical to turn Malaysia into Islamic state: opposition leader - Yahoo! India News

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Political parties in Malaysia Flag of Malaysia
National Front:
People's Pact:
Other parties:
Malaysian People's Party (PRM) - Malaysian Workers' Party (PPM) - Malaysian Dayak Congress (MDC) - Pan Malaysian Islamic Front (BERJASA) - Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA) - United Pasok Nunukragang National Organisation (PASOK) - Community Coalition Congress (CCC) - Federated Sabah People's Front (BERSEKUTU) - United Democratic Sabah People's Power Party (SETIA) - State Reform Party (STAR) - Malaysian People's Justice Front (AKIM) - Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP) - All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front (AMIPF) - Punjabi Party of Malaysia (PPM) - Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) - Sarawak Native People's Party (PBDS) - Sarawak National Party (SNAP)
Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of Malaysia
Languages