Pakatan Rakyat or PR (English: People's Pact / People's Alliance) is an informal Malaysian political coalition formed on April 1, 2008. The political coalition comprises a group of Malaysian political parties, namely, the People's Justice Party (PKR), Democratic Action Party (DAP), and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), who collectively worked together in what was colloquially called the Barisan Rakyat (People's Front) during the 12th Malaysian general election in 2008. In the 10th General Election, they had formed the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front). Each political party in People's Alliance has its own ideology; PKR promotes its ideals that revolves around social justice and anti-corruption themes, PAS with its aim to establish Malaysia as a nation based on Islamic legal theory and DAP with its secular, multi-racial, social democratic ideals.
Pakatan Rakyat is to be collectively led and managed, by all three parties and pledges to uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians. With the establishment of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, the state governments of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor are known as the Pakatan Rakyat state governments. The government of Perak was under Pakatan until February 2009, when Barisan Nasional claimed power, causing a still ongoing constitutional crisis.
[edit] History
The 'Big Three Of Pakatan Rakyat'.
The Pakatan Rakyat is a maturing 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 that election.
PKR, DAP and PAS have also won in the recent general elections 41, 73, and 86 seats, respectively, in the various state assemblies. On July 10, Opposition and PR leader Datin Wan Azizah submitted an urgent motion of "no-confidence" in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, on behalf of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs. The reasons she cited were the narrow victory of Barisan Nasional in the March general election, the sudden fuel price hike, the marginalisation of PR-led states and the alleged oppression of BN MPs to voice up, had led to the confidence crisis against the prime minister. [1]
On August 28, 2008, Anwar Ibrahim rejoined parliament on and was appointed leader of the Pakatan Rakyat, taking over the position from Datuk Wan Azizah.[2] As of 2009, Pakatan Rakyat remains an informal coalition. The media has reported that Malaysian law only allows the registration of a coalition comprising seven parties or more. However, former de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, who coordinates the activities of the PR secretariat, has said "In fact in all our daily activities we are already acting as members of Pakatan and not just members of PKR, PAS or DAP." The media has reported that PR leaders "are understood to be in talks with several political parties to join the alliance."[3] In October 2009, the Registrar of Societies stated that Pakatan could formally register as a coalition, as "The condition does not apply to political parties as they enjoy a national status. Only [a] state-level organisation aspiring to become a national entity needs to have seven members from the states."[4] On 9 October 2009, Lim Kit Siang announced that Pakatan would seek to register itself as a formal coalition in light of this clarification.[5] On 4 November 2009, Pakatan officials told the press that they had submitted a formal application to the Registrar of Societies, naming Zaid as the chairman of the alliance.[6] PKR MP Tian Chua publicly denied this, saying the coalition had not yet decided on a constitution, logo, or leadership structure.[7]
Zaid has issued a statement on Pakatan's ideology, stating that in government, it would introduce anti-discrimination laws, set up a social safety net, establish a new education policy aimed at producing competitive graduates, especially among the Malays and Bumiputra, repeal the Internal Security Act and Printing Presses and Publications Act, amend the Official Secrets Act and Sedition Act to limit the government's power, and reform law enforcement institutions like the courts, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Zaid also said that the proposed anti-discrimination law would not require the repeal or amendment of Article 153 of the Constitution.[8]. Zaid has also request Dato' Nik Aziz to become the chairman of Pakatan Rakat instead of Anwar Ibrahim or Hadi Awang.
[edit] Members of Pakatan Rakyat's Front Bench
On 2 July 2009, Pakatan Rakyat announced a list of its Members of Parliament who would shadow individual ministries. DAP Member of Parliament Tony Pua stated that this front bench would explicitly not be a Shadow Cabinet because the Malaysian Parliament does not recognise the institution of a Shadow Cabinet.[9]
[edit] Pakatan Rakyat's Component Parties and Leaders
People's Pact General Chief: Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
[edit] Pakatan Rakyat's Members of the 12th Parliament of Malaysia
Pie chart representing proportion of parliament seats won by contesting parties.
[edit] Dewan Negara (Senate)
[edit] Senators
- Selangor
- Dr Syed Husin Ali (PKR)
- Ramakrishnan a/l Suppiah (DAP)
[edit] Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives)
[edit] Members of Parliament
- Current total numbers of MP = 81 (after included SAPP MP and deducted Pasir Mas MP as independent)
[edit] Pakatan Rakyat state governments
[edit] References
- ^ Wan Azizah files emergency motion of "no confidence" in PM; Speaker to decide on Monday
- ^ Anwar rejoins Malaysia parliament, heads opposition, Express India, August 28, 2008
- ^ Lau, Leslie (2009-07-31). "Pakatan parties will seal pact, says Zaid". The Malaysian Insider. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/33811-pakatan-parties-will-seal-pact-says-zaid. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ^ "ROS: Pakatan can register as a single party". Malaysiakini. 2009-10-08. http://malaysiakini.com/news/114553. Retrieved 2009-10-08.
- ^ "Pakatan Rakyat to register as a coalition". The Malaysian Insider. 2009-10-09. http://www.malaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/39878-pakatan-rakyat-to-register-as-a-coalition. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
- ^ "Zaid to helm Pakatan Rakyat". Malaysiakini. 2009-11-04. http://malaysiakini.com/news/116688. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
- ^ Ghazali, Rahmah (2009-11-05). "No decision on 'Zaid to lead Pakatan', yet". Malaysiakini. http://malaysiakini.com/news/116744. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
- ^ Lau, Leslie (2009-08-10). "Zaid outlines blueprint for Pakatan government". The Malaysian Insider. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/34702-zaid-outlines-blueprint-for-pakatan-government. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
- ^ Pathmawathy, S (2009-07-02). "Pakatan forms 'cabinet' committees". Malaysiakini. http://malaysiakini.com/news/107680. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
[edit] See also
