Why there won't be a "tsunami" this time around Pt 2

Winter of discontent again but at someone else

In Part 1, I wrote about two factors: 

1. The anger towards an ineffective government

2. The Tun Mahathir factor

The third reason why there won't be a repeat of the so-called political tsunami that denied the Barisan Nasional its traditional two-thirds majority is what a journalist calls, "the end of Pakatan's innocence".

Back in 2008, the pact that bound PKR, PAS and DAP together was new, even though the idea of a multi-party coalition itself wasn't. The BN coalition had been a success formula for decades, bringing together various parties under the leadership of Umno, and there were no intellectual copyrights involved so all Anwar Ibrahim had to do was took an old concept and gave it a new packaging. It worked - well, almost! Pakatan won 5 states and broke the BN's two-thirds stronghold on Parliament.

After five years, however, the freshness that was Pakatan has turned quite stale indeed, at least too some quarters. Promises were not fulfilled (perhaps that was what drove Khalid Ibrahim to say recently that Pakatan's manifesto was not a promise!?) and each component of the pact started to show signs of stress. Those who used to support the pact have abandoned it. The latest was Hindraf, the Hindu body that threw its support solidly behind Anwar Ibrahim against Abdullah Badawi because of the promises made to it. 

Today, in fact earlier this afternoon, Hindraf has openly called on Hindus and Indians to give the BN back its two-thirds majority in Parliament. The formerly exiled Hindraf leader P.Waythamoorthy said Hindraf had "begged" Pakatan Rakyat to endorse its blueprint even after five years of non-delivery towards Indians in Pakatan-administered states.

"Even after they failed to deliver in five states, I told them we can do it right this time, in this election. Until few days ago, I was still begging them. They said there will be a meeting, but none of the leaders showed up," Wathamoorthy said h e r e, adding that Pakatan had "insulted" Hindraf.

Hindraf isn't the only one disillusioned with Pakatan Rakyat.

To be con'td ...