The nation is in crisis undoubtedly, according to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and he has set himself up as the white knight to bring the country back from the brink of self-destruction.

On Tuesday (23 Sept), the Kelantan prince, or Ku Li, as he is otherwise known issued a 1,200 word plea to the nation: “We are in a political impasse that threatens to metastasize into a Constitutional crisis. Political crises come and go, but the present crisis might well be the beginning of a cascade of failures leading to long-term instability and destruction.”

His choice of words leaves nothing to imagination. “Metastasis” – the spread of malignant or cancerous cells to other parts of the body by way of blood vessel or membranous surfaces. There is certainly too much bad blood all round. His word picture of “a cascade of failures” does not need any more embelishment to drive the message home further.

So has Ku Li got what it takes to be a white knight? Consider this.

“I write this as a Malaysian, as someone who, over forty seven years of political life, has had the privilege of playing some small part in the formation our country, the building of its institutions, and our achievement of a degree of economic sufficiency. I write out of deep concern about the present state of our country.”

Needless to say, the prince comes with good credentials. He was after all, a former finance minister and the man behind the setting up of Petronas, the state-owned oil corporation from which we keep bailing out our economic failures.

Being of royal pedigree himself may be of some help. Resolving the current constitutional crisis would necessarily involve the pivotal role of the King. Ours is after all a constitutional monarchy.

But first, let’s look at the “cascades of failures” highlighted by Ku Li.

“Our impasse occurs at a time of heightened economic, political and security challenges. The global economy faces the prospect of a meltdown while we seem to have slept.”

He says, Malaysians want fundamental change, and they want it now, whether from within the ruling coalition or from outside it. We have seen the birth of a more sophisticated, demanding electorate that has rightly lost patience with incompetence and dishonesty.

“The grievances of Sabah and Sarawak, remain unaddressed. This risks the very integrity of our Federation," he pointed out in his statement.

Misunderstandings over race and religion are ripe for political exploitation, with potentially disastrous consequences, he warned.

On top of that the government now commands even less confidence than it did post 8 March general elections where for the first time the ruling coalition lost the critical two-third parliamentary majoirty.

“Rather than share the public's sense of urgency, our present office-holders have redoubled efforts to frustrate renewal, cut off reform, and silence criticism,” Tengku Rzaleigh pointed out.

Under present leadership, the government is now structurally and inherently incapable of providing the direction and confidence that the country needs, he said.

Business confidence, he said, has plummeted as capital flees the country. Our economic policy remains as uncoordinated and directionless as it has been in since the beginning of this administration.

“The recommendations of two Royal Commissions of Inquiry (into the Police and Judiciary)have been ignored or watered down into insignificance.”

“The leadership of the party has retreated into the fantasy world of a ‘transition plan’ and the Prime Minister continues to be subverted by members of his own cabinet and subjected to thinly cloaked power plays to force his resignation,” he added.

Ku Li said given Umno's core role in national politics, this is a dangerous state of affairs. Meanwhile, the Opposition has made undeniable gains in the number of parliamentarians it commands. There is now a credible threat that the present government may at some time fall by a vote of no confidence, or by some otherwise constitutionally legitimate demonstration of parliamentary majority, he pointed out.

“To all appearances, we are beginning to lose grip of the rule of law. The use of the Internal Security Act and of Sedition Laws to target particular individuals further erodes the credibility of the government. Nothing does more to undermine the legitimacy of a government than plainly unjust acts.”

“Against this background I appeal to all parties to come together in humility, beyond party politics, to hold an honest discussion… about what is happening to our country and how we might agree together on a peaceful way beyond our impasse,” Tengku Razaleigh said.

However, the very next day, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim reiterated that the Pakatan Rakyat coalition has sufficient majority to form the new government and he will send a letter to King on the transfer of power from the ruling Barisan Nasional to the opposition pact.
Of course, we already know that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has decided to stay on until 2010 as a lame duck prime minister.

Quo vadis, the white knight? (By BOB TEOH/ MySinchew)