The 8 March political tsunami accidentally made some PKR candidates voted as the people's representatives. These included an Executive Council member who used to be a foot massagist; state assemblyman who does not understand foreign languages and gives his speech in Teochew dialect and a Member of Parliament who had never joined politics before but went popular because of his short video clips. PKR is now paying the price for its low quality representatives.

Low level of education is not the worst. The most terrible thing is, the lack of principle and ethic. A few PKR representatives from Kedah, Perak and Selangor quitted the party and a by-election was created because of a representative's personal problems. I believe that the party's adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is having a headache over how to clean up these speculators and solve the personnel problems.

Anwar has finally issued a warning earlier: Leave PKR if unwilling to follow the stipulated party policies. He did not name anyone but Vice-President R. Sivarasa pointed out that Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin is one of them. It then triggered a war of words within the party.

The Opposition should come up with its own principle if it wants to be different with the ruling party. Young people will only be attracted if they have a vision and a principle. If they quit the party or split for their own interests, then how is PKR going to talk about reform? If power has corrupted the Opposition, how are they going to convince the people that there will be no power abuse if they gain the federal regime?

PKR and other component parties should implement their fighting spirit so that the people will see them as disciplined political parties with a clear direction. Only strict management will be able to purify the organisation and improve public confidence.

The PKR headquarters should immediately adopt a member and leader evaluation system, opening a personal file for everyone as a record of their words and deeds, so it can be used as a reference during the selection of election candidates. For example, it should be recorded when Zulkifli Noordin went to the Bar Council's forum of “Conversion to Islam” and triggered a lot of problems.

Other than PKR, PAS should as well clean up its leaders who do not hold a firm stand, especially Selangor commissioner Datuk Dr Hassan Ali, who is constantly creating problems. The party's Disciplinary Committee should not be lenient to Hassan Ali in order to warn leaders of all levels to comply with the resolution “keep fighting with Pakatan Rakyat” passed by the political seminar on 7 Nov.

The internal problems of Pakatan Rakyat included mutual attacks and contradicting stands. Also, it let the people to see it as an inattentive party with confused direction and no discipline while it is lack of cohesion. Each component party should start from their own party to purify and strengthen their respective party before they can consolidate their cooperation.

The first Pakatan Rakyat convention to be held in December is a re-start opportunity. Pakatan Rakyat must come out with slogans and signs for its constitution so that all members, from top to bottom, will implement it and promote the country's democratic stance as a team.

Pakatan Rakyat members of each state must set up a work force to integrate resources, oversee and encourage each other. Only by this, they may break the strong civil social network of BN.

If Pakatan Rakyat does not grab the opportunity to re-consolidate, it is going to be defeated by BN separately in the next elections. (By LIM SUE GOAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily)