Has BN won the battle but lost the war?

IPOH— Was anything achieved yesterday? This is the question that many are asking about the chaos that erupted in the Perak State Assembly.

It was the first time that Malaysians had seen such a spectacle at a legislative sitting, and on top of that, one that lasted five hours.

The assemblymen spent barely any time in their seats as members from the opposing parties wrested microphones away from one another, shoved one another around and generally behaved boorishly.

“It was utterly disgraceful. We expected them to have a showdown: name-calling, protesting and shouting, perhaps. What happened today was a new low in Malaysian politics,” wrote The Star's group chief editor, Datuk Wong Chun Wai, in his blog.

In the end, Barisan Nasional (BN) prevailed. It managed to get an Assembly Speaker of its choice installed, and the one appointed by opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) removed. The coalition has refused to recognise the new Speaker, but it might not try to force the issue again at the assembly's next sitting.

Having a Speaker on its side will help BN conduct the business of the House smoothly, but has it won the battle only to lose the war?

Many analysts seem to feel that this might well be the case. Although both sides played a role in triggering the fracas and were equally unruly, BN could be the bigger loser in terms of public perception.

This is because the police were used to secure control of the assembly.

Pictures of ousted PR Speaker V. Sivakumar being hauled out of his seat and dragged from the hall have already made the rounds.

They captured what many, no doubt, will perceive as an iconic moment.

“It is seen as BN demonstrating that it has naked power,” said historian and political analyst Neil Khor. He noted that any gain would be “a pyrrhic victory” — one not worth winning given the losses suffered — as BN would 'have to face the electorate at some time”.

He told The Straits Times that if the matter was not resolved, it would become a national issue by the next general election, which could have a painful impact on BN.

Analyst Khoo Kay Peng wrote in his blog that the police and the State Secretariat appeared to be “colluding with the politicians to complete the power grab”.

“The Perak democratic crisis has shown that it is a failed state. A caring and responsible coalition would have anticipated that ruling without the majority support of the people could not be carried out smoothly,” he noted.

The Bar Council, too, condemned the police intervention, and called it a bleak day for democracy.

However, Perak Mentri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir, a BN man, defended the decision to call in the police, saying that the situation had become unruly.

“They (PR assemblymen) left their seats and rudely attacked BN and independent representatives, and created a chaotic and uncontrolled situation,” he said.

He noted that the sergeant-at-arms who had tried to remove Sivakumar was injured when PR assemblymen moved in to stop him.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin criticised the opposition for its actions in “purportedly fighting for democracy”.

“Our national image has been jeopardised by assemblymen who prefer anarchy,” he wrote in his blog.

Perak has been in political limbo since February, when BN seized control of the state through defections in PR's ranks — a move that the opposition has asked the High Court to rule as illegitimate. The ruling is expected on Monday.

Nevertheless, like many others, the Bar Council believes that even the court's decision might not adequately reflect the will of the people and that the only solution to the impasse might be to hold a fresh state election, although few are betting that one will actually take place.

“BN may now have control of the assembly and the administration, but they have to win back the hearts of the people,” said Khor.

It will be a very rocky road ahead for Perak. — Straits Times