Eaten Or Being Eaten Is Part Of The Game

By Kaki Bedal

According to a report, a former Parti Peribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) supreme council member believes more members will exit the party following Umno’s growing dominance.

The ex-member, Tariq Ismail, claimed many were dismayed with the current dynamics between the party and that of Umno. He said, PPBM would eventually be “eaten up by Umno”.

Media quoted him as saying: “This especially when it comes to seat allocation as many seats won by PPBM are traditionally contested by Umno.”
He also alluded to Umno which has over three million members, while PAS has over a million. PPBM and Umno are also locked in a tussle for seats in Sabah, where state elections are due.

“PPBM is a dwarf compared to these giants,” he was quoted as saying. Let’s dissect his observation just to remind him and other like him to wake up and accept the fact that PPBM has already been eaten up by DAP, PKR and Amanah.

PPBM was eaten up in a different way by its former coalition parties, and reached their climax with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad resignation. To Tariq, i will say this:-

PPBM entered into agreement with Pakatan Harapan (PH) giants – DAP and PKR and look at the way Dr Mahathir was treated by the two bigger parties when they want him to give away the position of Prime Minister to PKR leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
PPBM, with Dr Mahathir at the helm as PM, did not realise that Dr Mahathir was the only person PH parties respected.
As long as Dr Mahathir went along with DAP and PKR bar one or two or three issues, PH is okay but not only the question of PM but also Lynas, the two PH giants continuously pressured the old man.
It is obvious that PPBM cannot depend on DAP or PKR support as all three parties have different agendas, and only united by the desire to topple Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Even though PPBM contested a lot of seats in the 14th general elections, it only won about a dozen seats. Umno won more seats which meant that PPBM are only slaves to DAP and PKR administration.
With finance, transport and environment portfolio, and a few other junior minister positions, DAP and PKR ministers outshone PPBM appointees and looked to be ‘controlling’ PH administrations.
Where was Tariq in all these issues? I havent heard his name being mentioned at all when Dr Mahathir was fighting a lone battle to show that the PH government was functioning and not fighting among themselves.

The most important factor and Tariq acknowledge this, is the fact that Umno has three million members and Pas, one million, members who are loyal and will not easily desert their parties when the going gets tough.

Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi and his PAS counterpart, Datuk Seri Hj Hadi Awang, through Muafakat Nasional (MN) has shown admirable leadership to weather the storm after the 14th General Eelection where MN has since won six consecutive by-elections, seven shortly with Slim by-election coming.

As for allocation of seats, Tariq should have more confidence in PPBM leaders.

Perhaps, he is finally feeling the kind of feeling one feels after losing political power. Many in Umno and PAS have experienced it over the years or decades.

Political maturity comes with such experiences, win or lose. Eaten or being eaten is, after all, part of the game. Accept it and move on!