No matter who wins in the ongoing debate between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, and Gerakan leader Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan over Kampung Buah Pala, the losers are the villagers.
THE failure of the Pakatan Rakyat to save Kampung Buah Pala after making numerous promises, including those by Pakatan supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is a major blemish on the Pakatan Rakyat in general and the DAP in particular.
The DAP, a former opposition party, has seldom lost debates with its political opponents, having perfected the art of challenging opponents, side tracking or clouding issues and using the media to browbeat challengers.
But now that the DAP is a ruling party, at least in Penang and three other Pakatan states, the fact that such tactics are still being employed indicates that the DAP’s mind is still in the “opposing” and not ruling mode.
The election ended on March 8, 2008 and soon thereafter, Pakatan was sworn in as the ruling coalition in five states. But nearly two years into the new game, some Pakatan leaders have problems adjusting to the new realities.
No doubt they were unexpectedly and suddenly elected and did not have the hands-on experience to handle complex issues. Nevertheless, they were expected to show a steep learning curve.
Pakatan leaders did well especially in Perak, until the state’s fall to Barisan, showing exemplary unity of purpose and dedication. However, elsewhere, it has had trouble getting its act together.
The Kampung Buah Pala incident, if intelligently handled, could have been a great success story for Pakatan, especially the DAP, but that opportunity is now lost and coalition is fighting charges of incompetence.
The DAP, in particular, the least experienced of the three Pakatan allies in ruling, is trying to extricate itself from the Kampung Buah Pala blunder by blaming the Barisan, especially Gerakan.
Gerakan was once admired for turning the state into a centrepiece of the global electronic industry but its fortunes waned, and in 2008, the people rejected it in favour of the Pakatan/DAP.
The DAP has inherited an island that was once a shining example of success and is now in decline, and has the unenviable job of pushing the state up the success ladder at a time of economic slowdown and retreat in global foreign investment.
It is a tough job for the new rulers of Penang and for them to get bogged down in a village populated by just 24 families is a thankless task that could have been better handled.
The DAP should not blame others, says Kampung Buah Pala resident’s association chairman M. Sugumaran.
“The thing is that the Pakatan made promises and we believed them, and they were elected. But when the time came to deliver, they could not.”
Pakatan raised expectation and won big in 2008, without regard to the consequences, and now faces a backlash for failing to deliver.
Lim and his colleagues have given numerous reasons why they could not save the village – from the lack of political power to high cost of relocation and having to look after other Penangites. Some are valid while others are just excuses.
No matter how the Lim-Dr Teng debate goes, Kampung Buah Pala has been demolished and the former residents scattered, with only the memories of their former rustic life.
The Pakatan, for its part, is counting the political cost of the failure to save Kampung Buah Pala which has turned into an emotive issue among Indians.
The issue may well be the turning point in Indian perception of Pakatan as a friendly, caring and helpful coalition.
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