Pragmatic bent to Pakatan first-ever confab:Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat Pertama 19 Dis 2009

The ease with which consensus was achieved on two motifs for the inaugural Pakatan Rakyat convention to be held at the Shah Alam Municipal Council hall on Dec 19 is being viewed as a happy augury of things to come for the opposition coalition.

The speed with which the theme song ‘Angin Pendamai‘ (Winds of Peace) was composed and the logo for the convention created are taken as more telling indicators of the state of the coalition than the dissonant waves that periodically lash the brow of the coalition.

True, it’s easy to ascribe to good sense than to anything more sublime the agreement among PKR, DAP and PAS that blues be the musical genre for the theme song, simply because PAS would disapprove of rock and DAP may frown on something ancient like Asli.

Similarly, the logo depiction of three protective fronds (for the three parties) encircling five flower petals (for five Malaysian races – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Dayaks and Kadazandusun) is not only good common sense but also the way the three coalition components like to project themselves to the Malaysian electorate.

Hence swift agreement on theme song and logo creation should not be ascribed to anything more than cool pragmatism behind which, sceptics say, lurks fundamental incompatibility, a telltale sign of which can be seen in the choice of brilliant orange for the logo, eschewing the blue of PKR, red of DAP and green of PAS, the distinctive colours of their logos which each is possessive about and do not want to share, which means there is certain to be no common coalition symbol on which to fight the next general election.

Pragmatism is the saddle

Still, whether the latter is a truer reflection of the state of things within Pakatan or not, is not as important as a steadily gathering consensus that cohesion in Pakatan must prevail against all obstacles arising from conflicting ideologies.

“Pragmatism is in the saddle and rides this convention,” offered PKR secretary general Salehuddin Hashim, waxing lyrical while speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday on plans now in its final stages for the convention.

“You should have seen the ease with which aspects of the one-day programme of the convention were agreed to by all three parties,” enthused Salehuddin.

One would think there would be signs of a subtle form of one-upmanship among the three coalition components in the run-up to and in the sculpting of the convention’s one-day programme. But no, said Salehuddin, there was no evidence of such divisive traits.

“It seemed like this convention is an idea whose time has come,” he said, trying to avoid hyperbole in an understandable desire to boost the convention.

“Ito took only a week to compose the theme song and Jaa barely a day to come up with the logo,” he chortled.

“Ito is the music group, Blues Gang’s composer, guitarist and lead singer, while Jaa is a backroom stalwart at PKR headquarters. Both theme song and logo composition took just days to be approved by the parties,” said Salehuddin.

Was the fact that the convention is being held over just a day and the careful selection and scheduling of speakers indicative of anxiety, perhaps, that dissonant elements may obtrude in the looser weave of a longer meeting?

“Well, with 500 representatives from each of the three parties present, you cannot leave too much to chance, can you?” said Salehuddin matter-of-factly.

“But this is not being choreographed ultra-carefully. This is something all three parties feel is the right thing to do at the right time,” he said without apparent fear of being gainsaid by the what-may-yet-come.

Terence Netto/Mkini