Is Lim Guan Eng 'communist-minded'?

Industry, thrift and self-control are not sought because they create wealth, but because they create character - Calvin Coolidge

The story of PKR is a sad one. Eons ago we were already aware it would turn out to be the weakest link in Pakatan Rakyat. Now, almost everyone, save the hard core members and the true believers, has acknowledged this truth. Anwar Ibrahim himself has also admitted to this some weeks ago.

The current crisis in Pakatan is that the implosion of PKR has led to significant collateral damage to the other component parties, both PAS and DAP. We have recently witnessed PKR’s Kulim Wonder savaging Khalid Samad and inexplicably, as if he was an UMNO member, reporting the latter to the police. Then we have PKR sour-grape Zahrain Hashim bad mouthing Lim Guan Eng, way over the top by grubbily labelling Lim as ‘communist-minded’.

The problem within PKR started with the expulsion of Anwar Ibrahim from UMNO. His followers left UMNO as well; some were true believers whilst others were just opportunists in his faction but were placed in untenable position with Anwar’s exit from the party. The more enterprising ‘survivors’ of this pack have managed to worm their way back into UMNO again, and one even managed to become a Minister in the inner cabinet wakakaka.

Nonetheless the core of PKR has been and is essentially made up of former UMNO members (note I didn’t use the term ‘ex UMNO’ wakakaka), people who had been indoctrinated with the UMNO-ish attitude and ‘expectation’.

Relax Kulim Wonder, I believe you’re from PAS so this doesn’t apply to you wakakaka.

I am not insulting all UMNO members but let’s be frank, many (though not all) UMNO members join the party to benefit from it – business opportunities, government contracts, official appointments, positions, etc.

This is what I mean by the ‘expectation’ of (most) UMNO members.

Many of those PKR members who were formerly from UMNO carried this ‘expectation’ across with them into KeADILan (predecessor to PKR). They had expected Anwar Ibrahim to be swiftly reinstated back into his rightful position as No 1 in UMNO.

Alas, their dream, hopes and indeed ‘expectation’ were well and truly screwed by Dr Mahathir and of course the other anti-Anwar factions in UMNO who successfully blocked out Anwar. I understand there were many in UMNO who were terrified of Anwar’s fierce and feral faction, so it won’t be surprising if they were the true architect behind Anwar’s downfall.

Anyway, KeADILan-PKR (excluding those well-meaning people from originally PRM who joined PKR) had only a single objective, to get Anwar back into power, preferably via UMNO or if necessary by their new party, of course in order for them to realize their ‘expectation’.

And that has been why many termed KeADILan as a single-issue party, namely, to get Anwar Ibrahim back into power. Gerakan Anti Najib (G.A.N) had been part and parcel of their manoeuvre, for between Anwar and the No 1 position (initially just No 2) in UMNO stood Najib Razak.

Then surprisingly, 08 March 08 happened - shock initially but followed swiftly by ecstatic jubilation. Even though it wasn't yet in full control of the federal government, a State here and there (and there were 3, Selangor, Perak and Penang – sorry, can’t touch those held by PAS) could partially, nay, actually substantially fulfill many of their (UMNO-ish) ‘expectation’.

This time it’s not Dr Mahathir who blocked their aspirations but blokes like Lim GE, Nizar and Khalid Ibrahim wakakaka!

Of course the cake goes to tight-assed Lim GE who won’t even countenance giving away State honours of datukship wakakaka, so how could he ever play footsies by rewarding Pakatan-PKR leaders with ‘guaranteed’ contracts.

Lim is like a Himalayan sadhu (ascetic) who has reincarnated into a Spartan-like accountant wakakaka, with a pedantic penchant for tightfisted proper accountability and transparency. He has a thrifty lifestyle like … well … almost like Mother Teresa and detests corruption, profligacy and wasteful spending and is so proper with his State ledger book that sometimes his staff scream … silently, wakakaka.

And on those rare occasions when he treated his staff out to dinner (with his personal allowance), he was said to go into a post-dinner traumatic shock for several days ;-).

If his frugal habits are deemed as communist-minded, wakakaka, then I have to concede maybe Lim is ;-)

Frugality may be termed the daughter of Prudence, the sister of Temperance, and the parent of Liberty - Samuel Johnson