Is there political life for retired Hadi Awang?

The Malaysian Insider - Hadi says may not contest GE13.

Of course Pak Haji has also voiced an alternative option, which is to contest either a federal or state constituency but not both as he currently represents.

So whether he completely stands down, voluntarily as he has declared, or takes up the election challenge to represent only a federal or state constituency, the reason behind his decision could be the waiting queue in PAS has grown far too long with consequential mounting pressure from within, stemming from the impatience of more ambitious members who are still waiting for opportunities to represent the party as candidates in state or federal elections.

In DAP, while Karpal Singh hasn’t offered to step down completely he has advocated the ‘either federal or state representation’ approach much earlier than Pak Haji, and not just for an individual but as a party policy. Karpal offered the reason that, compared to yester-years, the DAP today has more qualified candidates – a situation which no longer requires the ‘few’ to contest and on winning, hold both federal and state representations*.

* May I stress on the word ‘representation’ rather than ‘seats’, because DAP MPs and ADUNs must never get into their heads that on successful elections, they are ‘rajas’ seated on thrones to be worshipped, waited upon and ampu-ed like the 15th Century Sultan Mahmud Shah. Instead they should wait upon (serve) the rakyat – ampu-ing the rakyat is optional wakakaka.

While I am not going to discriminate against old timers by proposing these senior politicians vacate their frontline political participations, which incidentally is far more honest, far more committed, and definitely less Machiavellian than ‘behind the scene’ political manipulations, I strongly support the one-constituency-only representation, and with no exception, not even for Lim Guan Eng.

Lim Guan Eng has been, is and will be a marvellous CM of Penang, and I strongly support him continuing in this public role. I’m not saying he doesn’t have a role to play in federal politics but I believe not to the extent of becoming a MP on top of his CM-ship.

No, there is no necessity for him to be also a MP just to continue playing a role in federal politics. He can do so, say, on identification and formulation of party vision, strategy directions, policy development and program implementations, within the party’s top council.

And best of all, by allowing someone else to stand in Bagan, he will be helping a new DAP MP develop and accrue experience in public representation, all for the improved strength of DAP and its future leadership (and make that person happy too).

Just remember, no person is indispensable (& forget about what other Pakatan parties do) so perhaps DAP should start practising it instead of just mouthing this maxim.

But what if Pak Haji Hadi Awang finds that PAS people take him on his first offer, to withdraw completely from active participation, and "Terimakasih, Tok Haji, bye bye” him? wakakaka.

OK, he did say that he will use his time to campaign across the country to strengthen the party. But other than this, will there be ‘life’ for very senior politicians after they withdraw from frontline representation? Is going out to pasture the only recourse?

Because of the fragile (or euphemistically worded ‘loose’) nature of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition - and let’s not lie to ourselves that is not so and which will become even far more fragile if Pakatan wins the march to Putrajaya, when the 3 parties, like avaricious siblings warring for their individual inheritance after daddy’s demise, will battle each other for cabinet positions, etc - the coalition badly needs the stabilising hands of respected party veterans, especially personalities who are experienced, mature, cooperative, capable of 'give & take', and far sighted enough to want to keep their coalition cohesive and going in the right direction.

Senior veterans like Pak Haji Hadi Awang and, if they too want to retire (wakakaka), Tok Guru Nik Aziz, Lim KS, Karpal Singh, etc, can form a Pakatan Senior Consultative Advisory Council to provide advice and/or moderation on, or vet, joint vision, policies and programs, and importantly, arbitrate on Coalition internal disputes such as post election cabinet allocations and pre-election seat allocations (like stopping one component party from arbitrarily seizing 54 out of a State's total of 71 seats - WTF, I still can't believe in that grubby gluttonous greedy grab).

Older people are more likely to talk than thump tables, to see clearer and farther than just the selfish ends of immature ambitious noses, thus the Senior Consultative Council will provide steady ballast for the stability of the Pakatan ship, continuity of cooperative coalition leadership and maybe even a deterrent to the parochial interests of warlords.

And as Sara Teasdale wrote:

When I can look Life in the eyes,
Grown calm and very coldly wise,
Life will have given me the Truth,
And taken in exchange - my youth.

Yes, wise party veterans like Pak Haji Awang Hadi have a role to play in party politics, especially in presenting to younger members the Truth of politics required for our multiracial society.