Kayveas-Keng Yaik Tiff Unnecessary And Counter-productive.

The estranged and increasingly unfriendly relations between the two Barisan leaders is now in the public arena. Many must have been surprised at the vehemence and ferocity of the arguments. However I personally feel that there will be no winner in this war of words. The airing of antagonistic and contentious personal issues isn't going to earn either of them any marks and apart from the risk of being seen as objects of public ridicule, the continuation of this free-for-all can only affect the fortunes of PPP, Gerakan and the Barisan Nasional.

It is therefore timely that the Deputy Prime Minister saw it fit to announce that he will be speaking to both the protagonists soon. It is only to be expected that when you have a coalition of so many parties, there will be differences of opinion or outright disagreement and even hostility. But Barisan has managed remarkably well thus far to keep everything under wraps and away from the public eye. We can even say that this relative 'harmony' is miraculous, considering that Umno has always taken the lion's share of the loot, leaving the morsels for the others to share out proportionately.

This Kavveas-Keng Yaik tiff is unfortunate and should not have happened, especially since the Gerakan president is expected to step down soon. Dr Lim should have been allowed to retire without controversy and with his dignity intact. Whatever grouses that Kayveas might have had against Gerakan and I'm sure there are a few, he should have waited for the new leadership in Gerakan to take over before launching his onslaught. As I see it, recent events in Taiping are the main reasons for Kayveas' ire. Despite being the member of parliament for Taiping he was overlooked in the appointment of the Taiping Barisan chairmanship. If convention had been followed then this should not have occurred. The thumbs-down for his unrealistic proposal for a merger of sorts between PPP and Gerakan could possibly be another cause for this tirade.

It is said that Gerakan is unhappy the Taiping parliamentary seat was given to the PPP in the last election and that Keng Yaik's partymen are trying to cut the ground from under Kayveas, thereby enabling them to regain the seat in the next GE. While manoeuvring of this nature is common in politics anywhere, Gerakan should keep in mind that if such tactics are employed by them, then it is only fair that the bigger and more voracious (and more greedy) Malaysian Chinese Association be allowed the same in Penang, where thanks to Umno, the overeager and impatient MCA has thus far been restrained. "You can't have the cake and eat it too" comes to mind.

It is hoped that Najib will put some sense into the 'gladiators' on both sides and the relative 'peace and harmony' synonymous with Barisan Nasional inter-party relations is restored and the impasse resolved amicably and justly.
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