LETTER | May 9, 2018, marked a historic moment for all of us Malaysians. It was unprecedented because finally, we were able to break the 60-year- stranglehold of BN. And all Malaysians felt a wave of euphoria that they had never experienced before.

Words failed me.

For the first time, all Malaysians believed in the Alliance of Hope (Pakatan Harapan), that they could inject a breath of fresh air into the stale politics of Malaysia. For the first time, Malaysians were brimming with confidence and hope.

And who was the game-changer? Who was the driving force that galvanised the whole nation to pull off that extraordinary feat?

The person was none other than the venerable doyen of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Tun was infamous for his iron-fisted leadership in his reign as the prime minister of Malaysia for 22 years. Everybody knows. He was an autocrat then.

Now Tun, however, has changed. He has become more mellow, more inclusive.

As you can see, Dr Mahathir’s leadership now is at his best, and also will be his last, though. The deputy prime minister's post has been given to PKR, the finance minister to DAP, the home minister to Bersatu, and the defence minister to Amanah.

And his new administration also boasts a team of prominent advisors: Daim Zainuddin, Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Robert Kuok, Hassan Merican, Professor Dr Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid and A Kadir Jasin.

According to China Press, PKR aspired to land the coveted position of the finance minister. And Mr Rafizi, especially, was not too happy with the decision of Tun. The new government, however, is in a state of flux, fragile like a newborn baby. It could neither afford any internal bickering nor any external onslaught. A house divided cannot stand.

Then, however, at a key news conference, the absence of PKR leaders was a huge let-down. It was like a football team playing a game, without three or four of its key players.

Come on, PKR! Where is your team spirit? The Subang PKR member of Parliament defended Rafizi by saying that Malaysians need to discard the unhealthy attitude of never questioning authority.

But I beg to defer. Challenging authority has to depend on the context. Imagine that a football coach like Jose Mourinho had chosen his best line-up for a football match. But due to the dissatisfaction of several team players, who were opposed his decisions on the selection, the team was without two to three key players on the field. This, absolutely, is a recipe for disaster.

Come on, PKR, be a team player! Put nation first before party's interest.

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