Should Pakatan Perak give in?

Today a friend of mine told me that he thinks Pakatan in Perak should just throw in the towel and wait for the next general election. He said this after talking to business people in Batu Gajah who feel the same way because nothing is moving due to the on going crisis. Business people are being affected as nobody dares to make any contractual commitments.

Once again, it seems the rice bowl is more important than anything else. But I'm not sure how pervasive is this view even among the business people in Perak especially among the Chinese. If it is, then it will be rather sad. Often, all the Chinese care for is to 'cari makan'. All else are secondary. From a short term perspective and especially during this trying times of global financial and economic turmoil, it would seem to be a good solution for Pakatan to give up the fight, let BN govern so that business can go on as usual.

But I think it's an illusion that business can go on as usual even Pakatan were to call it a day. This coup has opened up host of constitutional issues that cannot just be swept away and ignored. Constitutional issues do affect everyone of us. It's fallacy to think that they are only relevant to academics and lawyers. They may not have an immediate impact but they will surely impact our next generation.

Secondly, giving up will just embolden BN to continue their plans to bring down all the Pakatan state governments. I'm sure the Third Reich would have lasted much longer had not Churchill galvanised the people to fight on the beaches, to fight on landing grounds, fight on the streets and on the hills and never to surrender. No, we cannot surrender to evil.

I'm confident that Perakians will stay the course and are willing to make sacrifices to stay the course. We should read Raja Petra's article today and be encouraged that there are Malaysians who are willing to go hungry and be impoverished rather than to betray one's principles and the cause of justice

We have come a long way since March last year. There is no turning back. Let's us continue and finish the journey.