MAY 15 — It is accepted that the setting up of a new government is an especially arduous one. What more when its members are made up of a rag tag group of former foes and a cocktail of personalities from different component parties.

The majority of Malaysians, however, will accept and even tolerate any teething issues in the setting up of a new government – something we have been waiting for almost a week since Pakatan Harapan (PH)’s shock win in the 14^th general elections on May 9.

But when U-turns on polices and election promises and petty squabbles for seats start to rear their ugly heads, then the people who voted for change would be understandably disappointed and annoyed when individuals like RSN Rayer, Rafizi Ramli and even the beloved new old prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad throw cold water on the jubilation with their statements and back-pedalling.

The new PH leadership has scored four own goals in as many days that at times one wonders if it is going to be business as usual in the long run.

Own goal number one:

It started with Jelutong MP Rayer who called for the revocation of the broadcast licence of TV3 for its biased reporting of the PH and DAP, especially in the last 10 years of the DAP administration of Penang.

Party stalwart Lim Kit Siang immediately went on damage control mode to clarify that Rayer’s outburst is a result of years of unfair reporting endured by Pakatan politicians and the Penang administration, and that shutting down television stations is not PH or the DAP’s stand.

While this is reassuring, Rayer’s statement is reflective of the DAP-led state government’s relationship with the press; lawsuits against the media; banning media organisations from official functions and even reporters being chided at press conferences.

Of course, the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership has also been guilty of doing the same to the point of enacting legislation to control the Press. But an independent media was never a BN promise.

Own goal number two:

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian’s declaration that BN assemblymen will not be receiving the state assemblymen’s allocation received much flak. These are state allocations funded by taxpayers including those who live in those BN-held constituencies.

He has since stated that this decision is not yet final.

Own goal number three:

This spectacular own goal is courtesy of PKR vice president Rafizi, with an assist by PKR Subang MP Wong Chen.

Rafizi is fast going from hero to zero with his outburst on seat allocations, accusing Dr Mahathir of "bulldozing” his way into the appointments of the three key Cabinet posts without the consultation of the PKR leadership.

Following criticisms on social media that the people did not care about positions when they voted PH in, Wong Chen went on a diatribe against Rafizi’s critics – i.e. Malaysians who voted for PH to defend his "friend.”

He even equated Rafizi’s decision to air dirty linen in public as courage in questioning the prime minister. Courage that was absent which allowed Datuk Seri Najib Razak to rule for nine years.

While one agrees with this assertion, it is misplaced.

As a voter in Subang who cast his ballot for Wong Chen these last two elections, allow me to tell my MP that it is precisely due to the people speaking up that Wong Chen can make his way to Parliament again.

He should decide if he wants to defend his friend or the people’s mandate. If his priority is defending his friend then Wong Chen should perhaps step down and instead form and head the Rafizi Ramli Supporters Club.

And Rafizi’s query of the prime minister would have been better received if he, for instance, questioned if the appointment of Lim Guan Eng as Finance Minister is appropriate at this time.

Although the former Penang Chief Minister scores an A+ in his administration of Penang and is probably the most qualified senior party leader to hold this portfolio, Guan Eng has a corruption charge and an impending trial ahead of him. Although many claim these are trumped-up charges by political enemies, would this not be an unwelcomed distraction for the Finance Minister who has a key role in assuring market confidence?

So, despite his intentions of ensuring fairer political representation, Rafizi just came across as seat jostling – an endemic syndrome of PKR as it has proven in Selangor.

Unfortunately, the goals may keep on coming. Despite efforts by his PKR colleagues such as Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and Nurul Izzah Anwar to placate public anger and perception against PH, Rafizi remains adamant in pushing the ministerial position allocation matter.

Food for thought: Is Rafizi as an outsider being made the bad boy to voice PKR’s dissatisfaction while shielding the party’s leaders?

Own goal number four:

Just as the impact of Rayer’s statement was subsiding, on Sunday, Dr Mahathir dropped this bombshell: the controversial Anti-Fake News Act will remain in some form. The first U-Turn of the PH government.

Just last month, on April 3, Dr Mahathir had said repressive laws such as the Anti Fake News Act would be repealed. Now he says fake news will not be prosecuted unless they cause disharmony.

As I had stated in a previous column, the Anti Fake News Act will benefit the government of the day, so why should the new government even consider keeping it when there are enough provisions such as the Penal Code, the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act to address matters that disturb public order?

The people gave a resounding mandate to PH to pull us out of the old ways. To its credit it has largely been doing right by the electorate in getting down to business in dismantling unpopular and questionable policies.

While it is allowed to make mistakes and mis-judgements, the public will be less forgiving of PH than it was of BN simply because the bar is set much higher for PH.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.