The political landscape that Malaysians are accustomed to is gone. Events that have punctuated the 40 months since GE13 have led us to this unfamiliar territory. Traditional loyalties that were thought to be fixtures have come apart and the new relationships that replace them are still fluid in their infancy. Associations previously unthinkable are now real, but the minds of the people have yet to catch up to this.

Political representation has never been as dynamic in terms of side switching and party hopping. New parties and those soon to be registered will be making their debut in this climate of uncertainty. For as much as the lieutenants and foot soldiers of the federal opposition may be engrossed in their peculiar game of musical chairs, the main actors and elites of the new opposition are not expected to vary.

We have seen an ex-deputy premier cross the aisle before but an ex-premier and two ex-deputies across the aisle is a sight to behold. And that’s where they’ll remain – in the opposition – if they fail to raise their sails and weigh anchor together on the tide and the changing wind.
Without an admiral to lead the opposition parties as a group, they are just lost ships drifting on the sea. They cannot fight as a fleet.

The opposition must not only identify, but settle conclusively, who will be the candidate for commander-in-chief. This may be somewhat of an Achilles heel for the new opposition as it has been struggling to remake itself since the departure of Anwar Ibrahim.

But voters will expect the team they vote for to have a captain, as the team needs to draw energy, inspiration, creativity and leadership from this person. This person is needed to keep house. It would be just too preposterous for the opposition to capture the federal government without first deciding who will don the mantle of the premier. With only 20 months till the general election must be called and with the odds stacked against it, can it afford not to cross this T?

Another T that needs urgently to be crossed is the matter of straight fights or three-way splits. With the new electoral boundaries favouring the incumbents, members of the new opposition will be disembowelling themselves if inflated egos drive them into three-way battles with each other and BN. This would be another reason why a commander-in-chief would be crucial in the prelude to the battle as this person will have to forge the unequal but passionate combatants into a coherent hammer or shield.

Dilly dallying on this will only weaken the hopes of supporters of Pakatan Harapan parties and those of their friendly partners in the Peninsular and East Malaysia. Against a backdrop of redrawn electoral boundaries that many analysts say favour BN, voters will be looking not to waste their precious votes on a side that looks as disorganised as the opposition does. And the middle ground that the opposition is hoping to swing to its side will vote only for a dream if it looks to be credible.

The names of Anwar, Muhyiddin Yassin and Hadi Awang have been bandied about for months but the premiership can’t be shared by three people. It is not a cake to take a slice of. Neither is it guard duty to be rotated on shifts. Malaysians won’t stomach such a gross monstrosity.

The clock has been ticking silently for a while and it is time the new federal opposition woke up to this pressing reality. It needs to show that it knows which way it’s headed if it wants to lead this nation.