By Shamsul Akmar 

SOMEONE quipped that Datuk Azhar Mansor's determination to return to Langkawi--apart from completing his trip around the world--is also to ensure he gets back in time to vote in the general election.

Jokes aside, Azhar's return on his Jalur Gemilang yacht scheduled for Tuesday will mark yet another achievement of a Malaysian reaching his goal through grit and determination.

Such is life, one would say. After all the trials and tribulations, Azhar returns to fame and glory which is his to enjoy and the nation to share. All these are made possible because he is focused, and his sights are clear  about what he wants, and how he plans to do it.

But while he basks in his achievement, the joke about his urgency to return is a reflection of what Azhar may have missed while he spent his days in the company of ocean waves and sea gulls.  Anticipation of a general election being round the corner has reached a feverish level--with politicians scurrying about to strengthen their power bases.

 Barisan Nasional, being the Government, has a lot of explaining to do over allegations of misconduct since its thumping win in 1995.

On that score, it is on the defensive as its actions, management, and decisions are there for the people to judge and for the opposition to exploit.

On the other hand, being the Government, Barisan can be on the offensive as it can make claims about its track record, its achievements and contributions to the people's well-being.

As the political players try to convince voters of their credentials, the populace, especially those who are not partisan, sways and see-saws.

Then, there are the "theorists" who will walk up to their friends and say they believe the elections will be called on this or that date, and back their contention with much conviction.

There is one "interesting" prediction from a friend who says Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad will hold the elections on Sept 1.

"Look at the numbers involved--191999," he says.

The other friend is convinced Sept 9 will be the election date as the numbers representing the day will be "991999."

But both have, apart from the "beautiful" numbers, other arguments to back their prediction.

The first believes that holding the elections on Sept 1 will provide the ruling coalition an advantage as the nation will still be caught up with the Aug 31 National Day euphoria.

The other argues that Sept 9 is during the school holidays and it is necessary to hold it then to allow schools to be used as polling centres.

Such talk will persist until the official date is finally announced.

Until then, the "theorists" will continue to provide light moments to the otherwise sombre but occasionally intense atmosphere in the run-up to the general election.

But apart from the intense political power play, of much interest also is the way the battle lines are being drawn.

The opposition which has been offering itself as the Barisan Alternatif (Alternative Front) had been pushed by their detractors to make clear why they should be considered as a viable choice to the existing establishment.

If the initial attacks were confined to the fact that the opposition alliance is made up of strange bedfellows engaged in a marriage of convenience, the pressure has moved on to the opposition's direction, policies and ideals.

Leaders of the yet-to-be registered Malaysian Democratic Party, a splinter of DAP, has started attacking its former friends.
One MDP pro tem leader, Liew Ah Kim, has questioned DAP's credentials on human rights when it objected to other opposition parties like Parti Keadilan Nasional and PRM accepting DAP dissenters.

Such remarks can be refuted and perceived as splitting hairs. However, when Liew raised the issue of who the Barisan Alternatif will name as the prime minister if it wins, he raised a very pertinent point.  First to react was Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua who said Datuk Seri Anwar brahim will be the one as he was the most popular with the people than other opposition leaders.

PAS president Datuk Fadzil Nor dismisses such a contention, saying the prime minister must come from his party, based on its struggles to free the country from Barisan rule.  Some advocates of the opposition alliance may dismiss such problems as premature and not the priority at the moment.

However, the fact remains--to be a viable alternative, the opposition must come up with firm plans on how the nation is going to be run if it wins and that includes who should be the prime minister. They have to realise the battle has shifted from one based on hatred towards Dr Mahathir, Umno and Barisan to whether their offer to be the alternative is viable or otherwise. And they should also realise that the people have more or less formed enough ideas of what is wrong with the present Barisan Government.

The opposition may have very capable leaders but they still have to prove that they have clear ideas about what they want to do with the nation and its people.

Of course, their election manifesto will outline some of this but they need to get their act together especially on what kind of leaders and leadership the nation can expect if they are voted in.

Hence the importance of identifying who will be the prime minister.

Azhar the mariner should be back in time to get into the mood of this interesting process of political bargaining.

And if the opposition cannot decide on who should be the prime minister, they can probably consider one of those election date theorists as a candidate.

After all, these theorists have tried to outguess the Prime Minister on when the elections will be held.