| by Baradan Kuppusamy ALMOST a year after making huge electoral gains, Malaysia's Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition is facing its most trying time yet. It has been dealt setback after setback this month, sparking division in the ranks and tension in its leadership. PR has lost one jewel in its crown, Perak, after losing its majority in the state assembly. In Kedah, state minister V.
Arumugam quit amid bigamy allegations, forcing a by-election. Selangor state minister Elizabeth Wong has offered to resign after photos of her semi-naked began circulating. Meanwhile, Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim faces a "cows and car" controversy that may lead to charges of abuse of power or corruption. If he is forced out, naming a new MB will be tricky: All three parties in PR will stake a claim. Topping the bad news is a surprise by-election in Batang Ai, Sarawak, after the death of an incumbent. It is bad news because it comes at a time when PR supremo Anwar Ibrahim - though gaining popularity in Sarawak - is still unprepared for an acid test, despite repeatedly claiming that he would win the state by next year. It is the key to his hopes of becoming prime minister. Serious infighting within Sarawak's PR - between Chinese leaders of Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party - is simmering under the surface, and could explode despite constant mediation by Anwar. The next three months will be long and hectic. Maintaining political momentum will tax Anwar's energies and political skills to the maximum. He is no stranger to setbacks. His long career, starting from his time as a student rebel in the 1970s, is nothing but a series of great comebacks after serious setbacks. But across the political divide, Umno is gaining strength and the potential is there for the party to unite again under a new leader: Premier-in-waiting Najib Razak. Let the PR beware. | 
