The Looming Political Storms

Al Fatihah. I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of Allahyarham Roslan Shaharum- the MP for Bukit Gantang in Perak. Even though I do not know him, grief over the loss of a loved one transcends political leanings. The family's sorrow is universally shared. Indeed, our political divides are rendered irrelevant before the court of the Almighty. Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat Nya keatas roh Allayarham dan menempatkan nya di kalangan mereka yang soleh. Amin.

His passing comes at a very crucial time. It is nothing short of divine intervention. Now the Perak government under Zambri Abdul Kader has the chance to vindicate the support given him. It will also be a chance for the people in the parliamentary seat of Bukit Gantang to re affirm their support for the party of their choice. It will be even more beguiling anticipating the outcome of the votes from the area of one of the renegade ADUNs. It lies within the parliamentary constituency of Bukit Gantang. If his area is lost to the PR, then it will be clear the people reject him. He was there on account of being a PR candidate.

If, by the decision of HRH the Sultan of Perak, the people of Perak felt robbed and deprived of their inherent right, now is the time to make amends. The verdict by the rakyat will extinguish forever, doubts as to the decision taken by HRH the Sultan of Perak. If BN wins, it vindicates that decision. If BN loses, HRH the Sultan faces the reality of knowing his decision was flawed.

In truth, The BN government cannot actually claim to have majority seats. The only forum that can validate such a claim is the Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak. The ADUNs can reveal whom they have confidence in. What it has now, is a majority accredited by HRH the Sultan of Perak. The Sultan was reported to assemble all the 28 BN ADUNS and the 3 renegades from PR and inquired where their loyalties are. Having satisfied himself as to their political affiliations, HRH Sultan of Perak, determined that BN has the majority. In other words, BN's claim of a majority support rests crucially on HRH Sultan of Perak's attestation. It is not unlike an attestation by a notary public.

Even the show of support in the Dewan will never be sufficient to settle the issue once and for all. Unless either party gets a decisive majority, there will always be lingering doubts as to where individual loyalties lie. In order for the BN to legitimatise the claim of a majority, it is incumbent upon it to go to the hustings and let the people decide.

Party hopping or switching of allegiances are not uncommon in history. Throughout the history of politics, politicians switched loyalties and allegiances in order to further their interests or advance their causes. That would lend credence to the axiom, politicians have no permanent loyalties but permanent interests. Winston Churchill for instance was known to cross the floor in the house of commons several times- I think he has been a member of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal parties at various phases of his political life.

Party hopping becomes a legal and moral issue when it involves financial considerations. In the case of the 3 renegade ADUNs and the back and forth Bota man, they could not erase allegations of being paid to carry out their betrayals. Essentially that's what they are- acts of betrayals. They betray the trust of their party, their colleagues and the trust of the rakyat who voted them according to their party affiliations. It doesn't need any stretch of the imagination, to know that they will lose had they stood as independents.

It is the wider implications of accepting party defections as a means to secure political power that are disturbing. The single act of Dato Najib endorsing and engineering the defections has opened the floodgates for similar acts in future. What Dato Najib has done where Anwar Ibrahim has only postured, is to eliminate whatever moral restraints and censure on such acts. Having purged all moral scruples from such acts, the commissioning of such acts in future are never opened to appeals to morality. What Najib has done, is to separate the moral elements from such acts and turned them into just an act with a business as usual property. No one can make judgemental verdicts on such acts in future. They will have to hold their peace forever. Now that the moral element of an act is removed, any one with the resources can carry out similar actions without moral culpability.

That would probably be the next step Anwar Ibrahim takes. Anwar Ibrahim is now a wounded tiger. He will marshal all resources he has available to carry out the same deeds as Dato Najib. Then, no amount of moralising and pontificating can censure what has become just a commoditised action. In the meantime, Dato Najib is riding a tiger which he fears to dismount from.