MPs Cannot be Subjected to the Brutish Bullying of the Home Minister.

It’s a numbers game. It is normal and played out in parliaments across the world. But the reaction of the DPM who is also Home Minister is excessive.

The DPM has issued many threats. He is sounding more like a bully. He wants to determine what an MP can and cannot do. He is issuing bald-headed threats.

Is he abusing his powers? PDRM is a servant of the people not a private security firm belonging to the Home Minister.

Today the duties of an MP are no longer confined to his or her obligations to parliament (such as participating in debates), constituencies and party.

They have an added responsibility among others to ensure the elected government governs responsibly. MPs understand that a mandate obtained from voters is not a license for the executive to do as he pleases. 

Only to some people, a mandate means they can plunder, pillage and receive gargantuan donations.Then they pay people money and also spend more than USD1 million on credit cards.

A mandate is really a will of the people exercised through the MP insisting the government to govern responsibly.

When there is so much widespread political abuse and upheaval brought on and about by an incompetent government and its equally inept leader, it becomes necessary for all democratic thinking members of the August House to reappraise their duties. They will come to a point where they must rise above partisan boundaries and consider the interest of the nation first and above all things. If they do that with conscience and giving due recognition to the voice of the people, they will come to the inescapable conclusion that they must band together and seek the lawful means available to them to dismiss the government and its leader.

That was what the old man from UMNO is doing. Gently persuading MPs across the political divide that they must band together and use lawful means available to dismiss the Najib government. We are not in the business of toppling governments by violent means.

Why can’t an MP propose a vote of no confidence? That is perfectly within the rights of an MP. Why can’t an MP solicit support for a cause from fellow MPs? That is also an inalienable right of an MP. And they are not against the law.

Exciting things happen every day while parliament is in session. Such as entreating fellow MPs to join a caucus. Mind you- these are not timid and timorous souls easily given to mere cheek-kissing and back-slapping social fraternisation. Not easy to convince a fellow MP to associate him or herself to a cause.

 And if that caucus leads to the migration of MPs on the other side to switch allegiance, that is also not illegal.

In dishing out silly but threatening statements to MPs, our DPM is showing that he is abusing his powers as a minister of the crown. He says he has handed proof and evidence to the police on the alleged moves by an old UMNO man to remove the PM.

Since when is the business of parliamentarians become police business? The suggestion by Lim Kit Siang for the IGP to butt out of the legitimate business of MPs is deservedly pertinent.

Unless of course calling for a no confidence motion, entreating MPs to cross over to join a common cause- the present common cause being the dismissal of the errant PM have become criminal offences. Have they?

Then Zahid is employing an old and discredited technique in destroying opponents and social dissenters. In the olden days, American authorities commit blacks to mental institutions to lock them out; Zahid is trying to criminalise the legitimate rights of MPs.

If he does so, we the people charge you, Zahid Hamidi of committing a most heinous disservice to the practice of parliamentary democracy.

He has told the nation of an old umno man going around collecting SDs to show the PM the exit. That is legal.  It is allowed by the law of the land.

The federal court has affirmed it in the dismissal of the Perak government. Therefore it is hypocritical of the dpm to shout illegality and behaving alarmist about such a move.

Whether such a move is morally reprehensible or not, does not matter. It is the law of the land.

This was followed by the exposure of the identity of some 20 BN MPs as those who want to jump ship. Pity them. They have to come out denying. Some made police reports.

But they must realise what an ogre DPM they have- they now know the DPM who is the minister in charge of the police is a big bully.

But they may also now command a high price. They should be thanking the blog that exposed them. They will now be approached by generous donors wanting to give them a few million Ringgit to stay on board.  A brotherly donor would be even better.

I must ask some of them to belanja.

So once again, we ask- Is he abusing his position as a minister of the crown, asking the police to investigate on purely legitimate and legal deliberations by MPs?

As to the growing demands by the UMNO people to seek the exit of their president, we are not at all interested.  But please do it quickly. Show that UMNO cares for the country.

Remember Anuar Musa? Its not that I love so and so less, but that I love this party more. No need for you people to know Shakespeare- it’s sufficient just to be Shakespearean. Go on- say it’s not that you love Najib less, but it is only that you love this country more.

As MPs we have the right and privilege to deliberate and discuss among colleagues on the conduct of the ruling government. That is a right to be jealously guarded and defended. That right and privilege cannot be subjected to the brutish bullying of the Home Minister.