Steven Sim

My quick thought on the Perak episode:

The defection game is not for us to play. I used to think about Sir Winston Churchill when justifying defectors, but UMNO representatives have not Churchill’s character nor wisdom to make good ethical defection. We will end up having leaders with no backbones or a trojan horse – both are possible descriptions of Nasarudin of Bota. While Anwar’s attempt was understandable under special circumstances, that Pakatan Rakyat need a conscientious crossover to form a Federal Government and reform election laws within a year or so before calling for a general election, it is just too risky, because “conscientious” is not a common word in most UMNO dictionaries.

Najib’s thirst for power is much more than we have thought and than we can handle. Mahatir was spot on to say that UMNO leadership has stoop so low to even accept Jamaluddin and Osman Jailu, both PKR rep who is under investigation for alleged corruption. Instead of taking the best of the crops, UMNO is willing to entice the most inferior of them to wrestle the power of Perak state from PR. This is clearly many steps of regress from any good works of reform within UMNO and BN to curb corruption culture within their party and the UMNO-led BN federal government.

Najib should not be happy for the defectors-formed BN majority in Perak state assembly because both election results and public polls in Perak and all over the Country have clearly shown that Pakatan Rakyat has the mandate of the people who are already fed up with UMNO and BN. His perceived happiness during his announcement of the defection may be interpreted as our Prime Minister-in-waiting is indifference towards public sentiment and is willing to set aside the wishes of the Rakyat for his own political gains.

(Photo above from www.malaysiakini.com)

All the defectors have lost whatever personal or political credibility in the eyes of the public. The current sentiment is UMNO and BN are still in dire need of reform because of the deeply entrenched cultures of cronism, nepotism, corruption and money politics while Pakatan Rakyat is seen as relatively clean and people-oriented movement of change. To defect from PR to BN especially under such circumstances as to cause the collapse of a people-mandated state government led by a largely popular Menteri Besar is seen as very irresponsible, disgraceful and immoral. Because of the situation they found themselves in, Hee of DAP is suffering from the worst attack on her morality in this case – Jamaluddin and Osman Jailu are probably judged with lower standards of morality because of their alleged corruption. A quick check on Facebook comments just minutes after Najib’s announcement showed the people’s anger towards Hee and faulting her for PR’s lost, which is seen as the lost of the Rakyat. To add salt to the wounds, Hee is not needed by UMNO after all for BN to form a majority in Perak with Nasarudin’s return to UMNO less than a fortnight after he defected to PKR. This means, what she did has not only brought defeat and shame to PR but she has became redundant in UMNO’s plan for takeover. Her two decades of contributions and her electorate’s support for her and DAP has been flushed down the drain by her immature actions this evening.

As everyone else, I am waiting with baited breath on the decision of His Royal Highness, Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak whether to dissolve the state assembly or to allow BN to form the next state government. His Royal Highness has acted very wisely to allow both sides to present their points before he make any decisions. While this will be a tough call for Sultan Azlan Shah, and he may be under undue pressure by both quarters to accept their respective arguments, I believe being the “Sultan berjiwa rakyat” that he is, he will make a wise decisions which will not be detrimental to the people of Perak.

The truth is, the wrong has been done, it is frustrating but we have to learn to live with this. A friend asked me this afternoon what can he do in this Perak case? I wish there’s a quick answer to that. Our determination to make a difference cannot come with a big act in a crisis situation, no, that is not the usual way. Everyone who wish to contribute to our nation-building and the strengthening of our democracy must take small steps of involvement beginning in their own neighbourhood and community.

A revolution many times does not begin with loud shouts from rooftops, but little whispers on the streets. But this Perak crisis is definitely a good wake up call, another wake up call, especially for those who are still apathetic about our Country’s political situation. Now is the time for Change. And, Yes We Can!