Perak

When Dato Nasaruddin hopped to Pakatan Rakyat, Dato Seri Mohd Nizar and the rest of Pakatan Rakyat boys especially in Perak were extremely jubilant. When they heard that another 3 more BN ADUNs were rumoured to wanting to do the same thing, they were ecstatic to a point of calling it a start of BN’s demise In Perak and Malaysia.

I remember Mohd Nizar saying that it is ok to party hop. There was no need to hold a by-election for the Bota seat because Nasaruddin changed party without vacating the State Assembly seat of Bota. That Nasaruddin, being the elected representative of Bota, was doing what was good for the Rakyat in Bota although he left BN then without consulting his constituencies. Some Perak Pakatan Rakyat leaders were also saying there was no need to get a fresh mandate from the Rakyat for the Bota seat and what he did was not morally wrong.

I also remembered Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s failed 16 September attack to take over the Federal Government by getting a number of BN MPs to hop over his side. No claims or accusations of wrong doing or such moves being morally wrong were heard then about the alleged coup by Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, if I am not wrong, Dato’ Seri Nik Aziz himself welcomed party hopping if it meant Pakatan Rakyat can take over the Government. Nothing morally wrong there it seems. Even the Bar Council I believe, said that that although morally questionable, party hopping is not constitutionally wrong.

So why is it suddenly so wrong when some Pakatan Rakyat ADUNs in Perak wish to leave Pakatan Rakyat and support BN? That suddenly Pakatan Rakyat is accusing these ADUNs of not hearing the Rakyat’s wishes by party hopping? Suddenly you have PR leaders saying that there should be a snap State election and allow the Rakyat to choose again. Some of them are suddenly now saying it is morally wrong to hop party and best way and morally right thing to do is to have a snap state election. My question is, why is it when Nasaruddin hopped to Pakatan Rakyat, Mohd Nizar and the rest vehemently defended that there was no need to have a by-election there to get a fresh mandate in Bota yet when their reps hopped to become independent, suddenly they try to become righteous and call for fresh elections supposedly to get a fresh mandate from the Rakyat? Double standards??!!!!!

Have the Rakyat not chosen just ten months ago during the 12th General Election on 8 March 2008 who they want as their elected representatives. When they did that then, they were giving their trust and confidence to these individuals elected as their representatives. These people must also service their constituencies well to the best of their capabilities. Now, I believe the Rakyat have chosen their representatives. And these representatives, whichever party they might be from, must serve the Rakyat well. That is more important to the apolitical Rakyat.

Then I hear some people, especially the Pakatan Rakyat leaders saying that BN is wrong to take in the two “tainted” ADUNs. I believe even Dato Husam Musa from PAS was reported to say so in NST, 5 February 2009. First and foremost, last I check, we do not condemn a person and judge him guilty until he has gone through the court process and be found guilty. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, not by some kangaroo or political court. So, these two individuals should be presumed innocent until found guilty.

And if one wants to question why BN is accepting them when they have these charges hanging on their heads and if these same people were to say that BN is wrong to accept them now before their court dates, I have to ask the same to the Pakatan Rakyat. Why keep these two individuals as State EXCOs whilst they have their cases hanging over their heads? Why did you not suspend them then until everything is clearer? Why did the party not suspend them first from holding important posts in the State party echelon and reinstate only after their cases are cleared? Double standards again??!!!!!It can that the same thing ok and good for Pakatan Rakyat, yet bad and damning to the BN.

Don’t get me wrong. I want the two YBs to go through their corruption trials. And the court process must be transparent, proper and be seen to be proper. It does not matter that they are independents now or if they join BN, if they are guilty they must be found guilty. No amount of political influence should change that.

Having a snap State election now is also no good. Imagine what a state election would amount to. Roughly the whole process would take a minimum of 1 month. That means 30 days of doing nothing but politics in Perak, 30 days of reopening old wounds that are just healing from the General Elections 10 months ago only and the most damaging thing is 30 days of non-economically beneficial activities for the state and to an extent, country as everyone will focus on Perak. And imagine, Perak has 59 State seats. If the Election Commission has to spend RM1 million per seat for the running of the State election, that means the Government will have to spend RM59 million now that it can ill afford given the current economic scenario. I would rather use this money to help the poor and generate economic activities for the state.

And this does not include how much both BN and PR will have to spend respectively being the two parties involved. So, it just does not make economic and financial sense to have a State Election now.


Pursuant to March 8 2009, I remember reading in the papers that the Pakatan Rakyat leaders went to see the King of Perak stating that they have the majority ADUNs and must be allowed to form the Government in Perak. This is exactly what the State BN is doing, meeting the King to inform that the BN now enjoys the confidence of the majority of ADUNs in Perak.

Pakatan Rakyat is seriously pushing for the snap State election because of two reasons:-

i. The only way that they can hope to hold on to power in Perak;
ii. If the there were to be a State election, Pakatan Rakyat will go in as incumbent and will go in as the State Government calling for the election. That gives Pakatan Rakyat a huge upperhand.

Again, don’t have double standards. What is good for the goose must also be good for the gander.

Anyway, as I am writing this, I am told the Sultan of Perak has not consented to the dissolution of the State Assembly. I greatly appreciate Tuanku Sultan’s decision as this decision will benefit the Rakyat economically and financially as I pointed out earlier. I hope everyone will respect and adhere to Tuanku’s decision. Actions otherwise by anyone, would only be an act of disrespecting the King of Perak and the State of Perak.