By Helen Ang
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Haris,
As lawyer and key member of Bersih, do you figure the continued push for clean elections can incorporate mechanisms to deter party hopping?
In my post ‘Kelana Jaya: Yes, the man matters’ https://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/kelana-jaya-yes-the-man-matters/, I took exception to Jeffrey Kitingan whose desertion once scuppered his brother Joseph Pairin’s chances of forming state government. His act was an unforgivable betrayal of Sabahans’ trust by renegades who had earlier ridden the PBS ticket to victory.
Last week, People’s Parliament had obtained an assurance from Loh Gwo-Burne that he was not Anwar Ibrahim’s proxy and seatwarmer, meaning his candidacy in Kelana Jaya is genuine. Loh’s nomination was controversial and he inadvertently crossed our line of sight after this forum discussed the church-shophouses issue miring his opponent Lee Hwa Beng. Subsequently, the PKR rookie became our case study in a prolonged debate on democratic processes.
This week, an independent candidate is having his 5 minutes of fame. Ho Yip Kap who won a state seat in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands is all set to rejoin MCA. Ho is reported in party mouthpiece The Star as saying: “I know some voters will be angry with me but there will be many happy ones, too.”
Can we infer from Ho’s admission that it was not made known to the electorate before polling day that he’d already harboured the idea of crossover? If he planned beforehand to return to the BN fold, then deciding to take Tanah Rata with him now is unethical because his intent was hidden from his constituents.
We also have V. Arumugam, the independent candidate who captured Bukit Selambau, Kedah. He has joined PKR and been picked to be a state executive councillor in the PAS-led government. According to him, it was PKR that made the approach, and apparently met his terms.
If it rankled when Opposition state assemblyman-elects are solicited and enticed to switch their allegiance to BN, then it should likewise be unpalatable when turn-coating is encouraged or occurs in the reverse direction.
As a person who is chary of institutional constraints, I’m example of someone who would be willing to throw my support behind a tenable independent. This decision equates my vote is my trust given to my representative to be civil society’s voice.
But the cynical dealmaking and other shenanigans like candidates failing to show up on nomination day is a damper to the fledging notion that we, the people, are stakeholders. As much as I’d like to believe we can create our own options rather than frustratingly accepting the surrender implicit in “what other choice do we have”, these demonstrations of human frailty are a letdown.
People’s Parliament initiated ‘Know Your MP’ and “Get an MP’ – c.f. how Singapore headhunts her incorruptible, reluctant politicians – because integrity is the foundation stone of reform. Or so I thought.
National service (not self-service) starts with: Who is the man asking you to elect him to high public office and what does he stand for? Does he know his own mind and will he follow the dictates of his conscience?
Some PKR and party supporters who commented in the People’s Parliament Kelana Jaya threads insist an MCA nominee will invariably kowtow to Umno. I’ve no quarrel with this assumption.
However, they fail to realise the same fatal flaw mirrored in their argument that Gwo Burne’s inexperience – when GB himself posted in this forum, he admitted that he was only 4 days old in politics – is immaterial. They advise that as a novice he need simply go along with his senior party colleagues in the House.
This ‘rationalisation’ of double standards makes me wonder what values we are affirming and sets me to thinking we surely deserve the double-dealing politicians we get.
The People's Parliament 
Paul Warren
March 12, 2008
On the subject of party hopping. Yes I too get disappointed and not exactly happy when one crosses over for 30 pieces of silver. There is betrayal there.
In the case of the Independent who joins PKR, other than becoming an Executive Council man may be an enticement for crossing over, but he could have just as well supported PKR or even the opposition there as an impartial free man.
However, for a BN man from UMNO or any of the component parties to cross over, now that would only be leaving a severely damaged ship that has been kept floating through thick and thin, at the sacrifice of the passengers it carries. In this case he would be sacrificing the promise of riches every other BN MP or state assembly person has to move into a world of uncertainty as the new bunch profess to be corruption free. After all they would have had little exposure to and experience with corruption as well.
Indeed, despite my reservations for winners who cross over, as I think a BN member’s cross over would be a dignified one, I have on my blog actually made an open invitation to BN MPs and ADUNs to cross over. I am not apologising for it.
Bendrix
March 13, 2008
It may be slightly unfair to compare the cases of the ADUNs for Tanah Rata and Bukit Selambau.
I read somewhere that the latter seat saw a straight fight between the Independent and the BN after the PKR candidate was disqualified. Apparently the PKR then campaigned for the Independent to be voted in. It may be that the Independent may have been campaigning on a similar platform as that of PKR. I can’t be sure of this. Perhaps the voters would have voted for someone so long as it isn’t a BN candidate.
The Tanah Rata seat was a three-cornered contest between BN (i.e. MCA), DAP and the Independent. I am again unsure what the respective candidates’ platforms were, but the voters clearly rejected both the BN and the DAP candidates. So for the Independent to now join the MCA… well… that would, in the words of Haris, be a fraud perpetrated on the voters of Tanah Rata.
As for the Gwo Burne argument, I think what was unacceptable about the non-UMNO BN component parties was their failure or inability to dissent from UMNO’s shenanigans e.g. racialist policies, blatantly unjustified amendments to laws to suit the ruling party etc. There is nothing wrong with Gwo Burne going along with the rest of the BR candidates if they stand for principles or policies which mirror the conscience of the rakyat.
Rambo
March 13, 2008
I have more respect for Chua Soi Lek than Ho Yip Kap. Show Ho Uip Kap’s face to me and I will slap it. What a lying running dog. I pity Tanah Rata’s voters. Hope Ho Yip Kap can sleep soundly with the millions he pocket for crossing over. Also, can someone let him know karma will catch up on him and lying dogs can’t carry their millions to their grave.
Also, I must congratulate MCA Pahang for a job well done in buying over Ho Yip Kap. At the same time I also pity ordinary MCA Pahang members because their money is used to enrich Ho Yip Kap. Worst, it could be taxpayers’ money.
Ahmad Navi Abdullah
March 13, 2008
The leadership of the parties concerned should get their candidates to sign undated letters of resignation as representatives of their constituency, which should be lodged with SPR if the candidates cross over. Candidates should be picked on intergrity and commitment to the cause.