Malaysians Say The Darndest Things!

Seat Hopping: Acceptable Or Unethical?

March 25, 2008

PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim has hinted (declared seems to be a better word here) that up to 30 Barisan Nasional MPs, especially from the states of Sabah and Sarawak are ready to jump ship and declare their allegiance to PKR. This would give the federal Opposition a simple majority in Parliament, and thus, hand over the reins of power from BN to the PKR-PAS-DAP coalition.

Anwar Ibrahim will be legally allowed to participate in an elections by April 15 2008. Someone within PKR will be stepping down as an MP to make way for by-elections to be called, and the idea is that the people will give their support to Anwar Ibrahim and return him to the hallowed grounds of the Malaysian Parliament (ok, that ‘hallowed’ part is a tad over-exaggerated). If he were to return to Parliament, and 30 BN MPs do cross-over, there is the possible likelihood that Anwar’s rise from the dead from the Reformasi days will finally be complete, and he would be the newly-minted 6th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Herein lies the question, is it ethical for the 30 Barisan MPs to cross-over to PKR?
Some say, Barisan has done this before during the party-hopping days of the Sabah MPs years and years back, so it’s time that they taste their own medicine. Fellow blogger, Ktemoc has a fitting response regarding the same issue :

Yes, shamelessly, the common cry among those ‘lost’ souls (and I mean they have lost their souls) is “why was it no one complained when the BN did it” implying they now have the right to respond in tit for tat fashion, but forgetting they have been exclaiming, proclaiming and acclaiming their recent victory as a win for a ‘change for the better’.

May I ask how can a ‘BN Version II’ be a change for the better? Yes, if the BN ate sh*t, would they eat sh*t as well? If the BN was corrupt, would it be OK to be corrupt too?

Some would also argue that the ends justify the means. They say that Barisan Nasional must be taken down no matter what, and if it means using tactics like this to take down Barisan Nasional, then so be it. But should the ends always justify the means? If you put yourself in Barisan’s shoes before the elections, you would use the government-owned media to paint a black picture about the Opposition. You would tell the Elections Commission to make it easier for Barisan to win seats. You would threaten the voters that if they did not vote Barisan, they would be left out and marginalized. You would pay voters ‘travel allowance’ to go back to your home state to vote, and to vote for Barisan only. Barisan knows that they are employing dirty tactics, but they don’t give a shit as long as they remain in power. They argue that the ends justify the means. Isn’t this one the reasons why the people are now sick of Barisan Nasional, because of their blatant cheating? If the Opposition were to use the dirty tactics to win power, what does it say about them, and what would the people then think about the Opposition?

So far, PAS and DAP has announced that they will support an anti-hopping bill if it were to be tabled in Parliament. PKR’s Youth Wing has indicated in Malaysiakini that they have knowledge that 16 BN MPs are ready to jump ship. It seems like the idea of defections are still acceptable to PKR, as long as no money changes hands and the BN MPs jump ship without any conditions.

My personal view on this issue is clear. If the 30 Barisan Nasional MPs really want to cross-over to the Opposition, then quit Barisan Nasional and cross-over. At the same time, make sure you quit as MP as well, because you no longer have the mandate of the voters in your constituency. You cannot just assume that your voters will agree with your actions, and the only way to legitimize your actions will be to stand for elections again.

To the 30 Barisan Nasional MPs: Do your job in Parliament as the Barisan Backbencher’s Club. Do not vote for bills/motions along party lines. If the Opposition introduces something that is worth supporting for the betterment of the country, then support it. If Barisan introduces something that is only for the betterment of the party, but does nothing for the country, then reject it. Do what is best for your country, not what is best for Barisan Nasional. Dare to be a Shahrir Samad, and we’ll see if the BN Whip will dare to expel you from the party this time around.

You Might Find These Interesting

• Stopping Anwar Ibrahim In Permatang Pauh: Introduction
• Happy Malaysia Day - Analyzing Anwar’s Press Conference
• PKR And DAP Seat Talks In Perak Still Pending An Outcome
• Undilah Barisan Rakyat!
• 8/3/2008: The Golden Number To Watch For

Thank you for reading Malaysians Say The Darndest Things! If you like what you just read, you should consider subscribing to this blog in a feedreader. Alternatively, you could also subscribe via email, and you will get a daily digest of the day's posts. Your email is strictly protected and will never be used for spam or marketing purposes.