Commodified elected reps

THE joke in town now is that everyone should join the political parties DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) for a RM10 fee, run for office, and then wait for the big payoff.

Both parties deserve to be the butt of such jokes since the fall of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak was due to the resignation of three individuals from these two parties, who are now pledging support for the Barisan Nasional (BN). The other assemblyperson who hopped out and then back into Umno was a BN elected representative to begin with.

This column will not debate whether the Perak Sultan's decision not to dissolve the state assembly was constitutionally right or wrong. Rather, the point I'd like to make is that with the political developments in Perak, the people are learning that they cannot place blind faith in a political party. Neither can they trust their elected representatives to adhere to the principles of the party he or she contested under.

Party flaws

Of the four assemblypersons who hopped, it is rather unfortunate and unfair that only Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Foong, formerly from the DAP, has evoked such strong public condemnation. Most likely because she is a woman, violent and sexist language and acts have also been targeted at her.

Some people blame Hee's greed and an alleged payoff she received amounting to millions of ringgit. Others blame the arrogance of Beruas Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Pantai Remis assemblyperson Nga Kor Ming, both from the DAP, for Hee's betrayal. This argument seems to be substantiated by DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan who claimed that Perak DAP has numerous problems that caused the betrayal to take place.

Whatever the reasons for her decision to leave the DAP, Hee will have to contend with the persecution against her good self for a long time to come.

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