When Politicians Show Their True Colours
Those politicians vowing to serve the rakyat and improve their living during the election campaign, are engrossed in nothing but "political, power and monetary" gains. Few will bother about the economy, or who and who will get laid off.
By TAN POH KHENG/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily
When the nation was busy celebrating the Lunar New Year of Ox, willing to emulate the spirit of the diligent animal to work harder to brace the tough challenges in the coming year, the festive mood was killed prematurely by the defection of three politicians in the state of Perak.
Following the defection of Hee Yit Foong et al, the sudden death of Roslan Shaharum and resignation of Kedah executive councillor V Arumugam purportedly "under crossover pressure," the two upcoming by-elections signal that the tussles in the political arenas of Perak and Kedah, even the entire nation, are officially moving into the "battle formation."
The growth of national economy has been adjusted downward from 3% to 0.8%, impacting on all economic sectors and trades. Many people are confronted with the issue of possibly having to lose their jobs after the festive season.
Those politicians vowing to serve the rakyat and improve their living during the election campaign, are engrossed in nothing but "political, power and monetary" gains. Few will bother about the economy, or who and who will get laid off.
This is realistic politics, and what many call "dirty politics."
"Dirty" because some politicians could resort to mean tricks in order to satiate their own lusts for power and monetary gains. No one will actually care about what the rakyat need.
Politics is not only "dirty," it is also the shortcut to riches.
The tags on crossovers are said to be in the range of RM5-10 million. There are reasons why those defectors have chosen to cross the party lines.
These politicos tend to hold their heads out at the smell of power and money, and expose unreservedly their money-first, selfish and despicable true colours.
They will also resort to all kinds of political avenues to openly and unashamedly blackmail their own bosses.
If such people come under attacks for defection, they will take the pre-emptive action by lashing out at other people in a bid to perk up their "price tags."
A certain state assemblyman in Kedah recently banked on the "Hee Yit Foong whirlpool" to express some suspicion-inducing remarks, sending an ominous aura over the sky of Kedah. This is apparently a typical instance of "open blackmail."
1. He first proclaimed that he would quit Pakatan if the Kedah state government continued to implement policies hostile to the Chinese community.
Well, as someone in the state government, shouldn't he himself be held responsible for any policy hostile to the Chinese community the state government has implemented? Instead of leaving Pakatan, why not relinquish all his posts straightaway?
2. He made specific declaration that BN had offered him a "crossover proposal" attached with "handsome rewards," but would not take any action "for the time being."
3. He said threateningly that if the party leadership were to take any further action on his "revelations," he would then feel "utterly disappointed" with the party leadership.
We will see what actions this state assemblyman will take over the next two or three days. But from what has come out from his mouth, it is not hard to smell what his next course of action will be.
The dilemma that Pakatan is sunk into today could be attributed to the lack of common understanding and a solid foundation for the alliance between PKR, DAP and PAS.
There are indeed more opportunistic politicos than real political workers with noble philosophies within each of the three component parties. When these politicos begin to expose their greedy faces, this is the time when the opposition pact is precariously hanging by the thread.
