Why all this hypocrisy?
Tay Tian Yan (Sin Chew Daily)
Last weekend, it was rumoured that Sabah across the South China Sea would see some revolutionary changes.
It was said that several state-level BN leaders would jump ship to Pakatan.
Even the list of prospective defaulters was unveiled, including key persons in Umno, Upko, former chief minister and members of state cabinet.
Call it coincidence or anything else, Anwar personally flew to KK that day, said to personally preside over the ship-jumping ceremony.
It was a replay of the September 16 incident several years ago. Unlike the earlier fiasco, the list was laid under the sun this time, and none in the list denied their involvement.
Sure enough the September 16 incident taught us a lesson, but how if, just if, it turns out to be real this time? Well, even as much of the time the “wolves” made out to be by the kid did not appear, it did one last time!
So, the media were hotly pursuing the development, and neither BN nor Pakatan could afford to treat Anwar’s claim lightly.
On that day, KK was drenched in thunderstorms, but no roaring waves were detected on South China Sea. Anwar arrived a little late. Politicians had already showed up, the ceremony held, but where were the ship jumpers?
Felt like everyone had been kind of taken for a ride. By Anwar? Or those Sabah politicians? No one had a clue.
On further pursuit, someone finally admitted, “We didn’t deny there could be ship jumping, but that didn’t mean someone was going to jump ship!”
All kinds of political tricks would gush out on the eve of elections. This is what we call psychological warfare, a prelude to the bargaining game in the open market.
Politicians are worried they will be reduced to obscurity, either among the voters or those in power. As a consequence, they have to regularly remind people of their mere existence.
In Sabah, and indeed Sarawak as well, this is a standard modus operandi. Too many political parties and their members are putting themselves on sale under such a weird, speculative political environment. The country’s highly intricate political ecosystem, indeed, provides a fertile ground for power wrestling, where even hushed parties or obsolete politicos would find their worths.
The September 16 incident has taught us that we could put on a show, but never act too real.
Politicians with still some prospects would never show their cards prior to the elections. They would only act and pretend in a bid to mark up their own values.
These people will never really jump ship, for if they do, they will become worthless. But they will act like they are potentially ship jumpers in hope of raking in some benefits.
If you really want to jump ship, why act mysterious?
After all, Anwar remains very much Anwar, still giving in to the same September 16 plot.
But why all this hypocrisy?
