The Rocket’s political crisis

Writer: Liao Ming An (translated name)

Oriental Daily, March 16, 2017

As I have mentioned in my previous article entitled “Don’t fool people with democracy”, the mass resignation at DAP grass-roots level has finally erupted. 182 loyal members with five to 40 years membership in the party quit the party to which they had sworn to sink or swim and a party they had been proud of. Is it just a simple matter of “moving together” with party representatives who have resigned earlier?

This is the worst blow suffered by the Rocket in history. Among them, six were branch chairmen, branch women section committee members and several leaders and active members. There were also candidates fielded in the last election and some young professionals, pushing the Malacca Rocket into an unprecedented political crisis.

Those outside the state may not be familiar with these people. Some have even been called inactive members by Anthony Loke. However, in Malacca, their influence is no small matter. Without them, it can be certain that lost votes to Malacca Rocket would go up. Of course, many hot-blooded netizens have vented their baseless attack against the resigned party members and have overlooked the real issue, even twisted the true meaning of democracy.

Following the mass resignation of the 182, some party members continue to express in Facebook that they have lost faith in the party and desire to quit. This shows that the wave of mass resignation is still brewing. Lim Guan Eng, as the DAP secretary general, does not have the high quality of a leader. He even joked that based on newspaper pictures, only 20 people were involved. He also accused Barisan media in making up 20 into 182 people. This has angered even more party members and voters. The media even resent him for simply making allegations against the media.

Before their resignation, chief minister Idris revealed in the state assembly a land scam involving a Rocket state assemblymen and a political secretary. Independent state assemblyman Goh Leong San launched a relentless attack to the dismay of the Rocket. The public is also surprised that an opposition state assemblyman and executive committee member are also involved in such wrongdoings. This has caused the party to lose its popularity. It is believed that the Rocket will find it hard to stir up another wave of enthusiasm for a change of government in the coming election.

Are Goh Leong San and his people who have been raining blows on the Rocket really trying to destroy DAP as claimed by Malacca DAP secretary Khoo Poay Tiong? Khoo, in the face of such a serious party crisis, has totally lost his controlling power. He was clowning around, trying to cover up by resorting to the conspiracy theory, even claiming that the Malacca chief minister had been manipulated by Goh Leong San.

Looking at the suspension of membership of Sim Tong Him and Goh Leong San and later the four together with the 182 who resigned now, we can see the arrogant and dismissive attitude of the top Rocket leaders and their inflated ego. It also shows that the spirit of democracy is fading in the Rocket as it veers towards autocracy.

Malacca is not a breeding ground for cancer. Neither is it a place for the creation of semi-god. Malacca people have discarded Lim Guan Eng and his wife, giving them least votes in the last party election. They have swung their support to MCA new comer Wong Nai Chee, causing the Rocket to lose an MP’s seat in Malacca. All this proves that Malacca people are independent in their thought and judgment.

Bersih pointed out recently that 10% of the voters may not vote because they have grown tired of politics and have also lost trust in the opposition. This is a conservative estimate. Those who have made up their minds to cast a spoil votes to teach the opposition parties a lesson will impact the results of the election.

Some people say by casting spoil vote means supporting the rotten Barisan. Such a claim is against democracy. By not voting just means the turn-out rate would be low. By casting spoil vote only conveys dissatisfaction to all the parties.

Malacca Rocket has gone through many political crises. If a rational analysis is done, all of them were caused by an arrogant central leadership. The majority under this “democracy” is the minority. The central leadership ignores the protest, dismissing it as it involves only a small number of people. Obviously, they don’t understand the real meaning of democracy. They have exposed that their only concern is they are the “masters” while others are only the “people”. How sad it is!

 

http://www.orientaldaily.com.my/index.php/columns/pl20154280