The Silence of the Lemmings

Often we hear or read of political analysts or journalists writing about X party being voted out, and rarely about Y party being voted in.

Those are political truisms if we look at the 1969 downsizing of the Perikatan, particularly in the MCA losing badly to Gerakan, and again in 2008, when this time Gerakan was wiped out in the north by the DAP.

Overseas, it has been the same with Paul Keating losing the Aus government to John Howard, whilst the once touted as near-invincible Howard lost not just to Kevin Rudd (a relative lightweight in his own Labour Party), but also his own blue ribbon seat to a Labour newcomer, Maxine McKew.

Right now, like the Aussies last year, some Malaysians want the UMNO-BN government to be overthrown, by hook and if it has to be so, then by crook, and f* the democratic process.

Once they got over the initial delight of winning 5 States and more than one-third of the seats in Parliament, these people have become more ambitious and less, nay, not satisfied with the results of the 08 March 2008.

That may be attributed to the quantum of hatred they have for the BN.

To their mind, that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) didn’t win all 222 federal parliamentary seats was only because of a corrupt EC, and never mind that the PR didn’t compete in all 222 seats.

They cursed and swore at the EC even as they crowed over the 5 States the PR had won, a victory that had actually come as a surprise not to only to themselves but to the PR leaders.

And they cursed at how corrupt the EC had been in only returning Anwar Ibrahim with a miserly 15,000 plus majority in the Permatang Pauh by-election when rightfully it should have been a majority of 58,459!

As one person wrote in Malaysiakini Vox Populi: As much as I think it is unethical and undemocratic, given the present situation and economic woes, this might be the best option we have.

I sincerely think that any nation-minded MPs who really care for the people should crossover. Enough is enough and it’s the dawn of a new era. I am praying hard for a new government by Sept 16.

His internal warring confusion over democratic process versus a desire to see the toppling of BN-UMNO has resulted in that sad confessional appeal.

But hey, he has been mild by comparison to another who wrote words to the effect that those BN MPs who do not crossover are ‘traitors’ to the nation.

Indeed, fuck those silly inconvenient 'unpatriotic' tricky treacherous traitrous democratic process.

And I read one of my fave Malaysiakini columnists, Josh Hong, who very much to my surprise, wrote in There is Ahmad Ismail in each of us, atypically the following:

Political analysts and scholars can argue over the ethical aspect of crossover till the cow comes home, but the people can tolerate the race-based structure imposed by the BN no more.

Admittedly Josh was only making an astute observation ….. but then Josh didn’t clarify who were ‘the people’ he mentioned as no longer able to tolerate the BN’s racist structure? Surely not Ahmad Ismail and his supporters?

Or perhaps all Malaysians other than Ahmad Ismail? Then why didn’t the 08 March polls demonstrate that?

Hmmm, must be the evil EC!

But do Anwar Ibrahim supporters represent ‘the people’? Or will the majority be marginalized by the demands of the exuberant, hubristic and avaricious PKR euphoria flowing since 08 March but now boiling over?

Never mind, let’s examine the other side of the political fence. Today the Star Online reported that:

Umno Youth has questioned the “deafening silence” from the Bar Council, NGOs and bloggers over plans by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to woo Barisan Nasional MPs.

Its secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said these groups, which claimed to defend the rights of the people, have remained silent over Anwar’s move to engineer defections, which he described as undemocratic and an act of stealing the mandate of the people.

“Where are the voices of NGOs, Bar Council and bloggers who had voiced loudly the need to protect the rights of people?” he asked here yesterday.

“Why are they not coming out to criticise Anwar and tell him it is morally wrong to grab power? Does their silence mean that they are being used by Anwar?”

Abdul Rahman said he was also surprised at the silence of the United States, which usually trumpeted the importance of democracy in the world.

The Kota Belud MP said the people of Malaysia voted for a two-party system in the last general election.

“Anwar should accept his role as Opposition Leader and carry out his duty of checks and balances,” he said.

“If Sept 16 does occur, it will not be a surprise if Barisan supporters go to the streets to challenge the legitimacy of a government formed through undemocratic means. And all this is because Anwar wants to be Prime Minister.”

Well … ;-)