Bad political culture taking hold of PKR

By Luke Rintod

PENAMPANG: Something is not right with PKR if the party elections is the barometer.

A veteran leader of the now-defunct Unko (United National Kadazandusun Organisation), Fred Edwin Lojingki, 69, said the chaotic nature of the on-going polls in Sabah as well as in
the peninusula was a manifestation of a bad political culture being promoted in the party.

"I heard in Semporna that the incumbent divisional chief had to pull out his shotgun over something connected with the ballot boxes locked inside a room. In Batu Sapi, Sandakan, a candidate for divisional chief punched a party officer.

"Elsewhere boxing and kicking are the norm. In Semenanjung, there were cases where people were hurt and some even suffered broken legs. It is bewildering.

"Closer to my hometown Penampang, polling yesterday was also chaotic because of disturbances. It was very unruly, there was no peace. I was told this by my relatives who are PKR members," he added.

"In my long years in politics since the 1960s until now, both as activist and observer, I have never seen something like this where party election was marred by underhand tactics and run by questionable management.

"Not in Unko, not in Upko (United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation), not in Pekemas, not in any political party. What we had were isolated cases, but in PKR, chaos and violence seem to be the norm everywhere rather than the exception," he said.

Political animalism

Lojingki reminded younger politicians not to easily fall into the trap of a bad political culture practised by a few leaders that will eventually ruin civil society.

"Anwar Ibrahim, being the de facto leader of PKR, is the one to be blamed for all this ruckus. There were claims within PKR that Anwar himself promotes 'political animalism' against good ethics, and this worries many.

"One must remember that we don't live forever in this world. We as leaders must leave behind a legacy of good examples of how to get things done correctly. We must not do everything, including bad things, just to achieve the ends we want," he said.

Lojingki, who is a keen follower of PKR but not a member, said he was saddened and disappointed to see Sabahan politicians in PKR getting themselves entangled in violent and dirty politics.

Results for the Penampang election will be known later.-FMT