Play the game according to the ‘rules’ or else quit the game

Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I remember, eleven years ago, back in 1999, the opposition coalition, Barisan Alternatif, faced one of the most fraudulent general elections in Malaysian history. Nevertheless, they did not do too badly in spite of it -- although they would have done much better if not for the fraud.

Soon after that we had a meeting with the Elections Commission (SPR) to present them with a thick dossier of proposed electoral reforms. Top of the list was of course the postal voting system, which we were of the view, had already outlived its usefulness and therefore should be abolished.

The reply the SPR gave us shocked us into silence. “If we abolish the postal voting system then not a single Cabinet Minister would be able to remain in office,” the SPR replied.

After we had regained our composure, we asked the SPR is not the purpose of the Election Commission to manage clean, free and fair elections in Malaysia? That was when the second shocker was delivered. “The purpose of the SPR is to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power,” we were told.

With that type of opening statement, and with so many issues more to go, we decided it was pointless to proceed. If the SPR can so blatantly reply that way, with no shame or inhibition, was there any point in continuing this meeting on seeking electoral reforms?

We closed the thick book of proposed electoral reforms and left the SPR office.

I then wrote that the opposition should boycott the next general election. We might as well launch a hartal or civil disobedience campaign. If Barisan Nasional wants to win the elections through fraud then let them win through a walk over. We should not participate in a fraudulent general election and give it legitimacy.

No doubt Barisan Nasional can claim it won the election. But it would have won through a no-contest, which means they can’t claim that the voters gave them overwhelming support or the mandate to rule the country. It would, at best, be an illegitimate government in the eyes of the world.

But many were not in favour of a boycott. And in 2004 the opposition got massacred, although there were other reasons other than fraud for this.

I was then asked to sit in a committee that was going to gather tangible and hard evidence of fraud. And we did just that. We gathered tons and tons of evidence. And with this evidence we filed election petitions to try and get the 2004 general election declared null.

But the court threw out our election petitions. In fact, Umno also filed election petitions to instead get the opposition candidates disqualified. And Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the solitary PKR candidate who won with a very narrow margin, almost got disqualified.

Again I called for a boycott and of course this did not happen in the 2008 General Election. And there are some who say it was lucky that the opposition did not boycott the 2008 General Election considering that they managed to win five states plus denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Maybe so. If the opposition had boycotted the 2008 General Election then they would have missed out on winning the five states plus they would not have been able to deny Barian Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.

That is probably one way of looking at it. But if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won more than five sates and with a mere 300,000 more votes it would have been able to form the new federal government. And the fraud exceeded the 300,000 votes that the opposition needed to form the new federal government.

So the opposition won second prize. But in a two-horse race second prize also means last. And if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won first prize instead. But the fact that the opposition stayed in the race and accepted second prize means the opposition endorses the general election -- and therefore also endorses the fraud that came with it.

Okay, so the decision was made to not boycott the general election but contest it in spite of the fraud. And to offset the fraud the opposition would need to win with a majority of at least 60% or so of the popular votes.

This, the opposition is prepared to do. It is prepared to play on a non-level playing field where the goal posts are shifted halfway through the game. And the opposition knows it needs to garner more than half the votes. With the gerrymandering, phantom voters, postal votes, and the RM500-RM1,000 cash paid to each voter, the opposition needs to take three steps forward just to stand still.

If this is the decision then well and fine. I can live with that. After all, there are only two choices -- either boycott the game or stay in the game that you know will be stacked against you. If you don’t like the game then get out. Boycott it. But if you choose to stay in the game then live with it. Accept the ‘rules’ that will certainly work against you.

Since 2008 we have had about a dozen by-elections. And each time, as expected, the fraud gets worse and worse. But still the opposition participates in the elections that they say is fraudulent. And every time the opposition grumbles, complains, bitches, moans and groans. But they still participate in the elections in spite of all that.

Let’s face it. The SPR will never introduce electoral reforms. They have said so ten years ago back in 2000. And they have explained why the fraud has to continue -- to make sure that all the Cabinet Ministers get to retain their seats and to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power. The only way there is going to be electoral reforms would be when we see a change of federal government.

But it is a Catch 22 situation. To see a new federal government we need electoral reforms. But to see electoral reforms we need a new federal government. It is like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?

I will leave that puzzle for you to solve. Meanwhile, while we ponder on this ‘Gordian Knot’ (which only Alexander the Great can cut) let us look at the ongoing PKR party elections.

Over the last month or so we have been reading tons of stories and articles about the alleged fraud in the party elections. How much is true and how much is exaggerated I don’t really know because I am not on the ground and have to depend on what I read and what I am told by those who phone me.

But the fact that some divisions that voted in favour of Azmin Ali saw an exceptionally high voter turnout that far exceeds the national average of 5%-10% certainly triggers some alarm bells. This is reminiscent of the 2004 General Election where Kuala Selangor and Kuala Terengganu saw a 125% voter turnout against a national average of less than 80%. Exceeding 80% voter turnout already looks suspicious. Exceeding 100% voter turnout is a miracle that only God can perform.

Nevertheless, there are many who are most upset about this whole episode. Top of the list is probably Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. I am inclined to believe that some of the allegations are not without merit. If it is one or two complaints then maybe we can question the accuracy of the allegations. But when there is a flood of complaints then certainly some of it must be true.

I do not want to discuss whether the complaints are true and if so how much of it is true. I am not a member of the party elections committee so I am not privy to all the evidence. What I want to talk about is the same thing as what I have been saying since 2000.

If you know there is fraud then get out. Boycott the elections. Raise the complaints if you wish and get them attended to. But if the party denies your allegations then there is nothing more you can do. You can always ask for justice to be done. Whether you do or do not get justice is for the powers-that-be to decide. And in this case the powers-that-be is the party elections committee headed by Dr Molly Cheah.

If Dr Molly believes that there is fraud then, knowing her, she would most certainly do something about it. But if she does nothing then this can only mean that she believes there is no fraud. Dr Molly is probably one of the last persons on earth who would sell her soul to the devil.

I am tired of reading about the grumbling, bitching, complaining, moaning and groaning by Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. Dah letih dengar. Meluat!

If the fire is too hot, get out of the kitchen. Elections in Malaysia will never be clean, free and fair -- whether they are general elections, by-elections or party elections. If you want to contest in any election then accept the fact that you will be faced with many incidences of fraud. Even if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the new federal government it too will, by hook or by crook, do whatever to takes to prevent Barisan Nasional from taking back the government.

If you still want to contest then do so quietly. Walk softly and carry a big stick. If you can’t stomach what is going on then this is not the game for you. Quit now!

Let us say, in spite of all the fraud that Zaid says is going on, he wins the contest and becomes the new Deputy President of the party. Will he then declare that the election was fraudulent and insist that the election be declared null and for a new election to be called? Or will he ‘accept the decision of the members’ and stay on as the new Deputy President of the party?

If Zaid is a man of principles, even if he wins the post of Deputy President he should decline the post because he would have won it against the backdrop of a fraudulent election. How can he accept the post of Deputy President when it was won through a fraudulent election? Zaid should decline the post and ask for the election to be declared null and for a new election to be called.

Since Zaid is going to stand on principles he should not give the election legitimacy even if he wins the post of Deputy President. He should distance himself from what he says is a fraudulent election and not legitimise it by staying in the race.

You should not grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan only when you lose. If you believe that there is fraud then you should grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan even if you win. And if you are going grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan when you win and refuse to accept the post on point of principle, then don’t waste your and everyone else’s time by participating in an election that you consider a farce.

Get out and get out now. Then people would say you have principles and are not a cry baby who grumbles, bitches, complains, moans and groans only when you lose but will accept the verdict of the election if you happen to win.

I remember the BBC HARDTALK interview of 2004 when Anwar Ibrahim was asked why he is getting too personal about Dr Mahathir. Anwar replied that he is not being personal but opposes Dr Mahathir on point of principle.

The BBC interviewer then asked Anwar if he is opposed to Dr Mahathir on point of principle then why did he remain in the Cabinet? Why did he not resign if he did not endorse the manner in which Dr Mahathir was running the country?

Anwar did not have an answer.

Zaid resigned from the Cabinet in 2008 on point of principle. He refused to stay in the Cabinet because he does not endorse what the government is doing. That makes him one up on Anwar.

But now he stays in the race although he opposes the principle in how the race is being run. And if he wins the race he will accept the post of Deputy President of the party.

Is what he is doing now, in 2010, a reversal of what he did in 2008?

Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.

Like that people will say Zaid may have left Umno but Umno never left Zaid. Umno is still very much in him.