By Masterwordsmith
In politics, there are no permanent friends and there are no permanent enemies. One could be a friend today, and an enemy the next day. Judging from the dynamics of the power play, the balance of power is in such a delicate position that it could tip either way.
In Just Another Political Fantasty, Himanshu Bhatt of The Sun discussed the implications of the alleged invitation by Nazri for DAP to join BN. Nazri, who was quoted making the invitation by Sin Chew Daily on Aug 14, later denied he had extended such an invitation. Naturally, the DAP quarter expressed surprise at the purported invitation by an Umno leader to join the BN. In response, Penang CM Lim Guan Eng said that the offer had come “out of the blue” as no one had mentioned it before. He then reaffirmed DAP's allegiance to Pakatan Rakyat.
In reality, the situation has very close parallels with the Gerakan situation in the early 70's after Gerakan swept into power with popular people’s support to wrest control of the Penang government in 1969. Later on Gerakan joined the federal ruling coalition, the Alliance, which was renamed Barisan Nasional in 1973. Of course, the playing field was different then but this development certainly can (in the words of Himanshu Bhatt) "provide nevertheless some spice to the ever-percolating broth of our everyday politics."
On September 16th 2008, 30 BN MPs were supposed to have crossed over to help Pakatan form the new federal government. Prior to that fateful day, many Malaysians waited with much expectancy for that purported event to happen. However, nothing happened. No one crossed over to the other side.
Now, let's be honest. If any Pakatan MPs crossed over to join BN, they would have been labelled asfrogs, traitors, turncoats, etc.
When BN MPs are enticed to cross over they are NOT frogs, traitors, turncoats, etc. They are regarded as warriors.
The truth is - BN MPs will NOT cross over unless there is some benefit to them. To put it simply, it means we need to buy them. Would this not make them mercenaries? That being the case, how different would the 30 BN MPs be to those Pakatan MPs who have crossed over then?
You can read more about what actually happened n RPK's post on The Bumiputera race torpedoed the Putrajaya race.
This post also provides the timeline of events that happened before September 16th, 2008.
This is the sad situation. We applaud and welcome BN MPs who cross over. We vilify Pakatan MPs who do the same. If so, what values do we in the opposition maintain?
Cheating is okay as long as we win. Cheating is not okay if it is BN that wins.
In short, we have reached that part in the political game where many seem to have no values. Why?
It is not about how you play the game. It is all about winning, by fair means or foul.
It is only when we lose that we scream. If we win, we will say all is fair in love and war. If that is so, are we any different from the BN people?
Let's remember the Perak debacle.What happened to Pakatan in Perak was what Pakatan had hoped to do to BN but failed!!!
When BN turned the tables on PR, we cried foul.
Let's consider the cry for electoral reforms. We are screaming for electoral reforms because we are losing.
Let me ask you this: What will happen if later these same electoral reforms assist BN to win the elections?
Will we still scream? Or will we support gerrymandering so that Pakatan can stay in power?
A knife cuts both ways. One day that knife may also cut us.
Will we still be pro-electoral reforms then? Or will we want to 'tighten' things a bit to make sure that Umno and BN does not have any opportunity to regain its power?
ONE of the reasons Pakatan did well in March 2008 was because of the gerrymandering. The BN 'senjata makan tuan'. But that is nothing new.
They created Federal Territory so that the Chinese can be kept out of Selangor after May 1969. They wanted Selangor to remain Malay majority. However, when the Malays swung to the opposition, the Chinese (MCA) were not able to 'balance' the votes. That is senjata makan tuan.
That was Umno's dilemma.
Consider another example. Previously, they moved the Malay voters out of Kuantan to turn it into a Chinese majority seat. However, much to their surprise, the Chinese there decided to vote for a Malay candiate and Fuziah Salleh (PKR) won. UMNO-MCA thought the Kuantan Chinese would only vote Chinese. So they were caught by surprise when the Kuantan Chinese voted Malay. So the Chinese-majority gerrymandering failed. That is senjata makan tuan again.
History has shown that BN suffered this senjata makan tuan scenario and if truth be told, Pakatan is also not exempted from the same.
While we may celebrate the fact that Bersih 2.0 and concerned Malaysians are calling for electoral reforms for clean and fair elections, hold your horses! Let's not celebrate these so-called electoral reforms just yet. BN may have something up their sleeve.
Maybe they can see that if there are NO reforms then BN MAY lose power next election.
Remember how their 'secret weapon' in Selangor-FT caused the state and KL to fall to Pakatan? Then, they 'moved' the Chinese out of Selangor by forming Federal Territory thinking that the Malays would save Umno in Selangor.
However, the Malays then voted opposition and BOTH KL and Selangor fell.
So, BN was not so clever after all!
Similarly, they 'moved' Malays out of Kuantan to save Kuantan thinking that Chinese would never vote opposition and only vote MCA. Then Chinese voted opposition and Kuantan fell.
Do you see the point?
Senjata Makan Tuan!!
Yes! The knife cuts both ways indeed!
So, we are facing a delicate balance and no matter what, we must always be true to ourselves, our values, morals and principles. A tall order?
In Just Another Political Fantasty, Himanshu Bhatt of The Sun discussed the implications of the alleged invitation by Nazri for DAP to join BN. Nazri, who was quoted making the invitation by Sin Chew Daily on Aug 14, later denied he had extended such an invitation. Naturally, the DAP quarter expressed surprise at the purported invitation by an Umno leader to join the BN. In response, Penang CM Lim Guan Eng said that the offer had come “out of the blue” as no one had mentioned it before. He then reaffirmed DAP's allegiance to Pakatan Rakyat.
In reality, the situation has very close parallels with the Gerakan situation in the early 70's after Gerakan swept into power with popular people’s support to wrest control of the Penang government in 1969. Later on Gerakan joined the federal ruling coalition, the Alliance, which was renamed Barisan Nasional in 1973. Of course, the playing field was different then but this development certainly can (in the words of Himanshu Bhatt) "provide nevertheless some spice to the ever-percolating broth of our everyday politics."
On September 16th 2008, 30 BN MPs were supposed to have crossed over to help Pakatan form the new federal government. Prior to that fateful day, many Malaysians waited with much expectancy for that purported event to happen. However, nothing happened. No one crossed over to the other side.
Now, let's be honest. If any Pakatan MPs crossed over to join BN, they would have been labelled asfrogs, traitors, turncoats, etc.
When BN MPs are enticed to cross over they are NOT frogs, traitors, turncoats, etc. They are regarded as warriors.
The truth is - BN MPs will NOT cross over unless there is some benefit to them. To put it simply, it means we need to buy them. Would this not make them mercenaries? That being the case, how different would the 30 BN MPs be to those Pakatan MPs who have crossed over then?
You can read more about what actually happened n RPK's post on The Bumiputera race torpedoed the Putrajaya race.
This post also provides the timeline of events that happened before September 16th, 2008.
This is the sad situation. We applaud and welcome BN MPs who cross over. We vilify Pakatan MPs who do the same. If so, what values do we in the opposition maintain?
Cheating is okay as long as we win. Cheating is not okay if it is BN that wins.
In short, we have reached that part in the political game where many seem to have no values. Why?
It is not about how you play the game. It is all about winning, by fair means or foul.
It is only when we lose that we scream. If we win, we will say all is fair in love and war. If that is so, are we any different from the BN people?
Let's remember the Perak debacle.What happened to Pakatan in Perak was what Pakatan had hoped to do to BN but failed!!!
When BN turned the tables on PR, we cried foul.
Let's consider the cry for electoral reforms. We are screaming for electoral reforms because we are losing.
Let me ask you this: What will happen if later these same electoral reforms assist BN to win the elections?
Will we still scream? Or will we support gerrymandering so that Pakatan can stay in power?
A knife cuts both ways. One day that knife may also cut us.
Will we still be pro-electoral reforms then? Or will we want to 'tighten' things a bit to make sure that Umno and BN does not have any opportunity to regain its power?
ONE of the reasons Pakatan did well in March 2008 was because of the gerrymandering. The BN 'senjata makan tuan'. But that is nothing new.
They created Federal Territory so that the Chinese can be kept out of Selangor after May 1969. They wanted Selangor to remain Malay majority. However, when the Malays swung to the opposition, the Chinese (MCA) were not able to 'balance' the votes. That is senjata makan tuan.
That was Umno's dilemma.
Consider another example. Previously, they moved the Malay voters out of Kuantan to turn it into a Chinese majority seat. However, much to their surprise, the Chinese there decided to vote for a Malay candiate and Fuziah Salleh (PKR) won. UMNO-MCA thought the Kuantan Chinese would only vote Chinese. So they were caught by surprise when the Kuantan Chinese voted Malay. So the Chinese-majority gerrymandering failed. That is senjata makan tuan again.
History has shown that BN suffered this senjata makan tuan scenario and if truth be told, Pakatan is also not exempted from the same.
While we may celebrate the fact that Bersih 2.0 and concerned Malaysians are calling for electoral reforms for clean and fair elections, hold your horses! Let's not celebrate these so-called electoral reforms just yet. BN may have something up their sleeve.
Maybe they can see that if there are NO reforms then BN MAY lose power next election.
Remember how their 'secret weapon' in Selangor-FT caused the state and KL to fall to Pakatan? Then, they 'moved' the Chinese out of Selangor by forming Federal Territory thinking that the Malays would save Umno in Selangor.
However, the Malays then voted opposition and BOTH KL and Selangor fell.
So, BN was not so clever after all!
Similarly, they 'moved' Malays out of Kuantan to save Kuantan thinking that Chinese would never vote opposition and only vote MCA. Then Chinese voted opposition and Kuantan fell.
Do you see the point?
Senjata Makan Tuan!!
Yes! The knife cuts both ways indeed!
So, we are facing a delicate balance and no matter what, we must always be true to ourselves, our values, morals and principles. A tall order?
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