Opposition walkout: One scenario, two stories

While the majority of opposition MPs left the Dewan Rakyat, a few remained.

COMMENT

Which of these two stories would grab your attention?

First: Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs walk out of Parliament.

Second: Khairy Jamaluddin and Anifah Aman stay put instead of following the crowd.

You might have expected Parliament to have descended into chaos on the first day of sitting as, for the first time, the tables were reversed. Umno is now the opposition while Pakatan Harapan (PH), the odd bunch of former opposition parties PKR, DAP, Amanah and PPBM, sit as the ruling coalition.

Umno MPs are by now used to bullying and shouting down those on the opposition bench, using sexist, ageist and even racist remarks. To expect them to behave with decorum might perhaps be like expecting a hyena to turn vegetarian.

So, which story would grab your attention?

The one about MPs from Umno/BN and PAS walking out over the appointment of the new speaker? Or the one about the two men who rejected the herd mentality and remained in the Dewan Rakyat?

Was this perhaps a political stunt to convince the Umno electorate and grassroots members that Khairy and Anifah are made of sterner stuff and are not prone to childish behaviour?

The opposition MPs raised doubts about whether PH had complied with the 14-day notice period needed for the nomination of the speaker, Mohd Ariff Md Yusof. They did not believe Dewan Rakyat secretary Roosme Hamzah when she said Parliament had received the nomination letter from Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on July 2.

It appears that Umno, despite now being in the opposition for the first time in Malaysia’s history, is sticking to its trick of accusations and tomfoolery. Does it have concrete proof that Roosme was lying?

Or was this just a clever tactic to “welcome” the new speaker and intimidate him so Umno can show how powerful it is? It’s like a WWF wrestler who bares his teeth, flexes his biceps and roars at his opponents in the wings before entering the ring. It’s all just a visual show of force.

The walkout was a noisy affair. Even Mahathir was seen laughing at the MPs as they left.

But we must applaud Khairy for his ability to demonstrate even a modicum of individuality. He is not like a lemming, and he uses reason in his arguments. At a time when Umno is fading into obscurity and is apparently unable to accept the desire of grassroots members to reform and abandon the politics of fear and patronage, what Khairy and Anifah did was like a breath of fresh air.

Of the two stories, I think Khairy and Anifah’s is more noteworthy.

Remember, it takes great courage to stand by your convictions and do what you think is right, especially when it goes against the majority.

Perhaps Khairy has seen the light, albeit only after Umno’s defeat at the polls. He should form his own party and work with all Umno members who reject money politics, blind political patronage, racism and cronyism.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.