Don’t beg, Willie, don’t beg

 

Finally, Willie Mongin has announced what was known to many all along. The Puncak Borneo MP has applied to join Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), not yesterday, not last week, but several months ago.

Willie knows that his best option to ensure his political survival is to join PBB. I wouldn’t be surprised that a desperado (like Willie is now) would even be prepared to go down on his knees to beg to be admitted into PBB in the same fashion like the disgusting “cium tangan” politicians in Umno.

This is the behaviour of a lowlife politician and, sadly but not surprisingly, Willie is considered one today. He should know by now that he is just as despised as his treacherous colleagues in the ex-PKR Group of 10 led by Azmin Ali. These PKR turncoats were largely blamed for the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in February 2020.

Many Malaysians have not forgotten and neither will they forgive these self-serving backstabbers who stole the people’s mandate and the government they voted in on May 9, 2018.

Okay, Willie said he hoped PBB would give his application due consideration, adding that if chosen, he would appreciate the opportunity to carry the party’s flag and represent the people of Puncak Borneo. He also explained that he did not join any party after February 2020 but “they” just parked him in Bersatu.

I must ask Willie. Who are “they”? You mean to say you just allow others to make use of you and park you here and there. Like a vehicle looking for a parking space! That is likened to a jellyfish with no backbone, not a respected people’s representative and a MP. Where is your own stand, as an MP and as an elected rep for the Puncak Borneo electorate, eh Willie?

This was my immediate response when the news came in one of my chat groups on Monday, June 20: “So, our friend, Willie, has now confirmed that he is a beggar with a capital ‘B’. He is now begging to join PBB.

“I can only say that he is demeaning himself and all those who voted for him in 2018. I am thinking of penning an article in Willie’s honour to be titled, ‘Don’t beg, Willie, don’t beg’.”

Here it is.

A likeable guy but…

I consider Willie an old friend and I must say that he is actually a very likeable guy, always smiling and very friendly. But this is a serious matter and I have to tell him off now that he is deemed a turncoat and a traitor.

And as a friend, I will fill Willie in on the reactions I received on the report of his application to join PBB. I can tell Willie that these came from our mutual friends and some who responded were from PBB.

Here we go: “No dignity at all, this guy. He wants to join the party he fought against for many years. Make sure he is retired politically for good!”

“A lowlife, the kind that makes politics depressing. Sadly there are many of them, we can only hope they vanish quickly.”

“No dignity at all, this guy. Don’t pity him, ***k him. Jangan bagi muka.”

“During campaigning when with PKR, he said he would be cursed for seven generations if he jumps. Has he forgotten that?”

“Joining PBB is all for himself. He wants to continue as a minister.”

“Sign of Azmin's trademark all over. Self-serving till the end.”

“If I were PBB, I will tell him win first, than we talk. See whether he can win on his own, without PKR or PBB.”

“I'm just wondering if you have any other term worse than beggar.”

“Honestly, I don't trust WM. When I followed his postings in Facebook, I knew I could not trust this person. A genuine public servant will not brag about his work or what he has done because that's his moral and contractual duty, but this man brags about everything - about himself and what he has done for the public."

“A proven political parasite.”

“Who is going to buy his bullsh*t? He is doing it for himself! Not for the rakyat or his constituents. I loathe such a shameless politician.”

“As a PBB member, I will not be happy if Willie is admitted into the party. He is a frog and PBB does not wish to be tainted with political frogs. I believe our party leaders know best how to handle this case.”

There we go. Samples of the responses from those in my chat group. Willie must be quite familiar by now with the brickbats and criticisms against him since he became one of the notorious traitors of the Sheraton putsch.

No honour among thieves

Let me add what’s on my mind. I doubt Willie will be admitted into PBB before GE15 and given a GPS ticket to defend Puncak Borneo. The odds are heavily stacked against Willie.

Senior PBB leaders had already made it clear that the party has many capable leaders to contest Puncak Borneo and they do not require Willie’s services.

This is very true. Puncak Borneo is a Bidayuh-majority seat just outside Kuching and there are so many qualified Bidayuh professionals in PBB.

There is nothing special about Willie. He is not considered a political heavyweight. He stood on a PKR ticket in 2018 and just got lucky as the tide then was against BN. Even the DAP won the neighbouring Bidayuh seat of Mas Gading in GE14.

Seriously, if I were Willie, I would just stay on in Bersatu and fight it out, even if it is a losing battle. He had betrayed PKR and to stab Bersatu in the back now is a little too much, isn’t it?

Already, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has said that Willie was well looked after by Bersatu.

"We have given him support, position, I don't understand if there are any other reasons," Muhyiddin said, adding that “I believe if Willie were to meet with Azmin and myself, we will be able to resolve any matters arising.”

Of course, there is no honour among thieves.

But surely, Willie should stand up like a man now even if he has only several more months left as a MP and YB.

Do not stoop so low like a little frightened mouse in the presence of PBB leaders. And don’t beg, Willie, please don’t beg.

---

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.