YOURSAY | How Azmin turned a dream into a nightmare

 

YOURSAY | ‘The fall of BN, and the subsequent fall of Harapan, are not necessarily the end.’

Yeo: Azmin-led Sheraton Move was 'beyond my wildest dreams'

Kilimanjaro: In PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's words, he started planning the downfall of Pakatan Harapan in Putrajaya from day one.

It is like the saying that the leopard doesn't change its spots. Hadi's envy and jealousy of the non-Malays, especially in sharing real power, is well-known.

After the 13th general election, when Hadi was adamant about leaving Pakatan Rakyat, current opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim tried to coax him back but to no avail.

In politics, it is not just about building bridges, it is also about "stabbing in the back".

This brings to the fore the narration by Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong on how former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin had asked for a favour from then Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang and Liew to back a Bersatu MB for Johor.

I believe Harapan, in many ways, was committed to building bridges, but then there were traitors within Harapan bent on destroying those bridges.

Current International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali wasted no time in summoning a bumiputera congress almost immediately after the 14th general election.

It was the naivety of the then energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister Yeo Bee Yin not to notice what a chameleon and power-greedy politician Azmin has been, and still is.

Just ask former deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail how he went behind PKR to become the Selangor menteri besar, of course, with the help and support of PAS.

Yes, political power comes from politics, more so from politicking and how personal interests override that of people and country.

The perception is clear and this is the most unfortunate thing that we have to face and endure - that we seldom have real leaders but only self-seeking politicians who play the game of dividing the people and country in order to win and stay in power. It is written all over their faces.

Everything has a limit and such racial gutter politics will come to an end.

The Sheraton Move not only revealed who the traitors are, but it also revealed that the base they stood on called "Malay unity" had been shredded to pieces, and it was nothing more than a mode of ulterior politics and politicking that led them nowhere.

This perhaps sums up the hope and optimism Yeo has that will chuck such greedy and gutter politicians out of the system. And this will, and has to, come from the people. A good start is an anti-hopping bill. Hopefully, it goes through.

MS: Bakri MP Yeo represents idealism, which has no place in Malaysia's cut-throat politics powered by money and little else.

That is borne out by the fact of her inability to judge fellow politicians for what they are - self-serving, first and last, and as she points out, "much less about policies".

The strange thing about all that she has revealed about the treachery that was afoot is that ordinary Malaysians could see what was happening with former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Gombak MP Azmin making their separate but coordinated moves to undermine the coalition.

And many had commented about what they felt was going on in Malaysiakini and other platforms. Despite that, the DAP especially felt it was more prudent to "buat bodoh" (act stupid) than to rock the boat and get tossed overboard like some excess baggage.

Ruslan Bahari: The most revealing bit here is the fact that while Yeo criticises Azmin's defection, she also admitted that perhaps "bridging" with the opposition would have been a solution.

I hope the book ‘Unfinished Business’ also addresses the elephant in the room, which is Mahathir's behaviour as prime minister at the critical moment of handover to Port Dickson MP Anwar Ibrahim.

Unless Yeo has learnt nothing from the 22 months, she will realise that if that handover was target date-stamped, Malaysia could very well still be under Harapan.

IndigoTrout2522: The fall of BN, and the subsequent fall of Harapan, are not necessarily the end of Malaysia, although certainly, it hurts.

It showed that change is possible and the mighty BN could be brought down. There is no question that most Harapan ministers, MPs, state assemblypersons and other politicians are very naive, idealistic and inexperienced.

They are trying to be honest and do a good job of improving the country without understanding that much of a politician’s life is indeed politics, relationships and communications.

It is not that those who engage in treacherous activities are innocent either. They were more experienced and had a better understanding of negative politics. They are a lot less idealistic and less dedicated to improving the lives of the people.

Remember, many of them had six decades or so being in government, in Parliament and state assemblies, whereas Harapan ministers were all new and naive.

True, many commentators in Malaysiakini had warned about what was going on in the background, but life is such that being naive meant those new politicians were easily blinded.

A good example is Mahathir. It is safe to say that most in DAP, PKR and Amanah were euphoric about him and were convinced that he had changed, even though many among the rakyat and commentators here had cautioned about it.

Anyway, that is over. It is a great lesson for younger politicians and future politicians, but they will certainly have their eyes wide open and minds more practical and less naïve, and they will make greater contributions to the nation.

BN can be beaten again if these younger politicians learn their lessons and continue to serve this nation with the same energy, honesty, integrity, and dedication, but with a better understanding of politics and relationships and seeing other politicians through a clearer lens.

The lesson is change is possible. - Mkini