Once smooth operators, pathetic desperadoes now

 I must have said this many times but let me say it again as this is election time and voters in six states have to choose their representatives on Saturday.

“I have not forgotten nor forgiven the Sheraton traitors” is my oft-repeated statement. Today, on the eve of the state elections, I wish to add that: “I would want to see them pay for their treachery, no matter how long it takes”.

The group of traitors who took part in the Sheraton Move that truly bothered me and which I find unforgivable is Azmin Ali and his ex-PKR 10.

Without Anwar Ibrahim and his family plus their political outfit, PKR, this bunch of betrayers and backstabbers were virtually nobodies.

Yet, they had no qualms about stabbing Anwar, his good wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and all the PKR faithful in the back, destroying the years of trust and honour in an act described as the most heinous treachery ever seen in Malaysia’s political history.

The traitors caused the collapse of the democratically elected Pakatan Harapan government and this would be viewed forever as an ultimate betrayal of the voters’ trust.

It was a heinous treachery because it led to a change in government that was not aligned with the mandate given by the electorate in GE14, back in 2018.

Since 2020, where had happened to the Azmin’s 10 and where are they now?

I make no apologies for stating this - the group of traitors who were once smooth operators have now been reduced to pathetic desperadoes.

If there is karma, then I want to believe that it is on the side of justice.

Although the concept of karma originates from various religious and philosophical traditions, I choose to believe that karma is often associated with the principle that positive actions lead to positive outcomes, while negative actions lead to negative outcomes.

In the subject under discussion here, this karma thing is as real as it gets.

Of the PKR 10, the most trusted ally of Azmin was probably Zuraida Kamaruddin. Better believe that when you do wrong, don’t expect your journey ahead to be smooth and easy.

Zuraida Kamaruddin

Zuraida and Azmin were probably the first two in the group to find that out. The two BFFs parted ways just after a year of the Sheraton putsch.

Zuraida then tried to form several NGOs and also attempted to take over a new party but both plans fizzled out.

Then, Azmin and Zuraida were soundly thrashed in last year’s general election. Hell yes, the voters of Gombak and Ampang knew how to send traitors packing.

They threw the duo into the “political dumpster” where they rightfully belong. Of the ex-PKR 10, only three survived in GE15.

Of the three MPs from Sarawak who took part in the Sheraton Move with Azmin, Baru Bian was also defeated. It was no surprise, for Baru has been known as a jellyfish politician, one without a backbone.

No wonder, the other two ex-PKR MPs from Sarawak, Willie Mongin and Ali Biju, deserted Baru soon after the former Sarawak PKR chairperson attempted to make a U-turn in the midst of the Sheraton putsch.

Today, Zuraida has attempted to make a political comeback by cosying up to Gerakan. Sounds like a desperado to me. She was also a former smooth operator but is now keen to join an almost unsalvageable party.

‘Wants his old job back’

If I were a Gerakan leader, I wouldn’t even consider touching the woman with a 10-foot pole. Serious. Or is the party that desperate too?

Azmin is also planning a comeback to state politics since he has already flopped at the federal level. We can guess that he desperately wants his old job back - the Selangor menteri besar post.

I find the Malaysiakini story, “Uphill battle for Azmin against junior Juwairiya in Hulu Kelang” very enlightening indeed.

Azmin was a political giant whose political career began when his contender, Juwairiya Zulkifli from PKR was still a toddler.

However, in reality, Azmin may find himself struggling in the battle for Hulu Kelang.

This part is factual: “For one, Azmin is still struggling to shake off the ‘traitor’ label painted on him following his defection from PKR in 2020 in the infamous Sheraton Move.

“It was this label that was believed to be the main reason why Azmin lost his Gombak seat last year, where he was defeated by Amirudin Shari, his successor as Selangor menteri besar who had a majority of over 12,000 votes”.

Hulu Kelang aspirant Juwairiya Zulkifli

I find Azmin’s attacks on Amirudin and the prime minister pathetically childish. He would bring up the past unnecessarily about Amirudin not being truly loyal to Anwar and that he regretted putting Amirudin up as menteri besar.

Again, this is a case of a once high-and-mighty smooth operator in the corridors of power who had fallen so hard that he has turned into a pathetic desperado.

Azmin also has a few of his old gang in PKR who are now contesting on the Perikatan Nasional ticket.

Again, I urge the voters to remember their treachery and never to trust them but to kick them out forever from our state legislative assemblies.

And yes, let us believe that karma is on the side of justice. All politicians should also bear that in mind. - Mkini

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.