Bota Man's Hopping

The issue of the Bota assemblyman jumping ship is the biggest political news of 2009. Simply because, throughout 2008 (at least March onwards) we were waiting for at least one name from the BN side to hop to the other side. It didn’t happen. Sure a couple went independent and another person quit UMNO and the government altogether (he wasn’t an elected representative, no biggie).

But Bota jumped ship man! Is it an act of betrayal? Some might argue so. I wouldn’t, but I’ll get back to that later.

This is so sudden because the talk of hopping politicians has already died out. People don’t really jot down every issue of rocking boats anymore (a metaphor for unstable political condition of certain political parties). Politics is back in par with the English Premier League. People are back to discussing the weather, the Middle East conflict, Grey’s Anatomy, etc. Suddenly an old friend of DSAI decided to join him in PKR during the Chinese New Year break - I was in Pekan, my in-laws’ hometown, so as I was deprived (or chose to deprive myself) of any news of the world, and it didn’t really made an impact on me as it did Tajol Rosli who probably cried when he learnt about this particular news (probably).

The thing is, when talks were rife about MPs joining the opposition, none made a move - except of course for the 2 SAPP MPs who remain independent till this day. The Bota man may not be an MP, but still it’s quite significant because Tajol Rosli had already promised to outgun DSAI by toppling the Perak state government last year before DSAI’s proposed toppling of the Federal government.

So after the Permatang Pauh by-election win and the KT by-election win, the opposition’s momentum is still rolling with this news. Is there any good news for BN since March ’08 at all? Hmm let’s look back…Okay there’s the ISA issue…owh no wait, the court sided with RPK, and Teresa and the journalist became heroes. Owh! The price of oil debate which saw Sabery make an *** of himself on TV…eh no, the price of petrol is now RM1.80 which now makes Shahrir look like an ***. Owh yeah, the non-occurrence of 916, yes, that totally is a win for BN and UMNO.

But! If indeed after, let’s say 2 years, and slowly but surely the opposition half of the Parliament gets filled up with more MPs and later on, the majority, wouldn’t 916 be irrelevant? Remember, winning a battle does not mean you have won the war. Look into the history of Napoleon, Hitler or even Bush. Even if they do not fill up the majority through hopping MPs, but the 2013 election is a highly electrifying prospect of a new government taking charge after half a century of independence. At least 916 gave us that hope and 2013 PRU would be the most anticipated and unpredictable PRU ever! But let’s focus on hopping MPs as that is more exciting.

The Bota assemblyman gave a simple reason for his action - he wants to serve the public better. It is not easy to serve the public in Malaysia as an elected representative. There are a few reasons why it is so; the assemblyman might be from one party, needs to get clearance from another party, needs to get clearance from the head of his party to work with another party, the worker is bonded to another party, the money would come from the other party who would refuse clearance because they won’t work with the other party - basically due to partisan politics that is so staunchly practiced in this country.

Furthermore, the constant bickering of party members (which is highly evident in UMNO, the most undemocratic party in the land) would make it hard for anyone to do anything. There’s always a sniper on your back aiming to shoot you down if you make the wrong move. This wrong move does not necessarily mean that you’re not doing a good job for the people; it could also mean that you’re not doing enough to please the warlords even if the people are being served well.

So I can totally understand the jumping if he is totally sincere in wanting to do his job. However, as highlighted by an online news portal, it might have also been done due to party positions and other material benefits. You see, once you’re down in UMNO, it’s not possible for you to climb up (unless of course you have unlimited source of income). So it’s easier to do it in another party that is only in its infant years.

This is an enigma. Once you’re in UMNO, you carry the image of a corrupt person - especially if you held positions in UMNO, even if you’re a leader of the most rural of branches you can ever find. So once you jump, no one can honestly believe that you’re sincere. But the oppositions won’t care because they got one more seat. The people though are more cautious. If we get an elected representative that’s sincere, then all is good. But if we get one that is not, and he jumps, then our ray of light on the other side (the PR) might soon be as dim as the current administration. Sooner or later, it would just be another UMNO and another BN.

I’m not going to be one of those pessimists who see blood everywhere. I’m hoping, and this is with all sincerity and belief, that this is just another move towards a better nation and to keep democracy alive and well.

Back to the betrayal issue: No I don’t think of it as a betrayal. Sure he turns his back on his party, and that is clearly a sign of betrayal. However, if you look at it from his point of view (which I take from the point of ‘wanting to serve the people better’), his move is in lieu with his appointment as an elected representative - to serve the people (and not so that he could remain in UMNO). If he thinks, for all intents and purposes, he is not able to do that in UMNO, let him do whatever he thinks is right to achieve his purpose. If, for example, you know you are the bad guy and you want to repent, wouldn't it be okay to jump? (I'm not suggesting anyone or any party is the bad guy/party here...ehem)

The thing is, even if that person is not an elected representative of the state, and he wants to work with the opposition to serve the people, he would not be able to do so even if he stays with the BN coalition. A simple example could be seen in Penang where Gerakan members have to quit their party just so that they can serve in a board that does not even pay them remuneration (if I’m not mistaken).

Another example is Zaid Ibrahim and SAPP. You cannot do anything if your purpose is to serve the public and all that you want to do is work the right way, with the right people, but you are not able to because your party heads do not think that working with the opposition is the right thing to do.

So, might as well you jump ship, if you are going to be ridiculed and punished for wanting to serve better with the other party. At least you get the backing of another strong entity.

Peace :)