3 members of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government in Perak have decided to leave the party to become independents who are 'Barisan Nasional (BN) friendly'. Thus the balance of power in the state is now 28 PR 28 BN and 3 Independent. The ruler of the state, the Sultan seems to say that as the 3 Independents are friendly towards BN, the BN has the right to form the state government. The old Menteri Besar (MB) is thus unjustly cast aside and a new MB is dubiously appointed. Now what if the 3 independents decide to become PR friendly again? The old MB still considers himself the MB. So there are 2 MBs in the state. The PR still considers itself the state government so there are two governments in the state. There is resentment by the people. There are clashes between the people and the police. There is potential chaos. There is confusion.
In my mind, the 3 independents are traitors to the people. They think the people chose them individually not the party, not the opposition. It is clear that the people did not choose them as individuals but as the collective opposition. Anyone who stood as a candidate for the opposition in the last election would have won. Politicians are trustees of the people. The people have elected them and they owe their loyalty to the people. They are public property. These 3 traitors have decided to bypass the people into the arms of the BN. They acted unscupulously, dishonestly, disloyally. They are people without good values, ethics or character. I am told that 2 of the Independents have corruption charges against them. Have they something to gain by hopping over? And the suspicion that they have been paid large sums of money too will always be there given the track record of the BN in money politics.
Leaving aside these 3 traitors of the people, what about the decision of the ruler of the state? He is supposed to be the guardian of the people. He should be able to read the sentiments of the people. He is no normal sultan. He was a former High Court Judge, Chief Justice of the Judiaciary and former King. Much is expected of him to act fairly and wisely. He should at once see clearly that these 3 have betrayed the people. The right thing to do would be to call for fresh elections in the state as requested by the old MB. How did he allow the new MB to be appointed? No constitutional provisions have been cited. How can he ask the old MB to step aside? Again no constitutional provisions have been cited. Thus there is now a dispute as to the legality of the new state government and the status of the new MB. What reasons have the sultan given for his decision? None as i know. Is he right to hide behind the dignity of royal silence? All these could have been avoided if the sultan had just left it to the people to decide in new fresh elections. He would then have been seen to have acted impartially and above the political fray. He would have acted dignifiedly as he looks. As a result of his failure to act rightly, the people who have opted for change in the last elections have felt betrayed by the 3 and the sultan.
This is the golden rule which every democratic government or monarch should bear in mind - when there is doubt- go back to the people. In a democracy the people is sovereign. If followed, there will be peace and all will be well. Just go back to the people. Problems arise when the people who allow the politicians and monarch to stay in power are bypassed and the politicians and monarch behave like tyrants.
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