WITH the mad scramble going on to fill the prized chief executive post of the Silver State, some politicians are willing to sacrifice the principles that they have stood by for decades. Citing “public interests”, which, in hindsight, was never their concern in the first place, they choose to prostitute integrity for lust for power and positions. Even among thieves, there’s honour!
Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming has openly welcomed the prospects of working with Umno to form a government. Wasn’t Umno DAP’s No. 1 enemy for decades?
Didn’t DAP bash Umno endlessly for corruption, cronyism and nepotism? What was reason for asking the public to take to the streets over the years if not to protect and defend the federal constitution and pluralism that Umno had forsaken due to expediency?
Why was 1MDB-tainted Datuk Seri Najib Razak the most vilified man by DAP during the last general election, if not ever?
So, now DAP can turn a blind eye to Umno’s excesses? If Umno has turned over a new leaf, why is DAP still attacking Umno, whether for its racist or corrupt streak? Isn’t DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang still sending out reams of media statements each week attacking Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and party adviser Najib?
Or is it because Nga is still drunk on the power that he tasted for about 20 months as Dewan Rakyat’s deputy speaker? Were all the perks and privileges that came with power so intoxicating that he can sacrifice his and the party’s ideals to get back into power?
The thing is, Nga is not the only one in DAP who harbours dreams of returning to the hallowed halls of power. Going by news reports, there are quarters in DAP whose lust overpowers their principles.
Using Perak, they are hoping to create a domino effect that culminates in a tectonic shift in power in Putrajaya. With 42 MPs, including some facing criminal charges, they want to topple Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, even if it means working with Umno, or God forbid, PAS.
When Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in September announced that he had secured enough MPs to form the next government, DAP knew the bloc included Umno lawmakers, including disgraced ones, dubbed the “court cluster”, or those facing criminal charges.
DAP did not distance itself from such insinuations. Its deafening silence then spoke volumes about where the party stood.
When it came to Perak, at least, DAP was more forthright in embracing Umno, even if that meant making the duo strange bedfellows, unlike DAP’s “fling” with Pas during the Barisan Alternatif and Pakatan Rakyat days.
Even if DAP’s plans to join forces with Umno in Perak falls through, the dent to its public image is bad enough. But if they do work together in the state to form the new Perak government, or even one in Putrajaya, rest assured we, the voters, can’t wait till the next general election to teach this party a lesson it will never forget! – The Vibes, December 6, 2020
Loh Wee Thim
