An interesting piece of news emerged from the US on April 29. US Senator Arlen Specter, a 29-year veteran of the US Senate, had decided to ‘switch; from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party.

In fact, the ‘defection' of the senator is more than just an ordinary crossover. By defecting, the senator has increased the number of Democrats in the US Senate to 59, one short of the ‘magic number' of 60 that will ensure that the Democrats will be able to pass bills much easier.

The Democrats already control the White House and the House of Representives (Congress). The Senate in the US is a powerful institution unlike our Malaysian senate that has no power to move and pass bills (correct me if I'm wrong on this). Now, the Democrats are poised for control of the US Senate as well.

Now, what do Malaysians think of this latest development? In the context of our current thinking, we Malaysians would be almost unanimous in our condemnation of Senator Specter's party-hopping.

Would that be the right thinking? Is that the right approach in thinking about this issue? Did we dwell deep enough into what the real issue is? What is the ‘moral high ground' here?

Consider what the senator said - ‘I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party,' he said at a news conference.

Specter, who has a lifelong record of independence, told reporters, ‘I will not be an automatic 60th vote.' As evidence, he pointed out he opposes ‘card check' legislation to make it easier for workers to form unions, a bill that is organised labour's top priority this year.

To me, the most informative statement, in the context of Malaysian thinking, is that he says he will not be ‘the automatic 60th vote'. That means he will not always vote along with the Democrats in Senate.

In fact, he did not even have to say that - it is common practise in the US for senators and representatives to vote ‘according to their conscience'. In fact, Senator Specter was one of the three Republican senators who voted in support of President Obama's stimulus package.

The history in Malaysia is totally different. Members of Parliament and state assembly persons always vote along party lines. They have ‘no choice'. That means they are really representing the wishes of their party bosses, not their constituents. Is that true parliamentary democracy?

Therefore, in the situation where MPs and state assembly persons are 100% beholden to their party bosses, once they hop over to the other side, they are ‘lost' forever.

We, the voters, are then universally condemn them. The root of the problem is therefore the ‘independence' of the MPs and state assembly persons.

If they are allowed to express the wishes of their constituents and vote accordingly in the Dewan Rakyat or Dewan Undangan Negri, even when it is against the wishes of their party, then we will realise the true meaning of parliamentary democracy.

Thus party-hopping will not be an issue that we constantly make it out to be.