I refer to the Malaysiakini report Opposition puts on brave face amidst defections .

Quite so suddenly a sombre mood seems to overpower the joy of the victory days of Pakatan Rakyat. Defection seems to be the key word these days and the ‘rakyat’ are bent on counting if more PKR parliamentarians and state legislative members will want to cross over to the Barisan Nasional camp.

Former PKR secretary-general Saleudddin Hashim has left for good and has given his support for the Zahrain Mohd Hashim, Badrul Hisham Abdullah and even Tan Tee Beng. He had said that their decisions were timely and right.

He has criticised the PKR for not be being able to represent the people’s aspirations and he would like to work with BN component parties preferably Umno to build the nation ahead for the future.

There will be many more who will leave PKR out of discontent. Discontent is a feeling that emerges out of one’s own fear of failure. It can also emanate out of distrust of one’s ownself propelled by self-deception, self-denigration and even self-hatred. The cloud of the fear of the unknown allures one to become more discontented and hence to look for a route of escape.

The route is evidently a route of self-escapism. Some people who cannot any more resolve their own problems may even go to the extent of committing suicide. Such people are considered to be cowards and not heroes. Defection to one’s own death is an act of committing suicide. Defection to another party is, in fact, an act of political suicide.

The world has seen so many defections and deceptions. Dr Lim Chong Eu defected to the Barian Nasional after winning the Penang state election under the banner of Gerakan. He completely turned Penang into a BN state. That was a master-skill defection. But Lim had to live to see Lim Guan Eng becoming the chief minister of that defected state with a Pakatan Rakyat spirit everywhere in Penang. His defection has been well-paid off now.

Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi, Osman Jailu, Hee Yit Foong all form Pakatan Perak not only defected but they also ‘defected’ the people’s choice of government. Defection has defeated the choice of the electorate and hence the BN with the avouchment of the Federal Court has reinstated that Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the rightful menteri besar of Perak. The Federal Court was able to give a judgment different from that of the general electorate.

PKR is expecting more and more people and not without exception Zulkifly Noordin of Kulim to crossover to BN to ensure that by the next Parliament sitting BN would have their 148 seats to prevail upon with its two-thirds majority. Defections will pave the way for such a BN elevation. Hence its control of the bicameral Parliament will become ever stronger in the next few weeks.

Anwar Ibrahim’s second charge for sodomy may, too, have spearheaded this defection. Many lawmakers may have it in their mindset that he will be found guilty and sent to jail again. If this were to happen, then the party itself will be disbanded and hence there will be no alternative recourse. Better to do it (jump) now rather than not being invited later to join the Umno club.

In 1998, when Anwar was charged for sodomy and sent to jail, the spirit of ‘reformasi’ turned itself into a political party. People like Dr Chandra Muzaffar with the least of experience in field politics came forward to lead the party until Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail with the least of political leadership took over the helm of the party and led the party all the way to denying the BN a two-thirds majority.

To Anwar himself, this could have been a shock result that he may not have anticipated and hence he gave away seats to people who may not have deserved them. Being a veteran politician and for sometime the deputy president of Umno and the BN, he himself would have known the tricks of this trade of defection. However he had been able to sidestep this defection tactic and moved to take over five states away from the BN. That was history for which he was also the writer.

PKR in the next general elections will have the tremendous support of the people to wrest Perak again plus retain Penang, Kedah, Kelantan, and Selangor and further win Terengganu and the home state of Rosmah Mansor, Negeri Sembilan. The BN would be left with only Perlis, Johor and Pahang. Of course, all the parliamentary seats of the Federal Territory will go back to the PKR even if Wee Choo Keong defects with his Wangsa Maju constituency. The number of state and parliamentary seats for BN in the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak will be severely reduced.

Given the current defection scenario of candidates and their constituencies and discontented baggage that BN will have to carry along in its election campaign, PKR will put up its second echelon leaders ready for the election to face these clowns of defections.

In the case that Anwar Ibrahim is jailed, we can be sure that his daughter Nurul Izzah will have no choice but to lead the campaign. This will call for the almost 50% of the voters below the age of 30 to fall in with her erudite and resolute leadership. The tide seems to be in her favour and so strong in the favour of new faces and new cabinet ministers that the people want see lead the country. She may even become the youngest and the first woman prime minister of Malaysia, given that almost 50% of registered voters are women.

The whole ‘reformasi’ movement gave its support to Wan Azizah despite the defection of Ezam Mohd Nor to Umno and elevated a simple movement of people for change to rule the richest states of Malaysia - Selangor and Penang and even Kedah and Perak. There are no such thing as political stalwarts. They just fall when people defy them.

‘Reformasi’ and PKR have very good ideological foundations in line with the people’s thinking and needs. They also have some very great thinkers along with leaders to create strategies for new victories in constituencies where people like Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will contest.

The BN’s gerrymandering days are now over as Shah Alam itself has become an opposition bastion. MIC President S Samy Vellu will now be invited for his second defeat. Even if he uses the namesake initial of ‘SS’ to contest in Segamat, he may have to challenge the owner of the name ‘SS’ himself under the banner of PKR. Amidst the spurt of defections is also born the will to oust political detractors who defy the people’s wishes and wants. There will be history rewritten in Ipoh for sure.

People do not support PKR for the few who are discontented but out of love, out of spirit of ‘reformasi’ and out of desire for a better future with PKR in Putrajaya in the next two years to come. Hence, there must emanate a mood of enthusiasm and a mood of motivation among PKR members. Power and authority do not come with money but with the changed mindset of the people. PKR has nothing to worry except to be ready to move into Putrajaya.