I refer to the Malaysiakini report Perak gov't collapses - BN claims power .

It seems only yesterday we were all basking in the afterglow of the March 8 tsunami which swept the BN out of four major states in Malaysia to follow in Kelantan's lead. Pakatan Rakyat was formed, promises were made and we, for once, had 3-5 years of hopefulness to look forward to while watching the BN government being kept constantly on its toes.

The turn of events over the last few days however, have been quite disheartening as BN has clawed (or more accurately sneaked) back into power in Perak against the apparent wish of the people but more so over the stupidity/ lack of maturity and irresponsibility of Pakatan Rakyat.

Reading the comments and letters of the rakyat , I surmise that there is a lot of anger out there and a majority are blaming BN for playing dirty, of buying state reps, for undemocratic takeover, etc.

Let's be honest with ourselves, however, and get to the real issue which is that Pakatan Rakyat has let us down. Our anger should be directed towards them. BN will be BN.

This is not something that we can claim we did not see coming from the ruling coalition or have we forgotten Kelantan in 1977 and Sabah in 1994? Pakatan Rakyat tried to play BN's game and ended with egg on its face.

When we the rakyat voted in Pakatan Rakyat, we created history - not Pakatan Rakyat. We through the democratic process voted PR into power in five states and denied BN their two-thirds majority in Parliament as we should have done so long ago.

I, for one, disliked the idea of crossovers and the 'Sept 16' talk from PR leaders as it belittled us, the rakyat , by making a national issue become a party issue just like how BN has done for the last 50 years.

The simple truth is that if all Malaysians wanted PR in power, we would have voted you into power. We the rakyat voted PR to do good for the rakyat and not to seize power by undemocratic means by getting BN reps to crossover.

In accepting 'Benedict Arnold' a.k.a. Bota state assemblyperson Nasarudin Hashim into their fold, PR committed a huge blunder as PR didn't really need him.

If he really wanted to switch, make him prove his loyalty first by remaining independent and supporting PR in the state assembly over the next few years. So even if his intentions were false, PR wouldn't look as bad as it does now.

PR however welcomed him with open arms and gloated gleefully as they wanted to rub it in BN's face. Ten days later BN is laughing all the way to the sultan's palace as he switches back his allegiance while PR claims to the media he was ‘kidnapped’.

Kind of makes them look stupid doesn't it when he appeared next to Najib Abdul Razak a mere hour later informing the world he is switching back due to PR's incompetence and instability and not because of some CIA cloak-and-dagger story.

PR claimed that more BN reps would be crossing over after Nasarudin's but instead apparent infighting in DAP and issues with two scandal-ridden PR reps led to their crossing over to BN.

PR then tried to submit their pre-signed resignation letters to the EC to declare these seats vacant so as to call by-elections which appropriately was denied. The very idea of pre-signed resignation letters is unconstitutional and unbelievable as it puts the party in power and not the rakyat .

A hypothetical situation is if a state representative intends to do something for the betterment/ good of his/her constituency but which goes against the party's bigger picture or wishes, he/she can be threatened with this letter to toe to the party line.

Many are angry and disgusted that BN has apparently cheated its way to form the new state government in Perak but how can we fault BN when since last year till now PR has been trying to get BN reps to cross over? If PR had managed to get BN MPs to cross over to form the new federal government, would people be calling it undemocratic and shameful as they are deeming crossovers now?

PR and their supporters are crying foul over losing the very game they initiated and they expect our sympathy and support ? Get real! Various DAP, PAS and PKR MP's are now deriding the very idea of crossing over but where were they when Nasarudin joined PR or when Anwar Ibrahim was openly courting BN reps to crossover?

The simple truth is PR played with fire and got burnt!

The idea of crossing over is a distasteful and any MP/state rep who does leave his party should vacate his seat or at worst, only be allowed to become an independent with no party affiliation till the end of his tenure thus not affecting the balance of power.

More often than not we, the rakyat, cast our vote for a particular person because of their party and we now feel cheated but as the term goes - caveat emptor or ‘let the buyer beware’ right? Who are we to think that these so-called elected state reps owe us anything at all?

By winning Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu by-elections, PR thought it was invincible and could do no wrong without realizing it was the rakyat who won Permatang Pauh and KT.

We won. Not BN. Not PR. Every win is the rakyat's as we are the ones who give power. And we can take it away.

PR should learn from this and stop trying to practice dirty politics. Instead focus on helping the rakyat - the very reason they were voted into power.

I honestly believe that if PR does good in the three to five years, at the next general election, we, the rakyat, would give them a even bigger mandate. But at the way things are going now, I honestly doubt it.