I read with a certain amount of cynicism, the uproar stemming from the two state assembly representatives in Penang who abstained from voting against the opposition motion to defer the Penang Outer Ring Road or Porr. The two state reps in question are Lim Boo Chang (Datuk Keramat) and Tan Cheng Liang (Jawi), both MCA reps.

First of all, I'd like to point out some of the inconsistencies in the accusations hurled at them.

Earlier this year, when the PAS-led Terengganu state government tabled the hudud bill, the four Umno state assembly reps could have voted against the bill but they chose to abstain instead. They are Abdul Rashid Ngah (Seberang Takir), Tengku Putera Tengku Awang (Telemung), Rosol Wahid (Ajil), Mohamad Ali (Kemasik). They were 'let off' scot-free without even so much as a slap on the wrist. Now, under similar circumstances, the two Penang state reps are in danger of being expelled from the Barisan Nasional.

Granted there are some differences between these two cases. For one, Terengganu is an opposition-led state while Penang is controlled by the BN. The bill in Terengganu was tabled by the PAS state government whereas in the Penang case, the proposal was tabled by the opposition against the BN state government. But the similarities outweigh the differences.

To illustrate, the PAS hudud law was clearly something that the federal government objected to. (If not, why not allow PAS to implement it?) In the Penang case, the Porr project was clearly something which the federal government supported. Hence, by abstaining, the Terengganu BN reps are as guilty of disobeying federal views as Lim and Tan.

The Terengganu reps might have feared that their voters would think that they were anti-hudud and hence anti-Islam. So they were 'listening' to their voters by abstaining. The same can be said of Lim and Tan who had been approached by local residents who were campaigning against the Porr project. Isn't this what the people's representatives are voted in for — so that they can reflect the people's will in the government apparatus?

Lim and Tan could easily have taken the easy way out by not showing up for the vote and hence saving themselves from the hot soup that they are currently in. One hopes, of course, that there are no ulterior motives behind the abstentions other than standing up for their principles as Tan said she was when asked by reporters.

This episode, other than revealing the inconsistencies of the BN leadership, addresses the deeper underlying question of what relevant and responsible dissent means especially when emanating from within one's own party.

In more mature democracies, backbenchers are allowed to vote against their own party in Parliament and many in fact do so even at the expense of incurring the wrath of the party whip and leadership. They have the moral courage to stand up for what they believe in and in many instances are reacting on feedback given to them by their constituents whom they are supposed to represent.

In the UK, for example, many Labour MPs have voiced their opposition towards large-scale military action against Iraq and have put pressure on Tony Blair's Cabinet on this issue. No doubt the Malaysian government would be supportive of the actions of these Labour MPs.

But what if a displeased Blair had taken the same actions against the Labour MPs as BN is taking against Lim and Tan? This has not happened because there is a long-standing precedent of backbenchers voting against the government of the day even though they are from the same party. In fact, even members of the Cabinet have been known to resign if they strongly disagree with the policies and leadership of the prime minister as shown by the resignation of Michael Heseltine from the Cabinet of Margaret Thatcher.

Our prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, wants us to achieve developed country status by 2020. We might reach developed country income levels and even infrastructure but if we continue suppressing relevant and responsible dissent, our political development and maturity would still be stuck in Third World standards and thinking.