When a politician, more so also a government leader, makes a statement, usually it has connotations going beyond its content. It reflects his mental make-up, his intelligence, the values that he holds dear, and his political persuasion or orientation.

What does it tell us when the chief minister of Malacca proposed that electoral constituencies be redefined and redelineated to help BN to win back the seats it lost earlier? Since when is a government leader so blatant and ridiculous in his/her proposal?

To me this is not mere politicking, internal party strategy or harmless suggestion.

This is defilement, anti-democracy and anti-constitutional. This is also obstinate defiance, to be deliberately unreasonable and to indulge in extreme arrogance. I don’t think he said it out of stupidity or ignorance.

Since when is forming a government like forming a mafia organisation where rules are set and changed whenever and whatever the players like? For what purpose then are the constitution and the institutions of government?

No doubt suggestions could be made to redelineate constituencies based on demographic changes, urbanisation and other development factors but surely it can’t be done to provide BN the undue advantage to win. For whatever the reasons to re-demarcate constituencies, nothing is more sacrosanct than giving the people an impartial choice to vote.

This leader ought to be reprimanded for his anti-constitutional and anti-democracy stance. It is the Election Commission that shall decide on the ‘sanctity’ of constituencies. No one should even suggest that the commission listens to advice to favour certain political party to win back the seats lost earlier. That per se is wrong and depraved.

It is our democratic right to choose the government freely and without machination or orchestration. Over the years, the ‘powers-that-be’ could have sidestepped, sabotaged, diluted, and distorted our democracy, but one thing is sure we shall never allowed this cardinal principle to be forgotten. How could this leader be so wrong to get even the basics right?

I got the feeling that he is deliberately doing it out of obstinate defiance and arrogance. He was in fact telling Malaysians that BN has the means to do what it pleases and there is nothing we the people, especially those supporting the opposition, can do about it.

Idris Haron, you are dead wrong.