comment Every time Malaysia faces a by-election, the politicians stoop low, as low as they know how, to secure a win. The coming by-election in Hulu Selangor this Sunday has proved once again how politics has been raped repeatedly by corrupt politicians.

Instead of ensuring that only the best and qualified candidate wins, by-elections have become a field where dirty linen is washed shamelessly in the open. What becomes an irony is that there was always an opportunity before a by-election to do ‘laundry' without creating a ruckus.

Regrettably, in Malaysia, politics is not treated as a platform to help do good work for the rakyat, it instead has become a ground for politicians to outdo one another with only one agenda - self-interest.

pkr mp hulu selangor zainal abidin ahmad The Hulu Selangor by-election is a typical example of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. Mud-slinging, money politics and character assassinations are the core ingredients of a by-election in this country and this is being seen in the run-up to the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election. The seat became vacant following the death of PKR member of parliament Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad (left) on March 25.

It is in Malaysia that a gay or lesbian will be flogged to death metaphorically speaking because they dare step into politics (remember Barisan Nasional's pathetic attacks on Anwar Ibrahim's sexuality), a public sphere so glaring that it takes guts to remain there. But a married male politician can openly womanise without facing a scratch to his political image (the Dr Chua Soi Lek sex scandal) , provided he supports the ruling Barisan Nasional alliance. But move into the opposition camp and oops! you are in big trouble, as currently is the situation with lawyer-turned politician Zaid Ibrahim.

Zaid was previously a minister in the prime minister's department but resigned in Sept 2008 after disagreeing with the misuse of the Internal Security Act (ISA). He joined PKR in June last year.

Now when Zaid has been fielded as the opposition candidate in the Hulu Selangor by-election against Barisan Nasional's candidate P Kamalanathan the closet has been forcefully opened and Zaid's past indulgence of enjoying liquor has been made public. Such a hypocritical move can only be the idea of Barisan Nasional head honcho Umno because it knew way back of Zaid's habit of enjoying his drinks and still made him a minister. So why the bad loser approach now, Umno?

Umno a bigot, always will be

The Hulu Selangor by-election has confirmed that come what may Umno has no intention of turning a new leaf. It has for so many years thrived on bigotry and will always latch on to it to ensure a win in elections.

Attacking Zaid was not enough. Putting up a banner accusing Pakatan Rakyat advisor Anwar Ibrahim as a traitor of the nation is the most sleaziest way of winning the people's heart in general and the people of Hulu Selangor's votes in particular. Why the need to stoop so low, Umno?

NONE Going after Zaid Ibrahim's (right) blood now because he admitted to consuming liquor and thus proved in the eyes of the double-standard BN's Umno to be a sinner as Muslims are forbidden to consumer alcohol is only revealing the desperation faced by Umno in wanting to win the by-election at all costs. Why was Zaid not reprimanded when he was an ally with the Barisan Nasional?

What the public is seeing and hearing is nothing but typical dirty politics at work. If MCA can choose Dr Chua Soi Lek as the president knowing well he had no qualms shaming his family by being promiscuous, then why the sudden concern about Zaid's character and the persistent attack on PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's sexuality?

Why was this concern over a politician's reputation not at its height when former Cabinet minister Jamaludin Jarjis was reported to have sexually harassed a female bar worker at a posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur? Was that action of a senior minister and a member of parliament not reproachable? Also, was there any evidence that Jamaludin was not consuming liquor at the bar? But using a hot-shot lawyer Jamaludin was rescued and bundled off as Malaysia's ambassador to America. One can only pray he does not repeat his lecherous ways in America, since he was never reprimanded back home in Malaysia. It is shameful that a senior minister with a tainted work record was deemed fit to represent Malaysia in America.

It looks like Barisan Nasional has not learned its lesson after the shocking defeat at the 2008 general election and is instead as arrogant as it always has been.

If Zaid's character is flawed, then the BN candidate Kamalanathan was chosen to contest because among others he has a beautiful wife, as was mentioned by deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin on national news last week. If Muhyiddin was kidding, then it was a lousy sexist joke coming from the country's number two leader who by making this callow remark revealed how immature Umno is.

Politicians need wake up call

Malaysia's longest serving prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has gone on to say that everything is fair in love, war and elections when alluding to the image smear campaign on Zaid. Mahathir's statement does not hold water as while all is fair in love, war and elections, it is only the desperate who resort to mud slinging or image incarceration. What does seem obvious is that so long as dirty politics is the order of the day in Malaysia, the rakyat will always be taken for a ride by unscrupulous politicians. No wonder too that Dr Mahathir was all too welcoming of Dr Chua Soi Lek as MCA president albeit the latter's sex scandal.

NONE It is because of politicians like Mahathir (left in purple) that Malaysians have failed to develop a first class mentality. Always taken in for a ride by politicians who gave the people nothing but lip service was the Mahathir-way of managing the country for 22-years. Hardly anything was done to help the minority community and certainly no help was given to the marginalised group.

With the tables turned on Barisan Nasional in the 2008 general election, the wise move would be to stop all dirty tricks and focus on meeting on the people's needs, not just when a by-election is on the cards but on a genuine basis when a call for help is made.

To the rakyat, if they want politicians to deliver what they promise, then they have to start looking at capabilities of the candidate and not get side tracked by wagging tongues.

The BN candidate Kamalanathan has been going around his walkabouts meeting the people of Hulu Selangor and has even been shown trying his hand at making the roti canai. If that is his or more precisely BN's strategy of winning the people's votes, then it is pathetic.

Such fictitious show of public affection is not what the people need; they need a representative who is not cowered by fear or favour when it comes to fighting for their rights and now is their opportunity to decide between Zaid and Kamalanathan. It is a case of the devil and the deep blue sea but still the rakyat must not make the mistake of choosing a candidate based on the propaganda they are being fed with. The politicians need a wake up call and this can best be done by the rakyat.

BN not willing to learn lessons

Misplaced arrogance has seen BN crying out loud against Zaid's vice and shamelessly beating the drums each time there is a defection from the Pakatan band.

The latest to say goodbye to Pakatan is its former Hulu Selangor treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat who on April 19 claimed he was disillusioned with PKR's struggles. The fact however is that Dr Halili was speculated to represent Pakatan in the Hulu Selangor before Zaid was finally chosen as the contesting candidate for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.

dr halili rahmat anwar doctor 130904 pc If Dr Halili (right) is sincerely frustrated with PKR's struggles as he claimed, why did he jettison PKR in favour of Umno? For a neurosurgeon, Dr Halili certainly made a bad choice of ‘struggles' when he joined the all too corrupt Umno which is the real home to "narrow minded little Napoleons". And what perfect timing to abandon PKR when Dr Halili could have done so much earlier on before the by-election.

Dr Halili had contested in the 1999 and 2004 general elections in Hulu Selangor and Batang Kali and lost on both occasions.

It is so clear that Dr Halili is upset that his self-interest was sabotaged when he was sidelined and Zaid was chosen to contest in this by-election. Had this highly-educated Dr been a true and dedicated politician of the rakyat, he would not have run off to Umno at a crucial time when PKR could have done with his help. Granted, there may be frictions where the party's struggles go but could that not have waited after this Sunday when the by-election is over? It is obvious Dr Halili is playing his own politics and by joining Umno has proved he is yet another politician the people can have little faith in.

Only when a by-election is in town do we get to hear how politicians are upset with their respective parties' struggles and opt out. Such excuses have become lame but the politicians have little spine so they will always latch on to a lame excuse to make an exit. Politics is not for cowards but unfortunately it is the cowards who are masquerading as politicians in the Malaysian scene.

Rakyat always, self-interest out

Politicians in Malaysia definitely have a lot to learn about serving the rakyat but sadly reaching out to the people is no where near the priority list of any politician. Looks like the people can no longer risk falling prey to lip services made by politicians and have to look at their representatives track record before deciding to keep them or get rid of them.

NONE Recently, the Sultan of Perak on his 82nd birthday awarded the ‘datukship' to Hee Yit Fong, the very politician who is said to have a hand in bringing down the PR government in Perak then headed by Nizar Jamaluddin (left) after she defected from DAP and gave BN the much needed excuse to takeover Perak. Defecting and allowing BN to indulge in dirty politics in Perak is the ‘good deed' Hee has performed to have been deserving of a ‘datukship'. But then again every other crook is carrying a ‘datuk' title, degrading the title itself.

Instead of re-looking their commitment to serving the people, political parties are busy staking claims in who will be powerhouse of the nation. This is the biggest letdown the people have to put up with, feeling betrayed at their choice of representatives.

Take the example of the two independent candidates contesting in the Hulu Selangor by-election, V S Chandran and Johan Mohd Diah who pulled out of the race on April 19. Johan, prior to his surprising move had informed reporters that he wanted to help Felda settlers in Hulu Selangor and would also work to eradicate social ills among the youths if he won the by-election. Whether he was paid off or not to withdraw from contesting, Johan is definitely good riddance as he was the least sincere in helping the rakyat.

Until and unless the political parties are honest about their reason d'etre, there is little hope the rakyat can have in any politician who claims to look after their needs. Johan and Chandran are two glaring examples of politicians whose conscience has yet to prick each time they lie to the people to serve their own interest.

If Barisan Nasional's Kamalanathan wins, it would be expected, going by the dirty tactics employed by Umno. If PKR's Zaid is voted as the MP for Hulu Selangor, for the sake of the rakyat, it is hoped he would not let the people down.

 

JESWAN KAUR is a journalist who spent many years writing for the mainstream media before deciding to 'break free' and put pen to paper to focus on and fight for issues that are conveniently marginalised by the powers-that-be.