theSun | FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6 2009 TELLING IT AS IT IS 13

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“
Don’t be too harsh on Sultan.

In the best interests of the rakyat

The situation is too fluid. He
must verify the facts and inter-
view the defectors to determine if they
voluntarily changed parties.
He can only do this if he is alone
with them. He must verify the num-
bers himself. The executive govern-
ment is still functioning. There is no
immediate threat. He will consult his
advisers. He will wait for BN to ask
him to form new government, verify
the facts and decide on MB request
to call elections.
The double jumping frog will aid
your argument in the end as that
a****** has no morals. My personal
opinion is that any s*** who jumps
party is not fit to serve and has
lied to the people if he promised a
party manifesto to them and does a
U-turn.
If I were the Sultan, I too would
wait as the facts are changing too
fast to make a wise decision. He is
under a duty to independently verify
the facts himself.”
THIS SMS was sent by lawyer and
Petaling Jaya City Councillor Derek
Fernandez on Wednesday to several
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders on the
situation in Perak. Derek, whose
consult is often sought by the Se-
langor government and PR leaders,
was giving his educated two sen’s
worth to panicky assemblymen
and parliamentarians who were
witnessing one of their hard-worn
states slipping from their grasp.
Several of them had opined that
the palace may be lopsided towards
Barisan Nasional (BN) forgetting
that only on Tuesday did the regent
emphasise the need for Rulers to be
apolitical. Derek was attempting to
put the matter into perspective and
ask the politicians to put themselves
in the shoes of the Sultan
whose only concern is
the smooth administra-
tion of his state and the
welfare of his subjects.
At the time of writing
this, Sultan Azlan Shah
had not consented to the
dissolution of the state
assembly while Datuk
Seri Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin’s resigna- Down2Earth
tion as mentri besar had
been sought. The Sultan by Terence Fernandez nately, it cannot take the
had met the four assem-
blymen individually to ascertain
that they are leaving their respec-
tive parties on their own free will,
without inducements or coercion.
One should give Sultan Azlan
Shah some credit for this. He is,
after all, a former lord president.
And from what we have learnt, His
Royal Highness has been going into
overdrive consulting his advisers,
government officers, as well as
leaders from both sides of the politi- Umno) but also by making overtures
cal divide.
But of course, His Royal High-
ness’s final assessment of the
situation and his decision not to
consent to the dissolution of the
state assembly has raised eyebrows
from many quarters, especially PR
and its supporters.
One gives the palace the benefit
of the doubt and concludes that the
decision was made in the best
interests of the rakyat, from the
Sultan’s standpoint.
But the goings-on money, which could be put to better the need for an anti-hopping law.
in the silver state will use in these trying economic times, For the BN, by admitting these
not end. The BN has would have been used to conduct individuals into its fold, only
launched a coup and fresh elections. But on a wider scale, demonstrates that it will compro-
its generals who pulled the happenings in Perak go to show mise virtually anything to win the
the rug from under PR’s how a handful of individuals can political game.
feet, will undoubtedly play games with the people’s trust. Two of the “frogs” have a graft
become the toast at next As Derek rightly pointed out, charge over their heads; one “frog”
month’s Umno general they were elected based on their jumped twice and another had
assembly. manifesto and by jumping ship, repeatedly said that she was not
And what of PR? they had lied to the people. Suffice going anywhere.
Well, apart from licking to say, the four who hopped were Fortunately for some politicians,
its wounds, unfortu- elected based on their party colours. people have short memories. So
Nasarudin, Jamaludin Mohd Radzi, when we go back to the polls in
moral high ground here Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu and Hee three years, there is a likelihood
in claiming that the opposition has Yit Fong are no Tengku Razaleigh that this dark episode in Malaysian
resorted to “dirty tricks”. Although it Hamzah or Datuk Shahrir Abdul politics where the people were
may be true, PR also does not have Samad who won their seats on played with and lied to would be
the right to claim that the defections several platforms – the latter as forgotten.
which now lead to the formation of a BN candidate and even as an
a new state government, as a breach independent.
of the public trust. It was obvious that the people Terence is disappointed that he won’t
This is because PR drew first had voted in the Opposition as a be covering any elections anytime
blood – not only by enticing and ac- need for more checks and balances soon. It’s a lot of fun! He is deputy
cepting Bota rep, Datuk Nasarudin to keep an eye on the incumbent. If editor (special reports & investiga-
Hashim (who has since returned to this was not true, how could Loh tions) and can be reached at terence@
Gwo Burne, whose only claim to thesundaily.com.
towards elected BN reps following fame is recording V.K. Lingam’s
last year’s general election. infamous phone conversation, have
As the saying goes, if you play trumped MCA powerhouse Datuk
with fire you get burnt. In the game Lee Hwa Beng in Kelana Jaya?
of political one-upmanship, BN has Thus, if PR wants to point fingers Nurse is Suhaida
a larger mandate and the resources for losing Perak, it should blame
to win the match. itself. Its lack of quality candidates IN our story yesterday, “Breast
So congratulations to BN. But is apparent now. Some of them do Cancer: Rising fear factor”, the
whoever wins, the losers are the not have principles, nor the back- nurse featured in the article was
people whose ballots are now bone to stand by their party and Suhaida Musthaffa and not Umi
worthless. the manifesto on which they had Kalthsum Zakaria. Our apolo-
If a dissolution had been con- wooed the people. The conduct of gies to both Suhaida and Umi
sented to, millions of taxpayers’ these four characters underscore Kalthsum.