'Tuanku must reverse decision'

Feb 6, 09 9:31am

‘I think the sultan has been influenced by Najib. I just can't understand how a former Lord President can arrive at such an unreasonable decision.'

On No dissolution, new gov't to be sworn in

Sang Kancil: This is a country that practises democracy and the sultan is only the symbol of the state and he is the leader for Islamic affairs only.

The rakyat are the most powerful entity. So leave it to the rakyatto decide through the process of elections.

I think the sultan has been influenced by Najib. I just can't understand how a former Lord President can arrive at such an unreasonable decision.

Tuanku should reverse his decision as the calls to do so from therakyat are really intense. The monarch is only a symbol without the power of execution. The power of democracy should prevail.

Daniel Nowar: Let us give the rakyat the right to choose. Be fair to all.

Arianna: No matter what legal reasons or arguments prompted Sultan Azlan Shah to arrive at his decision, many will remember him as a party that robbed the people of Perak their right to choose a government.

It is indeed tragic that a sultan of his calibre would listen to some politicians and ignore the voice of his subjects.

Assuming that the sultan only adhered to the Perak constitution when making such a decision, then what about the constitutional rights of the Perak voters who made known their choice in the last general election?
Are they not worth anything at all? The sultan is the rakyat's last hope against thieves that abused the constitution for their own means.

If anything, the sultan has just open the floodgates for undemocratic power grabs instead of putting a stop to this shameful and despicable act.

Bryan Tee: Is really sad to read about what happened in Perak. It is a real shame for Malaysian politics and it is a further shame that the decision is not to dissolve the state government and have a new election.

This case has set a precedence and sent a clear message to all. Who are the biggest losers? It is us the rakyat.

There should be a rule for those candidates that decide to jump ship. If he/she wants to jump to another party, he/she should resign from their current position to allow for a fresh election.

What is happening in Perak is so un-democratic, like a dictatorship making such a huge decision that will impact on the rakyat.

What if two weeks from now the three candidates show their support for PR again? A new government to be formed again? Then when will this end?

With the current poor economic outlook, leaders from both coalitions should focus on doing their work. Serve the people, serve the country and not focus on your own interests.

Disappointed Thai Eng: Ampun Tuanku, beribu-ribu ampun. Patikhas been a loyal citizen of Perak and had the highest regards for Tuanku, my Sultan.

Speaking to friends, local and foreign, patik has always spoken very highly of Tuanku and the Raja Muda.

Proudly telling all who care to listen that Tuanku and the Raja Muda are the best to be found in Malaysia and the most highly educated.

Patik proudly told many of patik's friends that after having shaken hands with Tuanku the last time, it was after many days that it got washed.

But, alas, Tuanku's decision yesterday not to allow Tuanku's rakyat to choose whom to govern Tuanku's rakyat is one huge disappointment and patik can no longer feel as proud as before this day.

Can Tuanku allow Tuanku's rakyat to be governed by legislators who have gained a possibly invalid majority by dubious means and having amongst them those who have yet to be cleared from charges of corruption and sexual bribery?

It was only the other day, when Tuanku's Silver Jubilee was celebrated that Tuanku was described by many as a compassionate and wise ruler, ruling the state with intelligence and kindness and having a soft spot for the elderly and the children.

Patik is a warga mas and like many other warga mas of Tuanku's state, to say that we are greatly disappointed with Tuanku's decision would certainly be an understatement.

There is still time for Tuanku to do right for Tuanku's rakyat. Till then, patik remains your most loyal but disappointed. Ampun Tuanku, beribu-ribu ampun. Daulat Tuanku.

Vivian Lim: Is this the ‘neutrality' His Highness spoke about once? What kind of ‘neutrality' is this ?

Could he not hear all the desperate pleas from his people to be allowed to choose their own government ? I am extremely disappointed and will no longer believe any of his high-sounding speeches.

His Highness could have become the greatest sultan of modern Malaysia, but he chose Umno (and all that it represents) over his people.

My fellow rakyat, do not lose hope. This is a long haul war. We may have lost this skirmish, but let us re-strategise, refresh ourselves and continue to fight. The good shall prevail.

On 'Hijack' politics: Pakatan reaps what it sowed

Lim Chong Leong: In response to Taib Mahmud's comments on what is apparently about Anwar Ibrahim, I must say that there is a huge difference.

Pakatan Rakyat always had snap polls in mind when it hoped to attract BN MPs for the Sept 16 deadline.

So the BN defections were only to obtain a vote of no-confidence against the Pak Lah government. Pakatan Perak is now doing the same in seeking a new mandate from the people.

Najib, however, got his defections through the improper means of ‘kidnapping', ‘abduction', corruption charges and whatever other reasons.

When he claims to have a majority, he refuses and avoids a snap election. The reason for this is that he knows he does not have the support of the people.

DSAI knows that he has the people's support and therefore called for defections to Pakatan and for snap polls to confirm his mandate.

Of course BN MPs are cowards and would not risk the little they have to join Pakatan because their seats were ‘bought' or won through dubious means like postal or phantom votes.

So Sept 16 came and went because BN MPs did not have the guts to face the voters.

On 'This is not the way to do it'

Collin Nunis: They are right. This is indeed, not the way to form a government.

Party-hopping is unquestionably immoral and unethical given our political situation in Malaysia. After all, you can just say ‘I quit' and get on with it.

To the three ‘BN-friendly' independent representatives, thank you for ruining the state.

Jr Lee: The current political turmoil in Perak has once again caused Malaysians to ask whether MPs whom they had elected are really serving the rakyat or fulfilling their higher political ambition.

Irrespective of which party one supports, having read numerous incidents of bribery to gain political patronage, it is indeed very difficult to believe that none of the four independents had not been offered any benefits whether hard cash or the promise of acquittal from pending court charges.

In the absence of legal provisions, the best solution to overcome the ‘buying over' of MPs is to adopt the status quo ie, no change in the Perak government and no snap election. The current PR governmenr still runs the state.

In this manner, the rakyat and the Perak Sultan can closely monitor the progress of the MPs as to whether they truly serve the rakyat.

Those who had bribed MPs to cross over to BN will regret their actions for they had not achieved their goal of seizing control of the state.

And, they will be having a hard time recollecting the bribes they had earlier given, if that is the case.

Only by observing the MPs over a length of time will Perakans actually know whether their MPs are serving them. And the Perak Sultan will then make the final decision as to whether to have a snap election.

On No money involved, says Najib

Richard Teo: Can anyone believe when DPM Najib says that no money was involved? If that is true, then the three who hopped over to BN must be so impressed with Umno's leadership to abandon Pakatan Rakyat.

Clearly, there was some incentive to lure the three assembly persons over to BN's fold. History has always shown us that politicians have a tendency to compromise on principles when offered rewards of power and money.

When you elect postmen, clerks and retired penshioners to be yourwakil rakyat this what you will likely end up with.

Being offered RM15million to change one's allegiance is a lot of money and admittedly, not many can resist such a lucrative offer.

It is no coincidence that the two state assembly persons targeted to change their allegiances were going to face a corruption trial on Feb 10.

So it does not take a genius to reason out why these two were easily persuaded to hop over to BN.

However , the will of the people must be respected and this cannot be thawarted merely because there were politicians who betrayed the trust of the people.

Taking over a government through the backdoor using dubious means is unacceptable and will not contribute to good governance.

Peter Ooi: I have tried convincing myself throughout the night that there was no money involved in inducing those four Pakatan reps to defect. Tried as hard I could but the following reasons said otherwise.

1. As was claimed by Fauzi Omar, you, Najib, dangled a RM50 million carrot for a few Pakatan Rakyat reps to defect. You have not denied or meet Fauzi in person to challenge his allegation.

As a gentleman, you should take up his challenge. On top of this, the two ex-PKR reps who are facing corruption charges have everything to gain with the promise of the charges being dropped in they join BN.

2. It really boggles my mind that four reps could defect at the same time and on the same date. If this is not pre-planned, I really do not know what is!

Anyway, grabbing power by this means is not a gentleman's game. You may have the numbers in the state assembly, but you do not have the majority of the rakyat's support.

Any deed and policy formulated in this assembly will not be reflective of the wish of the majority of the Perak people.

On Heartbroken Hee 'skips' royal bash

MW Chow: Here's why the Chinese-based parties in BN should follow their own twisted logic in rejecting Hee Yit Foong if she should ever apply to join them.

1. Hee caused a racially-balanced government to fall. By your own communal political standards, doesn't that amount to betraying one's race, regardless of which party she represents?

Would you want to taint your party which claims to represent the Chinese community by accepting her? You would diminish your own claim to represent the community should you do so.

2. Hee did not hop due to non-competence of her party, she did not hop because of corruption in her party and she did hop because her voters demanded it.

She hopped because of personal disagreement with her party's leadership. So one can conclude that she hopped for purely personal reasons and just like the two PKR reps.

She will discredit any party which chooses to accept her.

3. She was a clerk nurtured for years by her current party to reach the level of deputy speaker, the very party she betrayed.

Now is it part of Chinese culture to bite the hands that has fed you? Isn't this the highest level of treason? Would you like to have a traitor of the highest order in your party?

In conclusion, to accept her is to show the community you claim to represent that you share her ‘values'. The rakyat is watching.

I believe there should only be one fate for someone like Hee - to be used and discarded by enemies and to be ostracised by friends and family.