National crisis in credibility

We have been fed propaganda for over 50 years, and with the recent advent of internet and online news, together with text messages by mobile phones, we have come to realise that not everything we read or watched on national television or heard over the radio, can be trusted. It became worse when we have a ‘flip-flop’ PM who had made statements, which turned out to be exactly the opposite of the events that followed.

The Perak state events of one assemblyman crossing-over – from Umno (BN) to PKR (PR) followed by the news of two assemblymen crossing over from PKR to Umno, together with statements by PM and Perak state leaders on the latter development had caused confusion to the public. Nobody knows for sure what is happening now.

The Perak State Speaker, YB Sivakumar, had announced the resignation of the two PKR assemblymen and this was followed by a denial by one of them. PM had officially welcomed practically any one who is keen on joining his party. Knowing the state of BN’s vulnerability, this can only be presumed to be an act of desperation and we can forget about morality or ethics. As a leader of Umno who had admitted to widespread money politics (normally considered corruption) in the party, it is hardly surprising.

Meanwhile, some commented, 'Was it a coincidence that Tajol Rosli was considered 'lembik' or weak and soon after Najib took over as state Umno leader, this defection by PKR Excos happened?' Anwar even accused Najib of being an expert on missing persons!

I hope this new development in Perak will cause the introduction of new laws on ‘party hopping’ which require the state or parliamentary seat to be vacated and followed by a by-election. Only a definitive and strict rule will prevent the casual nature of ‘party hopping’ which is inevitably perceived as unethical or even corruption.

Meanwhile, Wong Chin Huat’s take on the present scenario is the best so far:
http://www.thenutgraph.com/Bn-will-not-win-from-Perak-defections
The Nut Graph BN will not win from Perak defections

Excerpts:

EVENTS are moving so fast in Perak that by the time this column is published, the Barisan Nasional (BN) may be in control of the state legislative assembly if there are enough defections to its side from Pakatan Rakyat.

Even though the two Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives who were tipped to cross over to the BN have reportedly tendered their resignations, nothing is certain.

Already, one of the elected representatives, PKR's assemblyperson for Behrang, Jamaluddin Mat Radzi, has denied resigning. If, as stated by Jamaluddin, the resignation was tendered by the party and not by the representatives themselves, it could potentially be contested.

Hence, it is still possible that Jamaluddin and Changkat Jering state representative Mohd Osman Jailu, who have been charged with corruption, could still defect from the Pakatan Rakyat to Umno. The Pakatan Rakyat-BN ratio in the state government would then be a wafer-thin 30:29.

This would mean the defection of just one more Pakatan Rakyat state assemblyperson would put an end to the coalition-run state government. If such a defection occurs, it also means that the BN would have succeeded in reducing the number of Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states from five to four. This could mark the beginning of its revitalisation since its disastrous performance in the 8 March 2008 general election.

My reading, however, runs contrary. If the Perak Pakatan Rakyat government is brought down through defections, this may, in fact, hasten an early demise for the BN and its federal government. On one condition: that a snap poll for Perak — what a majority of democratic governments would opt for in the face of a no-confidence vote — is called by the state government.