Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Yesterday in PR,...today in BN... Why? Election Gimmick or Real..

It is so easy to get 500 members to join a political party - with the plan to 'quit' at the opportune moment for some gain.

One of these opportune moments is just before the election day in by-elections...and general elections.

Why do they quit now ....well, it is to influence the voters. Many voters prefer to vote the potential victors - they choose to follow the crowd. [In a hall, when many stand up and clap - you will find the others in the hall also getting up and giving a 'standing ovation' - and guess what many may not even know why they did that ---- it was just following the crowd..]

It is that kind of effect that these stunts of quitting political parties at the eve of an election hopes to achieve...

I recently attended the Pahang Bar Annual Dinner, whereby Mohd Najib Razak (then the DPM and PM in waiting) was the invited guest - and when he entered the hall, almost all stood up and clapped. Why did they do so? Why did they do so when even earlier that day the then committee was reprimanded strongly by members for inviting Najib and/or politicians for Bar Dinners as guest of honours. The anger was because many were of the opinion that the Bar must be independent, and seen to be independent.

But, that very night - when Najib walked in - they stood and clapped. They gave him a standing ovation. Why? ....I am sure that many will not be able to answer that question.

This is what the 'mass party hoppings' just before elections hope to achieve... sadly today, this is not just done by the BN...but also the Pakatan Rakyat.

But...the rakyat is smarter...and they are less likely to be taken in by such political stunts and games..

Oh...but tell me ...how many were there? 1,000 or 500 or really just a handful....political gimmicks or real?

And guess what, both BN and PR also 'rewards' those who jump over. Oh, they give them MP and ADUN seats to contest... (Some even will want these 'party hoppers' to become the new leaders ....mmm. Example, some want Zaid Ibrahim to be made the 'DPM' when Pakatan Rakyat takes over the Federal Government... )

From the Pakatan Rakyat to the BN
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) was dealt another blow when 1,000 members from its Merbok division here walked out on it yesterday.

Led by one of its committee members, Kamal Nasser Taufik, they cited a loss of confidence in the party's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their decision.

Kamal said they were turned off by Anwar's failure to fight for the people, and that he was merely fighting for his own interest.

"Enough is enough. There is no struggle for the members or the people," Kamal said here on Sunday night.

Besides leaving PKR, Kamal also resigned as a councillor in the Kuala Muda Municipal Council, and head of the Indian community for the Bukit Selambau state seat.

Like Jerai PKR division chairman Kalai Vanar who quit the party with 500 members last Monday, Kamal said Anwar never appreciated the sacrifice made by party members. - New Straits Times, 7/4/2009, PKR's Merbok members quit

And from BN to the Pakatan Rakyat...

The much-awaited 'big announcement' by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim tonight turned out to be mass defections from Kedah PPP to the opposition party.

Leading the defection was People's Progressive Party (PPP) vice-president V Nagarajan, along with six of the 11 of the party's divisions in the state.

The defections, which involved 62 branches in the state, meant that PPP lost the bulk of its membership in Kedah, where a crucial by-election will be held in three days.

bukit selambau ceramah umum sungai lalang 040409 crossover ppp nadarajanNagarajan (left) has tonight submitted membership forms for 300 ex-PPP members.

He promised that a total of 6,000 would be jumping ship from the Barisan Nasional component party to PKR after April 7 by-election.- Malaysiakini, 4/4/2009,
PKR: Mass defections from Kedah PPP

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