Niki Cheong

Struggling to understand politicians

May 29, 2008 News Breaks, Rantings

So I was reading this article today about Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat Youth leader Ezam Mohd Nor rejoining UMNO when I came across this quote by Pak Lah:

“He wants to come back to Umno and he will continue with the struggles of Umno according to the party’s goal and direction, and not Parti Keadilan.”

I don’t know what the implications are (if any) of this “rejoining” so I was rather disinterested in the news, but what got me wondering is the use of the word “Struggles”. This term has been used very frequently by local politicians and local media with relation to political parties.

Now, I really wonder what kinds of struggles these MPs and Ministers have. I mean, I know that the term is often used in the context of issues - the struggle for women’s rights, for example, or even class struggles - but politicians? I can’t be sure, but I really don’t recall this term being used by politicians in other countries - or at least I’ve not come across it to notice.

Is this even the proper term to use, does anyone know?

I only wonder because to be honest, it makes them sound rather kesian (or pitiful for those who don’t understand Bahasa Malaysia), no?

From what I see, the only thing these people seem to be struggling with is figuring out how to move up the political ladder. ;)

Although, after yesterday’s incident at Parliament where many MPs had to rush in for a block voting, they may have a new struggle - that is, the struggle to stay in Parliament when House is in session … especially if what Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar predicts might happen - that Parliament sits throughout the year.

And I wonder, since all political parties appear to be struggling to keep their members (either as a sign of protest ala Tun M or crossovers - New Malaysia broke news that another Anwar aide, Anuar Shaari, has joined UMNO, fellow former PKR leader Khairil Anuar did too), if it’s a smart move to ask your members to leave when they are given a job by your opponents as was the case with Gerakan’s Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong.

He is the second Gerakan leader to take on a post offered by an “opposition”-run state. The first was when former-Gerakan deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon was offered the posts of InvestPenang executive chairman and Penang Development Corporation director and accepted. Dr Tan, our former Deputy Land and Cooperative Development Minister, was named co-chairman of Selangor’s special task force on land issues.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib has said that Dr Tan, who is also FT Gerakan chief, cannot maintain his places as a Barisan Nasional leader since he has joined an opposition Government.

I wonder if we shouldn’t be judging these people so quickly, and be happy that people with the experience and know-how is given the opportunity to work, as opposed to just putting anyone there since he or she is correctly aligned politically? Maybe some politician are struggling to see beyond just politics and focus on the good for the people.

Maybe they are right after all. Maybe Malaysian politicians are strugglers after all.

Tags: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Anuar Shaari, Ezam Mohd Nor, Gerakan, Khairul Anuar, Malaysian Parliament, Najib Tun Razak, New Malaysia, Pak Lah, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, PKR, politicians, struggles, Tan Kee Kwong, Umno, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar