ACTIVISTS who campaigned hard for Pakatan Harapan ahead of the 14th general election have now panned the ruling coalition for accepting the very people they had spoken up against into the fold.

They felt that by doing this, Pakatan was dismissing what democracy stood for simply to strengthen their position. 

Activist Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said accepting Umno defectors showed that Putrajaya was only interested in strengthening their position by increasing their numbers, adding she was not surprised by these developments.

“It shows that the ruling elite is just interested in tightening their grip on power. They don’t care about democracy.

“As long as they can remain in power, everything else is okay,” said the activist, who leads civil society group Malaysia Muda.

Among those who had left Umno and joined Bersatu – a component of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition – are former Umno secretary-general Radzi Sheikh Aman, Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Shamsudin, Johor assemblymen Rasman Ithnain and Roslaily Johari, Bagan Serai MP Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali and four senators – Khairudin E.S. Abd Samad, Suhaimi Abdullah, Isa Abdul Hamid and Aknan Ehtook.

Several top Sabah Umno leaders had also left the Barisan Nasional lynchpin party and pledged support to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s leadership.

Today, another seven Umno lawmakers are set to leave the party but have not stated if they would join PH or remain independents.

Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann pleaded to Umno members not to jump ship as the country needed a strong opposition to keep PH in check.

Fann reminded Umno that it would not be hard for Malaysians to elect a new government later should the current one fail to perform.

“A strong and responsible opposition would hold the ruling government in check and hold it accountable for the promises it made to voters,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“Every opposition party should see itself as a government-in-waiting, and should act like one.”

Fann urged opposition politicians thinking of switching parties or allegiances to reconsider and prepare themselves to be an alternative to the current government. 

“Be the checks and balances you are supposed to be. Be the voice of the rakyat that you can be and surely, in time, you will earn our respect and the right to govern,” he said.

Former ISA detainee and activist Hishamuddin Rais, however, downplayed the issue, saying that party-hopping was normal, especially for countries in which a new administration is elected in. 

He cited Luxembourg as an example, saying a left-wing party recently joined the government after one of its policies was accepted by the ruling party.

“Party-hopping is nothing new. Nothing surprising. It happens, even in Europe,” Hishamuddin said.

“In the case of Luxembourg, a left-wing party agreed to join the government after their free transportation policy was accepted.

“This is a weakness of electoral politics. In the case of Malaysia, it’s a weakness. In Luxembourg, it benefits the people. So, you have strengths and weaknesses in electoral politics.”

University Malaya academic Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the mass resignations showed that Umno leaders were starting to feel the pressure of staying in a party that could no longer offer them political benefits.

“They are worried and they are looking for a party that can offer them benefits. Because all this while, they were in their comfort zones. They had money; they had power,” Awang Azman said.

“The best way for them is to jump ship – and Bersatu is seen as a party that can offer them hope.” – December 14, 2018.