KUCHING: By Sept 16 we will know who is dreaming and who is bragging, said PKR state liaison chief Dominique Ng yesterday.
Ng, looking and sounding confident of a massive crossover by BN MPs to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) by Sept 16 — the date bandied about by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the day a new government led by the newly elected MP will be formed — said that ‘politics is the art of the possible’.
Ng said if before the Permatang Pauh by-election Anwar was bandying around 31 as the number of BN MPs who were ready to cross over to PR, that figure had now been adjusted to ‘over 40’.
He expressed confidence that Anwar could take over the federal government from the BN by Sept 16 despite suggestions from many that it was only a dream.
“We have another 10 more days. An irresistible momentum is gathering for a change of government, which I think is unstoppable now,” he told a press conference.
“We will know who is dreaming and who is not by Sept 16. When the time comes they (BN MPS) will jump (into PR). No document in the world can prevent them from jumping. When all of them jump on Sept 16, who can stop them? Politics is the art of the possible,” he said.
By “document”, Ng was referring to the requirement of BN MPs to sign the loyalty pledge to BN.
“I think the people in Sarawak are waiting for the day. I have received many calls since PKR victory in Permatang Pauh on Aug 26, to speed up the process.
“We hope to bring the spirit of Permatang Pauh to Sarawak and we believe the political tsunami is coming over. We expect the next state election to be as early as next year and we cannot wait,” he said.
Yesterday’s press conference was held to announce a PKR dinner in conjunction with the party’s Sept 16 Malaysia Day celebration.
The party will be holding the dinner in Sibu on Sept 12, Kuching (Sept 15) and Miri (Sept 16).
They will also be conducting a celebration at the Central Padang to commemorate Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
“I would like to respond to the call of Datuk Seri Anwar for Sept 16 to be recognised as the right national day. Sept 16 was even mentioned in the very first article of the Constitution as the date Malaysia was formed,” he said.
He said the date, too, was also mentioned as ‘Malaysia Day’ in the Labour Ordinance of Sarawak.
In fact there is absolutely no contradiction about the date of the Malaysia Day, he pointed out.
“To say to the contrary or saying Malaysia Day is unimportant, is not only unconstitutional but indeed showing gross disloyalty to the country,” he claimed.
“To the Sarawakians, Sept 16 1963 is very significant. Before that day we were not independent and neither were we part of Malaysia,” he added.
Meanwhile, Federation of Kuching and Samarahan Divisions Chinese Associations chairman Dr Chou Chii Ming said no good things could come out of a political scenario where MPs jump ship.
According to Chou, besides committing an ‘immoral act of disloyalty’, MPs who cross over to another party to form a government will be branded as opportunists and traitors.
He said if MPs jumped ship with the intention to form a government, the sudden change or ‘coup de’tat’ would destabilise the social system and the economy of Malaysia, he said.
The business community had every reason to be concerned about what might happen after Sept 16, he said when commenting on Anwar’s claim of becoming the next prime minister by Sept 16.
“Therefore to ensure continuous economic stability, the change of government must be through the normal process of an election,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
But having said that, Chou warned against taking Anwar’s claim lightly, saying: “The thing is that Anwar is putting his credibility to test and because of this he has to work very hard to ensure that his claim will become a reality. If he fails, he will lose his credibility.
“And based on statements made by his (Anwar’s) group, they seem to be working very hard to realise that claim. That is why I am saying that, we should be taking the claim very seriously.”
He said Anwar must not be underestimated because he appeared to have promised a lot of people political power.
“As a community leader, I feel that it is not good for elected representatives to betray their voters by jumping ship,” he said.
Chou revealed that some members of the business community were already confused because MPs are ‘so quiet’. “They are so quiet. Outwardly, they may seem all right but no one can guess what they are actually thinking,” he said.
Another community leader, Pemanca Ko Wai Neng, said the act of jumping ship would not be a healthy culture.
“MPs should stick to their principle and mission. However, they may resign from their respective party gracefully when their principle and mission change. That act is different from jumping ship,” said Ko.
When told that Sarawak had its own anti-hopping law, Ko said it was about time that the state invoke it to prevent party-hopping from becoming a culture or trend.
Churchill Edward
Borneo Post
04/09/08
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