The Malaysian Insight

THIS reality never got away.

Sixteen months after winning power, a number of politicians in Pakatan Harapan are proving they are equal to their Barisan Nasional foes – only thinking of themselves.

For example, take this stand by PKR vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin, that party president Anwar Ibrahim should be magnanimous and accept a request for a “reconciliation meeting”.

Because she won’t attend any party leadership meetings until he does hold that special meeting with her and her faction, as the issues discussed will be “serious and sensitive”.

“We can’t have a lot of people chiming in. It involves the direction of the party. We love the party and the country,” she was quoted as saying by local media yesterday.

One can only presume that most PKR meetings are not serious or sensitive, and do not involve the party’s direction.

Anwar, of course, has done the sane thing. He refused, saying she and others have to turn up for regular party leadership meetings.

What this entire episode in PKR tells you is simple. Getting power has gone to the heads of some of these politicians. They feel entitled, and want to be treated as special.

They are no different from some of the BN politicians in the past. All are cut from the same cloth of privilege and entitlement when given top government posts. Was it ever a wonder that BN finally fell from its perch in May 2018?

How is it that politicians do not learn from the past? That the party they are in is larger than them? That they offer to serve the party and people – not the other way around?

The irony is that Zuraida is one of the better politicians and PKR office-bearers. But, she now appears to take herself as more important than the party or her fellow party leaders.

Would she tolerate this nonsense in her ministry or party division? Or would she just do the right thing, and attend leadership meetings regularly and thrash it out face-to-face rather than sulking in public about her woes?

Malaysia needs a better class of politicians and leaders, and a majority of voters thought they chose that in the last general election. Apparently, that better class of politicians is still a fantasy. – September 23, 2019.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.