PLANTATION Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin has proven that one can jump parties not once but twice.
But despite her ‘feat’ she certainly cannot match the record of a legislator in India who jumped three parties in one day. His case was often cited when India moved to adopt an anti-defection law by amending the Constitution twice within a span of ten years or so.
Zuraida’s case is not as blatant as the Indian legislator’s, but jumping two parties – first from PKR to Bersatu and then to Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) – within a span of two years is bad enough.
If there had been an anti-hopping legislation, Zuraida would have lost her seat as an MP but having said that her days as a minister is going to be over.
I understand that Bersatu will be submitting a new name to the Government to replace Zuraida as a minister.
I am not sure if a person who has once betrayed her party would repeat such an act but in Zuraida’s case, it would seem so.
She was part of Sheraton Move that had led to the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (Pakatan) government and betrayed PKR by aligning with Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Apparently, there is no love lost between these two, with Azmin failing to convince Zuraida to not abandon the beleaguered ship that is Bersatu.
Of course, Zuraida is an opportunist who knows that there is no political future in Bersatu with the party slowly sinking under the weight of the problems created by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
PBM is a newly launched party with an uncertain future in the country, and whether Zuraida is going to add value to it remains to be seen, although a frog who has jumped twice might be a burden more than anything else.
But that being said, the days of frogs might soon be over with the need to pass the anti-hopping legislation. While there is momentum towards the tabling of the legislation, anything could happen in the interim.
Without the legislation, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Government and the opposition is dead and gone, and without the anti-hopping legislation, there will be no shortage of frogs in the country. – May 27, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
