THE problem with some of our political parties is when their members treat the party as sacred. Here are four groups that cross my mind:
Group 1: Some treat the political platform as a springboard to build a career. These are opportunists. They would not rock the boat – and even when something is desperately wrong – they would close an eye to the problem.
Group 2: Others treat it as an opportunity to meet senior politicians, especially in the ruling party. They hope that by doing so, they will gain some business favours.
Group 3: Yet others think that the party is everything to them. They treat the party as theirs – and even when they commit a crime – they expect the party to stand with them. They use the party to seek their own political mileage and personal agenda.
Group 4: Those born with a silver spoon think that they are more entitled to other members of the party. They are likely to attract the last group: those in Group 5 who think that they are willing to die for the party. It is this same group of people who will chicken out when things go wrong.
In reality, it is these last two groups that will destroy a party from surviving an onslaught like that in the 14th General Election (GE14), in which case we have seen that the invincible Barisan Nasional was wiped off by Pakatan Harapan.
The voters rallied behind PH. Throughout the entire period, people were expecting to see a new Malaysia.
It is then that people in Groups 1, 2 and 3 started showing up in PH. People in Group 1 are usually tidy and smart looking guys – and they easily become the “trusted” men for the job, although they may not necessarily be qualified. Some are hardworking; others are only there to warm the pew and enjoy the glamour.
Group 2 will begin soliciting for contracts but Group 3 will be the ones who convince the captain to sail into the rocky seashore and like Group 4, will eventually sink their ships.
The worst of the lot are people in Group 6, because they treat the party as sacred. It becomes their religion with some goes to the extent of building a personality cult with it.
It is Group 6 that will eventually cause the party to suffer a major downfall as the wise saying of King Solomon goes, “pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Didn’t we all learn from the Titanic what happened to the Captain Edward Smith of the first Ocean liner?
And, if I may add: those who want to do what is right will find it hard to swim in the ocean where the sharks reign. – Sept 27, 2022
Stephen Ng
Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: The Economist
