To PKR: This is no Chess Club

Wan Azizah stepped down last year to make way for hubby, the de-facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat. A by-election was in order due to the resignation. The PR coalition is supposedly gaining momentum, on its way to seize and conquer Putrajaya. After failing his bid to declare a new government on Sept 16 last year, Anwar decided to change the take over date to Hari Raya Qorban. Hari Raya Qorban had passed, and Anwar was still the opposition leader. Maybe it was the wrong date.

Then, Arumugam, State Assemblyman of Bukit Selambau, Kedah, caught with some scandal resigned, making way for another by-election. He had claimed that there was pressure to make him switch camp, a promise of great wealth & fortune if he packs and joins BN. Fortunately, PKR retained the seat.

Now, the Deputy Chief Minister Fairuz, previously claiming to further his studies, has resigned, suspected of being involved in multiple corruption cases concerning quarry management and other projects in Penang. His resignation will force the voters to come out once again. Fairuz is now threatening PR to clear his name, lest be exposed of its inner dealings that I reckon the public would have an interest on.

With all the money being spent on by-elections, when will it stop? If Fairuz were to be trialed and convicted with a crime, the seat should be left vacated until the next general election. We are not in the right economic environment to be spending resources on by-elections everytime some inconsiderate YB resigns (deaths are acceptable of course but they raise the question of health screening among YBs). There should not be any correct economic environment in the first place to justify such practice. Are we to condone these leaders vacating a seat like it was the Chess Club?

The Malays are known to possess a trait of being "kesian" (having sympathy for someone), according to the late Senu Abdul Rahman. He would have said "kesian dia".