From P Ramasamy

Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Pakatan Harapan, as a whole, should have vehemently opposed the entry of Umno leaders into Bersatu at the time when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the prime minister.

It was not just DAP that had not opposed, but also PKR and Amanah.

All the three parties went along with Mahathir’s decision.

The frogs from Umno were brought into Bersatu and given plum positions.

Whatever said and done, DAP did the right thing in opposing the inclusion of the four assemblymen who ditched the Melaka government.

The state election would not have been called in the absence of the withdrawal of support by the four.

It is not that the four wanted an election, but things proved to be beyond their control, enabling Umno to have a hand in the call for the election.

Even if the four did not want an election, the very act of hopping cannot be forgiven.

The acceptance of even one of the four dissidents would have contradicted the need for a national anti-hopping law at the federal level, an outcome of the opposition’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) on transformation and political stability with the government.

While PH has been firm against party hopping, PKR and Amanah’s acceptance of the two party-hoppers into their fold is not acceptable.

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim cannot justify the acceptance of the two leaders saying that was not something akin to the treacherous Sheraton Move.

It is a question of the degree of betrayal, but not the betrayal itself.

The Sheraton Move brought down the legitimately elected government of PH, but the move by the four brought down the Melaka state government.

Anwar, as the chairman of PH, should have been firm in not accepting even one of the four who deserted the government.

What is so crucial about accepting the two, one for PKR and the other for Amanah?

Are PKR and Amanah so hard-up for candidates that the two needed to be brought in?

What were the prior engagements with PKR before the decision was made to abandon the Melaka government?

Anwar is not just the leader of PKR, but head of PH and candidate to be the next prime minister.

He should be above petty politics to ensure that unanimity in PH.

DAP cannot be outvoted just because it was two against one. Amanah might be in PH but its role is disappointing to say the least. The party is the weakest link in PH.

In the turbulent world of politics in general, and in Malaysia in particular, it is difficult to live by principles.

Political opportunism is so rife that even the most principled party might be swayed to subordinate principles in anticipation of winning.

Is there really a choice between whether to abide by principles or to abandon them for political expediency?

Is PH going to fudge the differences between PN or BN by compromising on principles?

PH seems to preach one thing to the rakyat but does some other thing for political expediency.

How can PH as a whole convince the rakyat that the alternative coalition is the best thing for Malaysia when some basic principles cannot be adhered to?

If Umno or BN can go alone in the state election, why is PH fumbling and wants to bring disgraced leaders into its fold?

Winning the election is important but not at the expense of abandoning basic political principles.

I am a DAP member and a staunch supporter of the PH coalition as the alternative future government of the country.

I have defended Anwar when there were calls for his resignation.

I am not a blind supporter of DAP; the party has its share of weaknesses.

But when it comes to the question of the four assemblymen, I am dead against their admission into PH.

Both PKR and Amanah have made their decisions to admit the two frogs or toads.

I don’t think there will be any last moment decision to rescind their decisions.

DAP, a formidable member of the coalition, is hurt. I think its leaders have made known their stand on the acceptance of the frogs.

Following the state election, there is a pressing need to do a post-mortem to ensure past mistakes are not repeated.

It is not about the Melaka election, but also the coming Sarawak election and, ultimately, the next general election, possibly next year.

It is not just the quarrel about accepting or not accepting the frogs but whether the MoU in existence means anything anymore to the PH.

Time is certainly not on the side of PH. The MoU, rightly or wrongly, seems to be the albatross around the neck of the alternative coalition.

P Ramasamy is a Penang deputy chief minister.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.