Raja Petra : Boycott the system if u knew it from the beginning...

Over the last month or so we have been reading tons of stories and articles about the alleged fraud in the party elections. How much is true and how much is exaggerated I don’t really know because I am not on the ground and have to depend on what I read and what I am told by those who phone me.

But the fact that some divisions that voted in favour of Azmin Ali saw an exceptionally high voter turnout that far exceeds the national average of 5%-10% certainly triggers some alarm bells. This is reminiscent of the 2004 General Election where Kuala Selangor and Kuala Terengganu saw a 125% voter turnout against a national average of less than 80%. Exceeding 80% voter turnout already looks suspicious. Exceeding 100% voter turnout is a miracle that only God can perform.
Nevertheless, there are many who are most upset about this whole episode. Top of the list is probably Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. I am inclined to believe that some of the allegations are not without merit. If it is one or two complaints then maybe we can question the accuracy of the allegations. But when there is a flood of complaints then certainly some of it must be true.
I do not want to discuss whether the complaints are true and if so how much of it is true. I am not a member of the party elections committee so I am not privy to all the evidence. What I want to talk about is the same thing as what I have been saying since 2000.
If you know there is fraud then get out. Boycott the elections. Raise the complaints if you wish and get them attended to. But if the party denies your allegations then there is nothing more you can do. You can always ask for justice to be done. Whether you do or do not get justice is for the powers-that-be to decide. And in this case the powers-that-be is the party elections committee headed by Dr Molly Cheah.
If Dr Molly believes that there is fraud then, knowing her, she would most certainly do something about it. But if she does nothing then this can only mean that she believes there is no fraud. Dr Molly is probably one of the last persons on earth who would sell her soul to the devil.
I am tired of reading about the grumbling, bitching, complaining, moaning and groaning by Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. Dah letih dengar. Meluat!
If the fire is too hot, get out of the kitchen. Elections in Malaysia will never be clean, free and fair -- whether they are general elections, by-elections or party elections. If you want to contest in any election then accept the fact that you will be faced with many incidences of fraud. Even if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the new federal government it too will, by hook or by crook, do whatever to takes to prevent Barisan Nasional from taking back the government.
If you still want to contest then do so quietly. Walk softly and carry a big stick. If you can’t stomach what is going on then this is not the game for you. Quit now!
Let us say, in spite of all the fraud that Zaid says is going on, he wins the contest and becomes the new Deputy President of the party. Will he then declare that the election was fraudulent and insist that the election be declared null and for a new election to be called? Or will he ‘accept the decision of the members’ and stay on as the new Deputy President of the party?
If Zaid is a man of principles, even if he wins the post of Deputy President he should decline the post because he would have won it against the backdrop of a fraudulent election. How can he accept the post of Deputy President when it was won through a fraudulent election? Zaid should decline the post and ask for the election to be declared null and for a new election to be called.
Since Zaid is going to stand on principles he should not give the election legitimacy even if he wins the post of Deputy President. He should distance himself from what he says is a fraudulent election and not legitimise it by staying in the race.
You should not grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan only when you lose. If you believe that there is fraud then you should grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan even if you win. And if you are going grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan when you win and refuse to accept the post on point of principle, then don’t waste your and everyone else’s time by participating in an election that you consider a farce.
Get out and get out now. Then people would say you have principles and are not a cry baby who grumbles, bitches, complains, moans and groans only when you lose but will accept the verdict of the election if you happen to win.
I remember the BBC HARDTALK interview of 2004 when Anwar Ibrahim was asked why he is getting too personal about Dr Mahathir. Anwar replied that he is not being personal but opposes Dr Mahathir on point of principle.
The BBC interviewer then asked Anwar if he is opposed to Dr Mahathir on point of principle then why did he remain in the Cabinet? Why did he not resign if he did not endorse the manner in which Dr Mahathir was running the country?
Anwar did not have an answer.
Zaid resigned from the Cabinet in 2008 on point of principle. He refused to stay in the Cabinet because he does not endorse what the government is doing. That makes him one up on Anwar.
But now he stays in the race although he opposes the principle in how the race is being run. And if he wins the race he will accept the post of Deputy President of the party.
Is what he is doing now, in 2010, a reversal of what he did in 2008?
Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.
Like that people will say Zaid may have left Umno but Umno never left Zaid. Umno is still very much in him.