Of DAP's miscommunication, intimidation, indigestion and ...

You have DAP's Sec gen, state chief, counsillor and state rep with their shortcomings. Are we getting shortchanged?

During my teenage years, we used to tease our love-struck colleagues with DAP which literally means Dalam Alam Percintaan. Since then DAP of Democratic Action Party legitimately took away our Dalam Alam Percintaan. After March 2008, DAP, to me becomes Dalam Alam Percubaan - some sort of P license in governing. As P holders, DAP governs some states but their performance are being scrutinised and monitored. Maybe, they will get full license in 2012 or maybe they will lost their P license then.

Coming to 2 years governing the states of Penang and Selangor, DAP's early promising start is showing some negative signs. For this posting, I am going to concentrate on few of DAP's actions that might indicate that they are not that "people-friendly" as potrayed to be. For this purpose, here are some of the actions taken by DAP which shows that all is not well in DAP country :-

1. Communication slip-up resulted in Batu Feringgi tourist belt beaches not being cleaned during the recent festive season;
2. Selangor DAP chief intimidates police;
3. DAP's ex-counsillor ingests paraquat;
4. Jawi state rep upset over parking issues;
   

If you were to look at those issues separately and independently, it might be a small issue but collectively it shows that DAP has much to learn and to grow up to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to the party by the rakyat of Malaysia.

It is quite ridiculous for Lim Guan Eng to blame communication slip-up when complaints on dirty beaches along Batu Feringgi tourist belt make the headline news. Beaches don't gets dirty within a day. No doubt the sea will wash in rubbish but it will take at least a few weeks before the rubbish becomes an eyesore. The CM claimed that the state government had decided to extend the beach cleaning contract in October 2009 and yet 2 months down the road, the state decision has not been relayed to the Contractor involved. To me, that is not miscommunication slip-up but more of miscommunication failure. If Penang government is ISO accredited, I think they deserved a major NCR.

Whilst we are still on the same issue, the CM should be checking on who is given the task to relay the government's decision and why he did not carry out the task. Is he too busy like the CM, shuttling between administering the state and attending parliment sessions in KL? That is why, I have hinted out in my previous postings that the opposition (read PR) is running down their elected members because they just do not have sufficient pool of resources and capable leaders to stand in public offices. How do you expect one to carry out multi-tasking responsibilities? Especially when it concerns the welfare of the rakyat?

Next on the line is Selangor's DAP chief's statement when he openly request the police to stop investigation on Penang's CM who alledgedly claimed that Ean's political secretary aide was nurdered. DAP may have its own reasons to make the alledged claim but the police should be given the chance and opportunity to carry out the investigation. Why are the public too quick to jump to conclusion when the legal recourse has not even started? Infact the coroner has not make its decision and the second autopsy report is still pending (when even state-appointed specialist has not submitted her report). This leads to the all-important question - Is DAP firing up the rakyat's sentiments to reject whatever findings the coroner may arrived to if it did not benefit DAP or pointed along the direction that the aide maybe murdered?

Granted that the police force's reputation is getting a beting and hitting rock-bottom due to some of the actions taken by them which is not opposition-friendly. Some use past experiences to back up their claims but generally the rakyats has no choice but to pray that the police will carry out their works dilligently. If not, are we saying that the police force will be disbanded when PR take over the country's management? Then who can assure that the police force under PR is different from the current police force?

What frightens me more is not lack of trust towards the police force but the way Ean Yong Hian Wah makes teh statement. He must understand that he is no longer the opposition but an appointed selangor state EXCO member. That means he is part of the present-day Selangor government. Therefore, he should not be making the statement which to me is a direct intervention to the police work. Before, opposition members are crying their voices out blaming police for intimidating them and taking actions on them whenever and wherever possible. Today, I sensed that this particular DAP chief is actually intimidating police and inferring for the police to stop investigating Penang CM.

Just imagine that. If Ean can do that when DAP is governing Penang and partially involved in governing Selangor, what will he do if DAP is given the trust to govern Malaysia? Will DAP ended up directing police to stop any investigation if it concerns their leaders? Tell me, where is the logic in requesting police to stop carrying out their duties as an enforcement agency? Is Ean hinting that DAP leaders and PR leaders saints who will never break the laws of the country? If this is an inkling of what to come, I fear for Malaysia when we have leaders like Ean running the country. Before, PR (and DAP) claims that their administration will be that of transperancy. Now I am asking, why is Ean afraid when the police is investigating on Penang's CM's alledged claim of murder involving his aide? Let it be transparent and I am sure the police will find the Penang CM statement harmless and calls for no further action and the investigation file closed in the near future. No interference necessary...

Going down the ladder, rumours of a DAP's ex-counsillor ingesting paraquat caught my attention. This time it is in Jawi, an area in mainland Penang. It is said that the councillor's term was not renewed for alledged incompetence. It is also reported that her relatives has barred DAP leaders from visiting her.

Fine! I accept the notion that if you are not competent, you will be dropped. BUT - my question now is - it has also been reported in the Sun that the ex-counsillor has returned to her hometown in Malacca. Why did Penang government appointed a Malaccan born girl to be a counsillor in Penang? Is she brought up in Penang or is she appointed because of her political affliation to DAP? Before, we blast others for cronyism, isn't this a small part of cronyism? It begins from a spark to start a fire, is DAP heading that way too now sice they are on the verge of bigger powers? Tell me, if this is DAP, then what is the difference between DAP and other political parties?

The last on the list (for now) covers the Jawi state rep who now threatens to quit DAP and become an independent. Reason? Because the state government wanted to impose car parking fees in Nibong Tebal. Hello! Mr Tan Beng Huat! Let's start with simple question - how do you expect the state government to run the state if they everything is free. Does BH Tan believe that the roads in Nibong Tebal is built for free? Does he think that the street lightings are free? Does he think maintaining the roads are done for free? Sheessh, how do Penagites elect him as a state rep?

Quiting DAP does not answer everything. Even if BH Tan decided to quit DAP, does he think the state government will stop imposing the car parking fees? If this is the way DAP leaders are thinking, Malaysia will go down the drain if and when DAP took over the reins to govern Malaysia. Do we expect Kuala Lumpur to have free parking? And if not, the MP will quit DAP?

Discussing and appealing is one thing. Threatening is another. To me, if BH Tan really threatens to quit the party for such trivial issue, I wonder what he will do when faced with larger issues? Quit becoming Malaysian citizen? BH Tan must realise that he is elected to do a job and he must do it to his utmost best. Quiting and sulking is not the way forward. Just because someone wants to better your constituency (and in the process need to charge parking fees), you do not quit the party that elevated you to be their state rep.

This is not about bashing DAP. This is about giving them a wake up call. I remember the time when I first entered form four and consider that as a honeymoon year before starting the midnight oil for form five exam. The same here. DAP may thinks that hey are in honeymoon because they won big in 2008. But the honeymoon period is over. Either DAP needs to shape up or get prepared to be shipped out.

As politicians, one must give one's best to serve the nation. Don't get success gets over your head. If not, you will end up on the wrong footing and when that happens, it will take years to rebuild shattered trust. Ean of selangor needs to grow up fast and understand that he did not control the police. Let the police do their job. Penang CM needs to understand now that his administration has weaknesses. He needs to fallback, rectify and plug off the weaknesses. The ex-counsillor should accept the fact that your actions and performance are judged by others whilst BH Tan must learn to control his outburst.

There you have it. You have DAP's Sec gen, state chief, counsillor and state rep with their shortcomings. Are we getting shortchanged?

Me? I don't get angry, I just get even...:)

Till then...G'nite M'sia...wherever u are...