YOURSAY | Voters should sue all defectors, not just Azmin

YOURSAY | ‘Perhaps this will stop elected reps from selling themselves to the highest bidder.’

Gombak voters sue Azmin over Sheraton Move

Apa Nama: I would like to salute the 10 Gombak constituents because they could be setting a good precedent in our nation’s history.

This case is actually a way forward in our nation as far as suing a MP is concerned. It should send a strong message to all MPs and state representatives that you should not take our vote and your promises for granted.

In fact, elected representatives should not take voters for a ride. I wish good luck to the complainants and I trust they will win the case because justice is on their side. I also hope more lawyers will assist in this case.

FairMalaysian: Voting rights and voters' rights are the strongest pillars in a democracy. Gombak parliamentarian Azmin Ali was elected not because he is Azmin, but because he stood under the PKR/Pakatan Harapan ticket.

When Dr Michael Jeyakumar stood under the Harapan coalition, he defeated the long-time MP for Sungai Siput, S Samy Vellu.

In fact, he was a relatively unknown standing against a giant but he couldn't emulate that success when he stood under his own party ticket (PSM). He was able to garner only 1,505 votes. This clearly shows how important the party ticket is.

This does not mean Azmin cannot leave the party, particularly if there are policy differences, but he should have resigned and go get the people's mandate again. So, all those 11 who were elected under the PKR ticket but have now defected should rightly resign and run for re-election.

By the way, I would like to sue Zuraidah Kamaruddin, my "former" MP for Ampang. How do I go about doing that? She had betrayed the trust of Ampang voters. She came to us as a PKR candidate and that's why we voted for her.

Harimau_Arif: Even though the action is commendable, we all know that ‘frogging’ is legal in Bolehland.

Even if it’s illegal, the suit would never hold any water because the law does not apply to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government officials.

Malaysia Bharu: ‘Frogging’ is not legal. Even if the law is silent on ‘frogging’, that does not deprive voters of holding to account their chosen MP if he has misrepresented himself for his victory and betrays their trust.

Misrepresenting oneself to the voters amounts to deceit and there are laws against cheating.

This lawsuit is better late than never. Azmin is a typical example of all that is bad in Malaysian politics.

Defections and betrayals are the in-thing among political scoundrels who come around with a begging bowl to get elected but jump ship for power and positions once they are elected.

However, Azmin's treachery knows no parallels nor bounds. He not only betrayed his mentor, president and party and his voters through false pretence but schemed to pull out from his party as many MPs as possible causing immeasurable damage to his party.

He then manipulated the numbers at his disposal to gang up with other traitors and defectors to topple the elected government and form a backdoor government of traitors and defectors together with losers at the polls and get himself appointed as a senior minister.

Azmin stands out as having broken all records of deceit and treachery vis a vis Malaysian politics. It is time he is made to account for all his self-serving actions as a politician and the betrayal and damage to Harapan voters in general.

OrangeViper2887: Indeed, voters in other areas should emulate Gombak. All other frogs should be taken to court by the rakyat. A crowdfunding campaign for this purpose should be initiated.

This is to protect democracy. Let us save our nation from these traitors.

Fairman: Yes, all concerned voters who felt cheated by those who brought down the Harapan government should support the cause of the Gombak 10.

A fund should be started to collect money for the legal fees. Perhaps every voter could bank in RM10 into a bank account. Remember, if the DAP can collect RM1 million in a day to assist its leader Lim Guan Eng in his legal cost, we can do it against the fight against traitors such as Azmin.

Actually, this is a test case and the lawyers should be paid for their research and to argue the matter in court. Some elements will also go all out to stop the case from proceeding.

Headhunter: Let's hope they win the case. This will trigger an avalanche by constituents to sue those who betrayed them. Maybe, it will stop elected reps from selling themselves to the highest bidder.

Goliath: This is unheard of... and absolutely brilliant. All the video-recorded ceramahs can be evidence and proof of misrepresentation.

Why stop at only one person? There are many more constituents that were won under the Harapan banner and but are now with PN.

Dr M offers to testify in Azmin's Sheraton Move suit

Malaysia Bharu: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be a witness for the Gombak voters in the lawsuit?

As what we understand, PKR had earmarked Azmin for Selangor menteri besar following GE14. It was Mahathir who unilaterally breached protocol to select and promote Azmin into the cabinet as full minister, thus overruling PKR's decision.

As minister, Azmin was known as Mahathir's blue-eyed boy based on the important economic affairs portfolio assigned to him. In fact, Azmin's worsening confrontation and defiance against his party president and his clarion call for Mahathir to serve the full term was in tandem with Mahathir reneging on the handover agreement and was seen as a proxy fight with Mahathir's blessings.

Thus, based on subsequent events, the plan to dump Harapan and the defection is believed to be with the blessings or knowledge of Mahathir, though events overtook him at the last minute when he had second thoughts following Harapan conceding to him the freedom to set the transition date.

Under these conflicting circumstances, can Mahathir be taken up on his offer to be a witness for the suit filed by the Gombak voters against Azmin? How credible is he? Isn’t he a compromised witness?

Anonymous 5035: The 10 Gombak constituents don't need your testimony. The betrayal speaks for itself. Not only Azmin and his lot but you and your Bersatu lot breached your duty to the rakyat.

Your consorting with the likes of PAS and Umno precipitated the beginning of the end. You were part of the Sheraton Move. Your resignation as PM without consulting the others in government is a huge dereliction of your duty as PM.

You paved the way for the backdoor government. In fact, we the rakyat should be suing you too.

Vijay47: Mahathir, I suggest you forget about Gombak and focus on your more international personal problems. So, take a flight to Paris or wherever it is that Facebook is meeting to discuss your recent advice to the Muslim world.

Oh, one more thing – don’t hurry back. Au revoir.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.