The question above should be asked every day to politicians, just as a wonder why they would do the job they do. However, focuses purely on the Opposition lawmakers.
True, I'm sure idealists will be aplenty among all of them.
There will be those who wished to serve Malaysians, there will be those who think it their calling, there will even be those few who will probably be honest enough to say someone nudged them into the proverbial tornado decades ago.
Jaded as I am by such idealists, I would believe it is time for a reality check.
The recent passing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act or POTA should not have happened, at whatever time of day. Worst of all, were the apologies that never happened yet excuses aplenty.
Apparently, some took to social media to explain that they were not robots. Others said they had other things to attend to, maybe ceramahs (not even during a campaigning period) and even forums.
Some even gave a backhand to the Malaysian public, saying the reason "she had to stand" was because others did not. Quite perplexing, seeing as she wasn't even an MP.
It is needless to say that in this sense, our Opposition which won 53% of the popular vote is in fact lethargic and lagging.
The reason behind this is because an election is still a long way off and till then, they are virtually powerless to inflict change on any policy.
And then, of course, there is the internal issues affecting the tripod, which even Frank Herbert wrote in Dune as the worst of political structures.
The Pakatan Rakyat was a marriage of convenience that even now is on the brink of a messy divorce typically seen in Hollywood or even among the Malay entertainment section.
But the problem with it now is that there was no common foundation other than a general election win and nothing more.
This is clearly evident in the fact that even a shadow cabinet could not be formed among the three parties to this day, two elections down the road.
So now it is time to ask this question again; why did you join politics?
Was it for the diva-ish attention you would be getting from everyone at forums and ceramahs?
Was it the hypocritical happiness over the increase in allowances and salaries that were bound to happen even when you protest the increasing cost of living and the goods and services tax?
Was it to implement an Islamic government by hook or by crook in a belief that anything done in politics to reach this goal - even selling out your allies - is halal?
Because these are the questions arisen of late in the mind of the voting public. It was bad enough that they voted to end the monopoly of government for six decades and were disappointed.
But worse, it is heartbreaking to most of them when their alternative which was to be their newfound hope turned out to be worst than a stunted headless chicken, a group of unapologetic sociopaths and even hypocritical to the core.
As I said, I'm jaded by politics by now which is why I will simply end this by saying to all the Opposition MPs.
Stop disappointing everyone. Get your Pakatan act together, and offer a viable alternative for governing Malaysia.
You have less than three years to do it and prove it works.
---------------------------
By Hafidz Baharom
Hafidz Baharom
Mon Apr 13 2015
Political commentator Hafidz Baharom questions Malaysian politicians sincerity in running for office.
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