IS EZAM AN ASSET TO UMNO?

PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s former political secretary Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor rejoined UMNO shocked party members and it should be a blow to PKR.

Hence the questions arise: Can UMNO or UMNO president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi uses this as a leverage to strengthen UMNO and if so, to what extent? Is Ezam an asset to the party or otherwise?

Ezam Mohd Nor said his focus now was merely to help UMNO leadership in reforming the party and the government. He doesn’t want to be involved in any power struggle in the party.

He was previously sacked from UMNO in 1998 for criticizing the then president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for terminating Anwar from both the party and government.

He had been a vocal critic of Mahathir and then Abdullah. He played a vital role in the setting up of PKR in 1999 with Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. In the intervening years, he had been charged and jailed under the Official Secrets Act and the Internal Security Act for siding with Anwar. In PKR, he helmed the Youth wing from 1999 until 2005.

Last year he had a bitter fall out with Anwar and vice-president Azmin Ali. This followed an internal power struggle, which resulted in Ezam quitting the party.

Since then he had been critical of Anwar's style of leadership and Azmin's role as a dominant schemer in the party. After that he had concentrated on his anti-corruption NGO, Gerak, of which he was the head. He has now quit that post as well after joining UMNO.

WILL ANWAR REJOIN UMNO?

UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's leadership that promises reforms for the good of all had convinced Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor to rejoint UMNO.

Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth leader and one-time confidant of PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on Wednesday rejoined Umno.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, no conditions are attached to Exam's readmission into UMNO. He does not get any special treatment or privileges. He has also not sought any position. He just wants to serve and struggle for the party.

Hence the interesting question arises: Will Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim rejoint UMNO too?

Six Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth leaders announced yesterday they were quitting the party to follow Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor in rejoining Umno. The six are Annuar Shaari, S.D. Johari Mohd Yasin, Mohd Nazmi Rosli, Ahmad Daud Che Ghani, Azwanddin Hamzah and Khairul Annuar Ramli.

Annuar was the PKR Youth chief for Permatang Pauh and private secretary to party de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Johari was Selangor PKR Youth chief, Mohd Nazmi was Selangor PKR Youth secretary and Ahmad Daud the Perlis PKR Youth chief.

Azwanddin and Abdul Ghani are former PKR Youth executive council members, while Khairul Annuar was the Kedah PKR Youth chief.

Mohamad Ezam submitted his application to rejoin Umno on Wednesday to party president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

IMPROMPTU MOVE AGAINST PARLIMENTARY ETIQUETTE

As the ultimate legislative body in Malaysia, Parliament is responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law. There are rules about what can and cannot be said and done. Members of Parliament are not free to talk on anything that breaches the Act and neither act against the Standing Orders. They must act upon things as they are.

Apparently, MP N. Gobalakrishnan (PKR - Padang Serai) walk up to the Speaker to explain a Tamil word to the latter by whispering to him during a shouting match who took place during Question Time in Dewan was an unparliamentary act. It was rude and against parliamentary etiquette. Such unparliamentary behavior exhibited was disgraceful and uncalled for. It had never happened in the house before.

The disrespect and irreverence for decency in parliament is not a laughing matter as such political act sent out a terrible message to the public, and was absolutely opportunistic and disgraceful. Those who cross the line of acceptability should rightly be condemned in the highest degree. MPs from all sides should contribute sensibly and sensitively to this important subject.

I’m disappointed that the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia did not take a stronger stand on this. Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek had said before, "Laws must be used" against those who break the law.” Keeping this in mind, then, the most serious question arises: Should the Parliament use the laws against those who break the law?

N. Gobalakrishnan created “havoc” in the Dewan Rakyat Tuesday when he walked up to the Speaker to explain a Tamil word to the latter by whispering to him during a shouting match which took place during Question Time. He made the impromptu move when Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia told the House that he could not understand the meaning of a Tamil word and would have to ask someone outside before making a ruling.

Gobalakrisnan and M. Kulasegaran (DAP - Ipoh Barat) had asked Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Idris Haron to retract a Tamil word he said, where the two claimed it was unparliamentary. This prompted Gobalakrishan to leave his seat and walked to Pandikar Amin amidst shouts of: “Ooi, what are you trying to do? Biadap. Biadap” while Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was waving at Gobalakrishnan in an attempt to stop him.

Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN - Kinabatangan) then stood up to cite the Standing Orders to refer Gobalakrishnan to committee of privileges for being rude and not in accordance with the Standing Order. Azmin then stood up to ask Gobalakrishnan to apologize to the house and ensure it that such an incident would not happen again.

“I apologise for my act for not realizing it. Thank you,” he said.

At the lobby, Gobalakrishnan maintained that he heard Idris saying a foul word but Idris said he meant "sit down" in Tamil, which he learned from an Indian friend. Both words were close in their pronunciation.

EZAM IS WAITING TO HOP IN UMNO

The political games of “hop out” and “hop in” are on.

Ex-president and premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Barisan Nasional MPs should follow him to hop out of the coalition and now former PKR Youth leader Ezam Mohd Nor is waiting to hop in UMNO after receiving the green light from the top UMNO leadership.

The incidents illustrated how a holiness contest between politicians is doomed to backfire when it comes to conflict of interest. Are they just artifacts of an individualistic post-materialist political society with no real political substance?

Undoubtedly, in this two complex political incidents, to a certain extent, it appeared the normative core conspiracy theory that consists of two schools of thought, which are intended to balance out the relation between the goal of maximum personal political benefits and economic justice or otherwise?

One important question remains: Are we going to protect the Malaysian political frogs or otherwise? Anyhow, lets improve our knowledge on this unique amphibian by answering the quiz below:

The Frog Quiz

1. Political hopping frogs are found only in opposition parties. True or False?

2. We human need them. True or false?

3: All political hopping frogs make only croaking noise. True or false?

4: Political hopping frogs are more dangerous than poisonous wild frogs? True or false?

Look Here For Answers:

1. False: They can be found almost in all parties.

2. False: They only serve their own vested interests.

3. False: They can make all sort of noises.....some roar like tigers, some neigh like horses and a few sound like Orang Utan.

4. True: They can cause chaos to the society and even may led to civil war.