Khabar-khabarnya

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — History, well political history anyway, was made in Parliament today when a Barisan Nasional MP said for the first time that there was nothing wrong with BN MPs crossing over to the Opposition side. Datuk Anifah Aman (BN-Kimanis) was speaking on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address. "If there is no more space in the existing bungalow house (BN), what is the harm in them moving to a smaller house (terrace house)?"This was greeted with cheers from the Opposition side and nods from Sabah backbenchers. The apt analogy was his answer to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s (BN-Bagan Datok) question to him about whether Sabah backbenchers were tempted to cross over to the Opposition."Is this not the act of a desperado? Why would 140 members occupying bungalows want to move to smaller terrace houses?" he had asked Datuk Anifah Aman earlier.

However, Datuk Anifah’s answer floored him as well as the BN backbenchers from the peninsula."I am not saying I am crossing over. There may be a handful who may want to move. This matter of crossing over is not a serious matter. What is serious is the fact that millions in the five states in Malaysia who crossed over to the Opposition," he said to much laughter from the Opposition.Datuk Anifah was one of two Sabah BN MPs who turned down positions of deputy ministers in the present Cabinet. He is also the brother of the Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.Datuk Puad Zarkashi (BN-Batu Pahat) then asked Anifah if he would support an anti-hopping law. Immediately, Datuk Anifah replied that he was against any law that prevents members from crossing over or changing parties."That would be like a police state. What is the point of persisting with leaders who have deviated from the right path? Do we stick with them? What good is a leader if the people are no longer with him?" he asked.Anifah then spoke about the high price of blind loyalty to leaders and how the people would have to pay for this."What is the use of being loyal to leaders and in the process sacrifice our people’s future?”To a question from Datuk Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) , who lamented the poor infrastructure facilities in Sabah, Anifah answered that independence is meaningless if people cannot even enjoy clean running water and their children had to walk to school.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) then continued with the bungalow analogy and asked if Sabah backbenchers would stay if improvements were made to the bungalows. "Would there be motivation not to move if more rooms are added to the bungalows and if a timetable is set for these improvements? "Anifah said the solution was a little bit more complex than just the adding of rooms."We are in the same bungalow but we don't enjoy the same privileges. We are not only treated like stepchildren but now we are treated contemptuously with talk that we are going to defect."What is the use of additional rooms in the bungalow if we are forced to sleep near the toilet," he said to more cheers. He added that the thing the government needed to work on was the prevention of Sabah from falling into the hands of the Opposition.Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Independent) also weighed in: "Sabah parties have been changing sides at a whim. Even here, Umno people move about. Many PKR people are former Umno people.Why do people always associate me with this and call me katak? (frog)" Ibrahim asked to much laughter.Anifah answered that he did not know if this was a good or bad thing for Ibrahim but "I don't have experience in this matter. There are many teachers here who can teach you how to lompat (jump). There are some from the Opposition too.”