His ‘12-hour somersault of “no” and then “yes” to dissolution of Parliament’ is no big election issue.

Technically, the earlier “no” was of course a “lie” if by a lie is meant an untrue statement at variance with what is actually on one’s mind which is intended to deceive and beguile those receiving the statement.

However in context this is no big deal if one proceeds on basis of acceptance of the convention that it is PM’s prerogative to pick the timing to dissolve parliament at such time and upon such circumstances he deems most opportune for the coalition he leads to the Opposition’s disadvantage. Of course whether such a convention is fair in context of a democracy is another separate issue. Even in UK such a convention still subsists.

I mean if you accept such a convention and everyone tries to second guess, preempt and gainsay him to predict he would dissolve parliament on the 13th (his favourite number) what do you expect him to say? If it were supposedly his privilege by convention not to be second guessed and pre-empted he would surely prevaricate (eg he’s seeking an audience with the Yang di Pertuan) if not tell an outright lie, more in a good humoured fashion of telling everyone not to try usurping this privilege he has in determining that “magic” date! The other alternative to not “lying” would be to bad humouredly tell reporters, “don’t ask me the question that is my privilege not to let people know until the last moment!” Actually no one is really deceived : for months the imminence of election was preempted, only that we knew not the exact date.

Any attack on “his credibility, reputation and reform pledges” – that they are “tatters” – must surely rest on other surer foundations than this less than ‘24 hour somersault of “no” and then “yes” to dissolution of Parliament’. (I am sure there’s no lack of material in other more important areas to question credibility and reputation in context of reform pledges broken).

Also dissolving parliament on the 7th day of the Chinese New Year is again no big deal as I am unable to fathom how this alone is “disrespectful” to Malaysian Chinese. It is disrespectful if one inconveniences the group celebrating their festivities. But the day of dissolution of parliament is NOT polling date, which could be up to 60 days thereafter, I think, and as it turns out the Election Commission (EC) determined that Nomination day is fixed on Feb 24, the 12th general election on March 8, a Saturday coinciding with the school holidays – after “Chap Goh Mei marking the end of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebrations”.

The real issues of substance on timing of dissolving parliament on 13th that we ought to be concerned with and vigilant about (and to raise during campaigning) are:

(1) whether the election commission’s finalisation of electoral roll of 10,922,139 voters (in nation of more than 26 million) involves significant disenfranchising of many (staying in known opposition areas) who have registered as voters and yet do not find their names based on the electoral roll or if the names are in they were supposed to vote in another state;

(2) the issue of purposely excluding Anwar from standing for contest which he is eligible a month later from general election date; and

(3) BN using resources of govt. to campaign, money politics, manipulation of postal votes and other issues raised by Bersih.

Can we identify then a politician who is/was a leader in government or oposition whther in Malaysia or elsewhere who has not and does not lie on matters of genre above adumbrated????