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Baradan Kuppusamy

The Islamic Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS)  has ordered  its elected representatives to take an oath promising to divorce their wives if they defect, in a bid to stop them joining the ruling National Front coalition.
While other political leaders scoff at the PAS method, it appears to have worked for the party, because since last year's election not a single elected representative has defected to the coalition, which rules by a slim 30-seat majority in Malaysia's Parliament and is always  looking  for defectors to beef up its numbers.
The oath is taken in a mosque  while holding a  Koran, to put the fear of God into the representatives. All PAS leaders have taken such oaths, senior leader Khalid Samad said.
PAS leaders believe that since their wives are precious to them -  and as Muslims, they can marry four women - they would not defect after making such a commitment. 
'They would pay a big price if they defect,' Khalid said.
'That's why no PAS lawmakers have defected ... they appreciate their wives and families dearly,' Khalid said in Parliament on Thursday.
However, Muslim feminists and others  questioned the method, saying it is an insult to women and the family institution to swear to divorce  a wife or wives if a lawmaker defects.
'This is rubbish ... absolute rubbish,' said a leading Muslim feminist leader who did not want to be identified for fear of criticism from  Islamic hardliners. 
'They should educate their members on the principles of democracy and the evils of defecting, which is really selling yourself to the highest bidder,' she said. 'Everybody knows defectors are paid millions of dollars to defect.'  
In contrast to the PAS, lawmakers from the  Keadilan  party, which is led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim,  and the mainly Chinese  Democratic Action Party frequently defect to the  National Front.
The three opposition parties, gathered together under the Pakatan Rakyat  coalition, enjoyed big wins in the 2008 polls, capturing five state governments from  the National Front and 82 seats in the 222-seat Parliament. 
The  National Front has been keenly wooing Pakatan defectors,  while Anwar  has been trying to topple the  government by inducing 30  National Front lawmakers to defect.  The National Front  won back Perak state in February after  convincing Pakatan lawmakers to jump ship.
To stem the defections, the DAP and  Keadilan have ordered  their lawmakers to sign undated resignation letters, which if they defect  would be dated and forwarded to the Election Commission to trigger a  by-election in their  constituencies.
However, in May the court held in a defection case that  undated resignation letters were invalid and a by-election  was not held.



MPs told to divorce if they defect