This blot on the political landscape has recently re-surfaced though not in an election result altering way. The whole essence of democracy by popular majority vote is that at least a majority of the electors can see a result to their political liking and an administration which may, though it sometimes does not, do what it promised to do and on which it received majority support.

A government which fails to fulfil its election promises and/or does what it has condemned when standing for election is unlikely to survive the following election. And that is as it should be. But at least it was in place because it had the support of a majority of voters.

Unfortunately there also exists the “frog” phenomenon which, by allowing politicians elected on one party`s manifesto to switch political allegiance to an adverse party, permits that party to form a government for which a majority of electors did not vote. Similar dishonesty in the world outside politics can and often does lead to prosecution and prison time for those involved.

Where constitutional provisions require a specific majority in favour of any amendment to the Constitution, as in Malaysia, and where that majority does not exist the temptation to recruit “frogs” may seem hard to resist. But resisted it should be. The fact that the supreme law requires an overwhelming majority in favour of change is not there by accident. It is there to ensure that the rule book is not changed except by an Assembly which enjoys full public support.

If that support is obtained, by whatever means, other than by elections, it cannot be described as support by the voters but rather manoeuvring by those with narrow political interest. To prevent such un-voted change in future there should be legal provision that anyone who stands in a general election as a member of a specific party and who wishes to change political allegiance during the lifetime of the Assembly must resign and, if they so wish, stand for their new party in a bye election. That should still the croaking and prevent the manipulation of the Assembly, whether to obtain a majority or a majority for constitutional change.