Academician or Politician?

As I was walking into the Tan Sri Uda Library building in Shah Alam I bumped into one of my former political science lecturer during my university days, Dr Sanusi Osman. I duly introduced myself to him as his former student. We had a quick chat while going to the lift taking us to the 3rd floor to attend the launching of two books by a former lecturer of UKM, Rustam A Sani, who passed away three days earlier.

The book launching also becomes a memorial for this late academician, writer, political analyst and former deputy president of Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) which Dr Sanusi was also a former Secretary General.

I attended this event as a mark of respect to my former lecturer since I missed the funeral few days earlier and I know pretty well that I will be having the opportunity to meet other lecturers from my student days.

Some of the my university lecturers who left the academia for politics includes Ting Chew Peh, former MCA's Housing and Local Government Minister; Toh Kin Woon who was with Gerakan and former Penang Exco member. Dr Sanusi did contest in the Batu and Lembah Pantai constituencies under the PRM banner but failed to be elected.

During that time it did not cross my mind that these lecturers will jump into active party politics and I am amused of myself when I thought of some of those questions that I asked them as a freshie. One of those question that I posed to Dr Sanusi was, "why Barisan Nasional need to have so many ethnic based parties as members when BN can be a party for all?", without knowing he was an active member of the opposition PRM!