Political positions and alliances may shift with circumstances, but principles should not be compromised for political convenience, says former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak.
Salleh said political opponents could become allies the next day, while principles once firmly upheld could become inconvenient when circumstances change — shifts often justified as “political reality”.
The Sabah Umno treasurer said the nature of politics could be understood through four “Ps”: politics, party, principles and personal interests.
“Politics provides the strategy. Party provides the justification. Principles provide the public argument. Personal interests may sometimes provide the real explanation,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Salleh acknowledged that flexibility and compromise were necessary in politics, but stressed that adapting political strategies should not mean compromising one’s principles.
He said political cooperation could be portrayed as a sign of maturity when it was convenient, while competition could likewise be defended in the name of principles.
“So the question is not simply who is right or wrong. It is: which ‘P’ is driving the decision today?” he said.
