A double life by Papua New Guinean lawmakers
By LUCAS KIAP
May be all of you are aware that when we voted MPs into the parliament they disappear for the five years and only appear when and during the elections. I am not sure how many of you have been asking where the MPs are after voted them into the parliament. I have read a few letters to the editorial section of the local newspapers expressing this concern by some concerned individuals. I too have been wondering why MPs spent so much time in Port Moresby and less time attending to the people back at their electorates. From my own observations and by talking to people who have connections with the MPs or at least go around with, I have discovered a dark side of the lives of the MPs – they live a double life.
On many occasions, in poky houses I have seen MPs with their associates fully drunk; sit in front of more than one machine playing high bets. Normally I have seen some of them with their wives with more than one machine in front of them as well. The MP oversees all the bets. Opportunities would normally wait around for MPs. When they see them, they would approach and greet them “Hi Boss”. The MP would return the greeting by “take this K50 for your coke or smoke and buai”. Even they will give money to the waiter and the security guards. They will drink, play, chat and give money away here and there as if they have all the money in the world.
In a Seoul Hotel (Renaissance) in South Korea, two high profile government ministers had great fun with two prostitutes. With them was this guy from whom I got the story. The ministers told the guy – “let’s at this moment forget that we are government ministers – certainly we are not under any watching as the people are back at home in our country. Please, don’t tell anyone of what has happened here”. They progress to have great fun for the sake of relieving themselves from a busy business schedule.
In a hotel in Port Moresby, a certain government Minister met with a group of Asian Businessmen. The Asians put forward before the government minister a large envelope containing an unspecified amount of money. The Minister produced in front of the Asians an envelope containing some classified documents. No more questions were asked and no smiles. Only handshakes and they departed separate ways.
At Unitech, a certain MP visited students from his area. He met with some of the male students and directed them, “arrange for a female student for me to spend the night with”. The boys having received command from a respected figure in the society went out on a full search. These days’ girls do not anymore respect their integrity or dignity. They go for money and big name.
At a nightclub in Lae, a group of young girls took a MP to the dance floor, surrounded by drunken partygoers. In the name of fun and entertain, he certainly did his thing on the dance floor with the girls. Watched from a distance, I thought, are MPs supposed to be drunk and dance in nightclubs? After the dance, I followed the MP out to the gate and watched him get into a waiting vehicle with two girls.
At one of the Air Ports in Australia, there was this government minister with a brief case by his side hurried to the front of the check in counter without noticing the queue of people. He didn’t even bother to join them. At the counter, he demanded to be served. The people behind him on the queue watched in dismay so as the young woman at the check in counter. The lady at the check in counter politely asked the minister, “Sir, please, can you go back and join the rest of the people on the line?” the minister became irritated of the negative response and raised his voice a bit said, “it doesn’t matter if I join the line or not because after all you will still check me in”. Again the young lady in a polite manner said, “sir in here we do not make such special arrangements nor we are bound by any regulations to entertain such ignorance so gentlemen may I kindly ask you to join the rest of the people on the line”. The minister this time got mad and said, “lady, do you recognize who I am?” the lady not moved any bit by his ignorance slowly and carefully reached out to the PA system - came the voice of the young lady, “may I have all of your attention ladies and gentlemen, I have a gentlemen here whom cannot identify himself. Please, can someone come forward and identify him for me”. At that instant, the minister exploded with great shame with sweat all over his stocky body – he stood there numb, the ghost driven out of him.
When you look at this kind of life of the MPs, you will conclude that they have a lot of money. But why do they have to increase their perks and privileges when they are already rich? They still want more. Even they get more they still complain that what they get is not enough to visit their electorates.
During the elections, when asked where have they been during those years? They would give excuses like “we are with the opposition so the government hold back our funds and don’t release them for us to giver services to you”. What a utterly rubbish? They take advantage of a large illiterate population that has no idea of government budgets.
On the other hand, we the people are fools. We do not demand MPs why we have been without basic government services. Instead, we traded our votes with cash and material goods that in the end will not sustain our living. MPs do not care for this because they have been planning for this. They know exactly what to give us and say to us. When we ask for money, they give us the money. When we ask for other material goods, they give us that as well. When we ask for a ride in their expensive vehicles, they give us a ride. After giving in to our demands, they know exactly where and when to get it back.
We are sick in our heads. We tend to think that elections are seasonal. They will come and go. We want things now and we want them now. We demand them, “you pay for my vote or else I’ll vote for someone else”.
We can get things now and satisfy ourselves. Nevertheless, in the end who will suffer? We are the ones facing hard times looking for enough money to pay for our kids school fees. We are the ones consuming gods and services that its price increasing yearly, if not monthly or perhaps days. We complain about these things yet we do not demand for answers.
For how long are we going to take things for granted and live like this? I think it’s better not to have kids who will suffer the consequences of our actions. I think it is better we legalize marriage between animals and human beings so that the offsprings we produce will be half-human and half-animal so that when times become hard, they will find shelter on the streets and find food in the rubbish bins.
On many occasions, in poky houses I have seen MPs with their associates fully drunk; sit in front of more than one machine playing high bets. Normally I have seen some of them with their wives with more than one machine in front of them as well. The MP oversees all the bets. Opportunities would normally wait around for MPs. When they see them, they would approach and greet them “Hi Boss”. The MP would return the greeting by “take this K50 for your coke or smoke and buai”. Even they will give money to the waiter and the security guards. They will drink, play, chat and give money away here and there as if they have all the money in the world.
In a Seoul Hotel (Renaissance) in South Korea, two high profile government ministers had great fun with two prostitutes. With them was this guy from whom I got the story. The ministers told the guy – “let’s at this moment forget that we are government ministers – certainly we are not under any watching as the people are back at home in our country. Please, don’t tell anyone of what has happened here”. They progress to have great fun for the sake of relieving themselves from a busy business schedule.
In a hotel in Port Moresby, a certain government Minister met with a group of Asian Businessmen. The Asians put forward before the government minister a large envelope containing an unspecified amount of money. The Minister produced in front of the Asians an envelope containing some classified documents. No more questions were asked and no smiles. Only handshakes and they departed separate ways.
At Unitech, a certain MP visited students from his area. He met with some of the male students and directed them, “arrange for a female student for me to spend the night with”. The boys having received command from a respected figure in the society went out on a full search. These days’ girls do not anymore respect their integrity or dignity. They go for money and big name.
At a nightclub in Lae, a group of young girls took a MP to the dance floor, surrounded by drunken partygoers. In the name of fun and entertain, he certainly did his thing on the dance floor with the girls. Watched from a distance, I thought, are MPs supposed to be drunk and dance in nightclubs? After the dance, I followed the MP out to the gate and watched him get into a waiting vehicle with two girls.
At one of the Air Ports in Australia, there was this government minister with a brief case by his side hurried to the front of the check in counter without noticing the queue of people. He didn’t even bother to join them. At the counter, he demanded to be served. The people behind him on the queue watched in dismay so as the young woman at the check in counter. The lady at the check in counter politely asked the minister, “Sir, please, can you go back and join the rest of the people on the line?” the minister became irritated of the negative response and raised his voice a bit said, “it doesn’t matter if I join the line or not because after all you will still check me in”. Again the young lady in a polite manner said, “sir in here we do not make such special arrangements nor we are bound by any regulations to entertain such ignorance so gentlemen may I kindly ask you to join the rest of the people on the line”. The minister this time got mad and said, “lady, do you recognize who I am?” the lady not moved any bit by his ignorance slowly and carefully reached out to the PA system - came the voice of the young lady, “may I have all of your attention ladies and gentlemen, I have a gentlemen here whom cannot identify himself. Please, can someone come forward and identify him for me”. At that instant, the minister exploded with great shame with sweat all over his stocky body – he stood there numb, the ghost driven out of him.
When you look at this kind of life of the MPs, you will conclude that they have a lot of money. But why do they have to increase their perks and privileges when they are already rich? They still want more. Even they get more they still complain that what they get is not enough to visit their electorates.
During the elections, when asked where have they been during those years? They would give excuses like “we are with the opposition so the government hold back our funds and don’t release them for us to giver services to you”. What a utterly rubbish? They take advantage of a large illiterate population that has no idea of government budgets.
On the other hand, we the people are fools. We do not demand MPs why we have been without basic government services. Instead, we traded our votes with cash and material goods that in the end will not sustain our living. MPs do not care for this because they have been planning for this. They know exactly what to give us and say to us. When we ask for money, they give us the money. When we ask for other material goods, they give us that as well. When we ask for a ride in their expensive vehicles, they give us a ride. After giving in to our demands, they know exactly where and when to get it back.
We are sick in our heads. We tend to think that elections are seasonal. They will come and go. We want things now and we want them now. We demand them, “you pay for my vote or else I’ll vote for someone else”.
We can get things now and satisfy ourselves. Nevertheless, in the end who will suffer? We are the ones facing hard times looking for enough money to pay for our kids school fees. We are the ones consuming gods and services that its price increasing yearly, if not monthly or perhaps days. We complain about these things yet we do not demand for answers.
For how long are we going to take things for granted and live like this? I think it’s better not to have kids who will suffer the consequences of our actions. I think it is better we legalize marriage between animals and human beings so that the offsprings we produce will be half-human and half-animal so that when times become hard, they will find shelter on the streets and find food in the rubbish bins.
