Kuala Lampur, Aug. 12 -- Wong Chen has apologised to the people of Subang for resigning before completing his term as their Member of Parliament. It was an appropriate gesture.

An elected seat is not merely a political position. It is a mandate temporarily entrusted to an individual by tens of thousands of citizens.

But Wong Chen's departure also raises a larger question about Malaysian politics. What happens to the responsibility of politicians after they resign, retire or decide that electoral politics is no longer for them?

The answer should be clear. They can retire from Parliament.

They can resign from political parties. They can relinquish government appointments. But they should not retire from defending Malaysia's democratic a...