Political analysis in Malaysia
The results of the last GE was spectacular. There was new found hope on the faces of everyone and on the streets, there was an air of contentment permeating the grins of passers-by. Malaysians finally rose out from finger fiddling, and overcame its years of intimidation succumbing to the antics of a barbaric regime. Most importantly, the rakyat experience first hand what it was like to be united. Harmony once again became the bedrock of a diversified country once shattered by self centred politicians who divided to rule. Malaysians themselves overcame shame and showed the world, we can bring about change without so much as a bloodshed. There are tears in the eyes of fellow citizens of differing races shaking hands and hugging one another for that momentous victory. Everyone rejoices!
What made that change happened?
On the ground, the new government was brought about by souls getting tired and fed up with rampant corruption happening in broad daylight. Government contracts were awarded to cronies at exorbitant prices and to those accused, the old government offered protectionist policies overpowering the MACC in all its good intentions, and for as long as you are with them, and as long as you are with them, thieving mice all have a hand in the loot. When funds were low, so are their fiscal policies. The old government readied themselves to any country who could save them from the entrapment without considering if such policies could compromise its citizens security or the country’s sovereignty. As if that wasn’t good enough, they got their sidekicks to stir up racial and religious sentiment to shore up support. Polarisation was in full play whilst funds were continually plundered as politicians readied themselves for an ultimate deplete of a lifetime. To glorify themselves by resorting to hooliganism. But as fate would have determined the new winner, in one mighty swoosh that thundered down like Thor’s hammer, the regime was crippled. That swoosh of justice came from the spectacular landslide win given to the previous opposition and their life saving, country saving manifesto. The rakyat became the judge.
But after almost a year of a change in government, the rakyat has witnessed an ironical hattrick win by the opposition in three consecutive by-elections. Three wrongs doesn’t exactly make a right is a popular adage and how true it is thus, what actually went wrong? Let us examine…
The fiasco started with the previous government fanning ill-will riding on religious bigotry heightened by concerns about ICERD and the dangers of one race losing their rights under the new government. That ignited a chain of consoling speeches by the new government, not helped by the black shoe saga and the eponymous flying car slam-dunked in by a gamut of swashbuckling ministers. Further to this are the rate of absorbency re dubious opposition party members switching to the new camp at an alarming rate. That mass infiltration to the public only irks their confidence, one wonders the meaning of a general election when the leopard was already traded for a lion to see the spots of the leopard flung back on the lions torso. Thus, they are technically indifferent. What more, who then would be responsible for the public accounts audit? Why must a flurry of noted clowns with questionable ethics be absorbed into the winning party? This kind of polyandrous mathematics does not bode well with the public who already fulfilled their national obligation by voting them out through the ballot boxes to see them sprung back to life like bobbleheads released from captivity boxes. Subsequent to this, the public were again jolted off their seats by the retracting back of election manifestos annotated inside the new government’s Buku Jingga — one would have suspected it was hindered by our coffer crisis, later to be told that manifestos are merely just manifestos, not to be taken seriously. Not that the public doubted the capability of Tun in handling and managing crisis. But manifestos, like promises, needs to be fulfilled. Holding it back is tantamount to breaking the promises given to the rakyat. Why wouldn’t it be? Should anyone be comfortable with a government that lies to win?
The latest unwise decision involves the relinquishing of our participation in the Rome statute, the reasons which are allegedly tied to the spinning by the old government (now opposition) to garner support from the conservatives. Malaysia Baru, with all its intentions, has readied its citizens for change and the various races saw beyond colors to unite for a common reason — to see Malaysia rise again from the ashes, and the corrupt perpetrators punished, thus the overwhelming landslide mandate given. Resorting to the old ways is akin to keeping new wine in old skins. As the bible says, the old skins would eventually break and vice versa, old wine inside new skins. Today the public also learnt of the upholding of ninety percent of bumi quota into the Matriculation programmes. Would we expect future loyalty from those whom were conveniently side-lined when they scored more than 5 A’s in their SPM, to be designated elsewhere?
As concern Malaysians continues with their humdrum lives, the currency exchange sank into oblivion. It is as if the new government has lost touch with the ground. Not helped by the lack of discourses one could engage with the public which is the bedrock of every democracy. Perhaps what is ground breaking made too big a gap and everything just fell in. Wrong footed policies including the idea of having a Third National Car only gave reasons for the old government to ridicule the new. On the ground, more and more online medias as well as the main ones are spinning stories from where the new policies took off when situations are not fully explained. And without a solid economic transformation that brings value to its citizens, the train jumps off track and with it, the rakyats confidence. Even though some ill gotten gains may have spilled back to the banks during these difficult times. For whatever reasons the innocent were punished for. Thus, whatever that needs to be done to the economy must happen right now. Nothing loses the rakyats confidence more than when it hits their pocket and a government habitually asserting that they lack funds. If that is so, then why the Third National car then?
Last but not the least, if the hattrick win by the current opposition doesn’t convince you that the new government is heading the wrong way thinking that protectionist policies may garner you more votes from the conservatives, think again. The old government would not allow that bouncy image of a new Malaysia splattered in glorious colors except for one. Perhaps you have also forgotten that PAS was pulped during the GE for all the racist goodies they insinuate, not by the non-bumis but by the progressive bumis themselves! And if that hattrick does not convince you enough that you are purportedly going against the wishes of the citizens of a progressive contemporary Malaysia who wanted nothing more than the country saved, nothing else will. The minds of its citizens have changed. And this might be the only chance we ever get back on track!
For all the right things the new government swiftly did that saw the arrest of several crooks and the retrieval of ill-gotten gains in gigantic proportions, it is yet to see them being swiftly brought to justice. And where these monies landed to! We knew that from the way their politicians speak louder today than when they were in the government. But if by the next election, the perpetrators of our sanctity is not punished by the due process of our court, you can bode farewell to the historic support given you. By then this alert would have been history, and the country too late to be saved.
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