Malaysia's 'tak berani cakap' culture

Come to think of it, what the BN government admonished recently does hold water after all. Malaysia is no Egypt and it never will be in all likelihood.

A politician lawmaker hollers that male promiscuity is owing to the wives own conjugal failure. Only a handful protest in the new media. Everyone else is happy at the warongs and 24-jam restaurants; for many it is a joke that made their day good.

Someone is reported to have died from a multi-storey fall while under official investigations and again only a few more blast through the new media at the breaking news. But for the masses, it is either “who cares”, or a naive “yeah-kah?”, or “tak berani cakap”.

Of course the “tak berani cakap” culture is perverse. You can actually test it out. Go walk into any Customs office now and ask audibly enquiring about the late Mr Sarbani’s death and see the hushed, evasive and the sullen, shuddering looks you get from the staff. You cannot go against your paymaster you know!

The IGP only has to wager a finger on government owned television ‘advising’ the rakyat to mind their own business while investigations are underway, and life returns to normalcy. In fact, do not be surprised too if many households do not even watch that piece of news segment for it is a Malaysian way of life to catch up on household chores during news breaks in order not to miss out the soap operas.

We have read of scores of allegations and all kinds of news pieces in the new media, like that by Raja Petra from London. It is dismissed as “60% lies”. For the rakyat, it makes good fodder over lunch breaks – nothing beyond. For most people it is a case of “Jangan sebok jaga tepi kain orang” or “ jangan hancur periok nasi anda bro”.

For example the latest being the expose that someone lied in Parliament in connection to the commissions paid out for weapons purchase. Want to take a bet? Nothing will come out of it. For Malaysians are very different from other people around the world. Politics is alien to them. It is viewed as having no connection whatsoever to their economics, social and environmental development somehow.

No wonder the Tun Dr Mahathir kept insisting that college students must stay out of politics and hammered the University and Colleges Act through. Never mind if he himself nailed anti-British sentiments on tree trunks in his hometown during his prime of youth. Oh, but that is a different generation you know – a generation that got independence to a colonial controlled nation.

Even iron-clad rule by Suharto was no match to the citizens of Indonesia. The Marcos saga is history. The Thais have their own ‘Egypt’ well in place. But fortunately or unfortunately Malaysia is very unique. They are no Egypt, no Indonesia, No Thailand, no Philippines.

But ask any Ah Kow, Samy or Abu in town and they will lament readily that Malaysia is very corrupt. Press on as to what can they do about it and they will purr, “saya siapa”.

Talk to the media boys and girls. Ask them what’s up bro? And they will retort, “you should know better-lah mate”. Press on why they are not writing about it and the answer is a plain “why you want me to be a homeless Joe (or Jane) kah?”

Now that the Sarawak elections is in the air, you can see it all the more vividly. Campaign trails mean announcing more allocations; admonishing that if you do not vote for me, you will end up paying the price; and of course not forgetting the nice goodie bags. After all the goodie bags is part of Malaysian culture i.e. meeting the expectation of “tak ada apa apa kah boss?”.

In summary it is purely a case of as long as there is something in it for me, who cares.

Yes there have been individuals and organizations that have tried to stand out like a sore thumb. But their flight has proven to be treacherous for them. Either they are silenced or they just burn out. Why? - because Malaysia is never going to be another Egypt.

For Malaysians, the BN led government cannot be wrong. In fact that is the clear message that emanates from all of the Tun Dr M2’s publications.

So do we still fault the evergreen ruling coalition? That well explains why even Hillary Clinton did not hesitate to praise the government of the day and even went so far as to taunt the region by saying that Malaysia is a good example to emulate.

Oh Malaysia! So unique to Asia!

In memory of all those who perished under detention or during investigations

- J. D. Lovrenciear is a well-known political commentator and a reader of Malaysia Chronicle