Is it the sunrise or sunset of Malaysian politics?

What can any citizen and foreigner make out of the numerous reports in the mainstream media and the alternate media that keeps the palpitations high with each passing day?

One the one hand, the promise of an endless sunrise over the political landscape of Malaysia is what one gets, in overdose, from the government controlled, owned or regulated media.

On the other hand what we experience from the alternate new media as well as the alternate government-in-waiting political party organs is that sunset is imminent and it is going to be dark days ahead for the political landscape here.

Given such a situation, then the next best bet is logically to double check with the international media that keep their news-scopes trained all over the world with Malaysia being no exception. But this can only get trickier too.

The government will denounce all such reports that will be labelled as ‘negative’ and perhaps even demonise such reports as the gentry of the opposition. The alternate government-in-waiting will then pounce upon this and attempt yet another expose after expose.

Therein then remains buried the defining truth to prove whether the Malaysian political terrain is all set for sunrise or sunset.

Would it then be wrong to believe that we are heading in the wrong direction?

There are just far too many dichotomies in the news being reported. There are far too many questions begging honest answers that the rakyat can discerningly accept and support or dismiss and denounce. In short the wedge that is being driven deep into the political spine of the nation is indeed very frightening.

And all these deteriorating upheavals will come eventually with a high and extremely unreasonable price which finally will be dumped onto the laps of the unsuspecting as well as discerning and concerned rakyat.

The question is who is the ultimate culprit doing all these injuries to the nation? Why are our leaders wallowing is such filth that they brand as politics? Have we all lost every ounce of principled politics?

For a tiny nation like Malaysia it is beyond our reasoning and sanity to witness such derogatory politics being mounted relentlessly with mind-boggling suspicious circumstances surrounding every case be it the judiciary, the police, the so-called independent bodies, or what have you.

Malaysia must decide for itself whether it wants time-honoured gentlemanly politics or gutter gangster-ism. The nation of caring, concerned and civil-minded citizenry must rise to demand that the political party challenges be fought on even turf with respect for the rakyat who are the ultimate judges.

Whether we like it or otherwise, the radar of democratic politics anchored on world-class civil liberties will fast drift away from our landscape if left to agenda of feuding war-lords. Today the fight has even taken a more dangerous turn as it is made out to be one that is against race, religion and economic pie-sharing.

We are witnessing very dangerous tactics and manoeuvres by those with heavily vested interest to derail opponents at all costs. So, is it sunset or sunrise for Malaysia’s political landscape?

- J. D. Lovrenciear is a reader of Malaysia Chronicle