Daim’s damage control efforts: Too little and much too late

The former Finance Minster-turned-business tycoon, Tun Daim Zainuddin has been appearing on the local media circuits quite regularly lately.

His statements may hint to have ‘people-appeal’ as he is touching the pulse of what citizens have been complaining of and struggling with these past several years.

Of recent, the Tun has highlighted with a compassionate disposition the four priorities and fundamentals of life that citizens have been crying out in pain but without redress.

The unattended anguish of the rakyat these past years have been one of:

1. paying with their blood for a roof above their heads;

2. desperation for decent paying jobs that can help meet their survival costs of living;

3. need for schools that teach well thereby relieving parents of having to fork out more money for tuition classes; and

4. nightmares of rising costs of even basic goods leading to families eating near trash or cutting back on nutritive and balanced meals.

Why now?

The strange thing is, many concerned, learned, adequately informed and committed citizens including NGOs and some opposition party members have been highlighting the many and very issues that Daim is blaring now. The question is – why only now?

The people who love this nation and desired stability had given BN the benefit of doubt for nearly half a century; and these recent past thirty years they have been screaming to the BN led government that it is not showing that it is focused on the care of the people’s need.

But it fell on deaf ears. Threats, counter-rebuttals, acquisitions and admonishments was what the rakyat got back for crying out their miseries.

And today we have veterans re-appearing on the circuit proclaiming: If the government takes care of the people’s needs, they would not consider changing the government.

Where was the sage Tun Daim, when the rakyat were mourning and struggling all these years? Why did he as veteran UMNO-man who presumably is influential, not take the bull by the horns then and advising the government to rectify the ills and aches of the nation and correct the misdeeds of politicians?

The answer rests on the fact that BN is on a damage control mission now. The damage control efforts can be seen coming in from several ex-power lords of BN too. Hence, the public cannot be wrong in assuming and sharing the common belief that the people who had benefited while in power before and at the expense of nation building, have serious fear of a future that is looming around the corner.

But damage control won't be enough

The warongs and corporate corridors are abuzz with talk that all these beneficiaries of the nation’s wealth are prepared to take damage control measures to the hilt as they are now driven by that remote fear of getting roasted in a post-13th general election clean-up.

On a positive note, at least the Tun has been honorable and courageous enough in admitting that the BN led government has been negligent for prolonged periods.

BN may be a little too late for damage control after all. Nevertheless and hopefully, if BN loses its majority in an arms-length, fair and clean election, it will learn from its costly mistakes and return someday as a transformed political party.

But if BN adamantly wants to 'fight a war' at 'all costs' to retain power, then a hung parliament is inevitable. But the eventual cascade of events that will ensue may be a too high a price to pay.

Let us be mindful of the harsh truth: one cannot be relevant for the times if they are not prepared to be transparent, accountable and integrity-driven in the politics of the 21st century.

Malaysia Chronicle