The desire for change

Hence, for Barisan Nasional, trying to fight against the desire for change by using logical arguments is futile. Once people want to change there is nothing that can stop that desire for change. It is not that my old car sucks but I just want the new model that just came out (or the new iPhone or iPad).

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I have owned so many cars since I first started driving 45 years ago that I just can’t remember all of them. I remember my first car though (everyone remembers their first car), a Holden Torana GTR. Then I owned a Mitsubishi Colt Galant, Fiat 132, Mercedes Benz 240D, Porsche 911, Mercedes Benz 200, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes Benz 280SE, Mercedes Benz 380SE, Mercedes Benz 190E, Mitsubishi Pajero (twice), Honda Civic (twice), Mini Cooper, BMW 3 Series, and probably 10 or so other cars alongside that (sometimes two to three cars at one time).

I also owned a Yamaha 90, Yamaha 100 Twin, Vespa, Suzuki 250, Honda 350, Honda 450, Yamaha 650, Kawasaki 900, Kawasaki 1000, Yamaha 650 Turbo, and a Yamaha Virago. (Was also riding around on my friend’s Harley for a while).

Now, why so many cars and bikes and what were wrong with them that I needed to change them ever so often? There was nothing wrong with them. It is just that I enjoyed change so I changed them whenever something new came out. In short, I changed just for the heck of change. It is normal human instinct.

If you were to do a survey of what Malaysians are currently thinking and what they will do come 5th May 2013, and if they are honest with their responses, you will find that a large segment of the voting population want change. And why do they want change? Well, they will give you all sorts of reasons as to why they want change -- corruption being at the top of that list.

Assuming there is no corruption. Assuming the present government is well and fine. Would they still want change on 5th May 2013?

Yes, they would still want change. And if they can’t use corruption as the reason for this change they will find some other reason to justify this change (and there will always be some other reason they can dig up).

So both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better take note of this point. The people are gatal (itchy) for change. And many of those people were born after 31st August 1957. So they do not have any emotional or sentimental attachment to Umno or Merdeka or whatever.

Why do you think iPhone and iPad keep coming out with new models? What is wrong with the old models? And why should the young people who already own a serviceable iPhone or iPad want to waste their money by changing to the new model when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the present one they are using?

Oh, you may say, you cannot compare iPhones and iPads, or cars, with governments. Maybe not! Maybe they are different animals totally. But the desire for change is still the same. And the young people want change, they want a new government, even if there is nothing wrong with the old government -- and even more so if there is something wrong with the old government.

Those currently in power may not understand this. They think that people want change merely because we have a defective government. Hence if we address these defects or promise that we shall repair these defects then there is no longer any need for change.

Wrong! Even if there are no defects the people still want change because they feel it is time for change and they are ready to embrace these changes.

Pakatan Rakyat has to also take note. Some people want change because they hate Barisan Nasional. But not all want change because they hate Barisan Nasional. And not all want change because they love Pakatan Rakyat. The argument is: if we want change, then what other choice do we have other than change to Pakatan Rakyat? That is the only available option. Either keep Barisan Nasional or change to Pakatan Rakyat. There is no third choice.

Hence, for Barisan Nasional, trying to fight against the desire for change by using logical arguments is futile. Once people want to change there is nothing that can stop that desire for change. It is not that my old car sucks but I just want the new model that just came out (or the new iPhone or iPad).

And Pakatan Rakyat, too, needs to be very careful. If I can change to iPad 2 just for the sake of changing when there is nothing wrong with my iPad, then I can just as easily change to iPad 3 when that too comes out even if I have owned my Ipad 2 for hardly a year.

For 56 years Malaysians never thought that change was possible. Today they do. And once Malaysians have developed a taste for change there is no way you can take away that taste.

That is the danger with the culture of change. It is a knife that cuts both ways. And many governments all over the world have learned this lesson the hard way. They came into power on the platform of change that took decades to happen. Then they get swept away in no time at all on that same platform of change.

Hence let both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat beware.