What's the point of conducting a post-mortem on the Tanjung Piai by-election, when the best course of action is for Pakatan Harapan MPs to "pasang telinga" and listen to the rakyat?
When you thought things couldn't get any worse for Harapan after Tanjung Piai, the ministers confuse us and make us wonder who is in charge in Malaysia.
On Nov 19, Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is also the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, said that the federal government was unable to enforce a nationwide ban on child marriages because seven states had refused to cooperate.
Is Malaysia reduced to a nation of tribes and recalcitrant chieftains who will do as they please?
If she cannot enforce the ban on child marriages, then she should resign. Children's futures and lives are at risk. As a mother and grandmother, she seems to excel in self-inflicted damage.
Wan Azizah should take her cue from Minister for Youth and Sports Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (above). Last October, the Terengganu government wanted to impose strict syariah rules for its female athletes, but the minister intervened and overruled them.
Syed Saddiq listened. He knows that religion cannot interfere in sports. When the nation's prestige, and a potential female Olympian may be found, ministers can act forcefully.
However, Syed Saddiq takes a different stance other local Muslim matters. He backed a call to deport Indian fugitive Zakir Naik, but later relented. Harapan needs to cash in on Malay votes.
The goalposts are often moved in Malaysia. When will MPs listen to all of the rakyat and not just a section of the community?
MPs are just as bad as ministers at not listening.
For many months, the residents of Sungai Petani tried to get the attention of their MP, Johari Abdul (above), to meet and discuss the matter of pollution from illegal waste recycling factories.
He finally responded to their call after a stinging rebuke in the papers in September, but bad habits are difficult to eradicate. Two months have elapsed since he was exposed for his uncaring attitude. Johari has yet to meet them.
If being an MP is the testing ground for bigger things, like being a future menteri besar, then some of them will fail miserably, because they put self-interest before their constituents.
Sungai Petani residents have been hospitalised after inhaling airborne pollutants. It is alleged that Johari does not hold weekly sessions to meet his constituents and spends most of his time in Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur.
Do other MPs meet their constituents regularly to learn their concerns and act on their complaints? Or, do they only appear in their constituencies before a general election to make outrageous promises?
Academic and entrepreneur, Murray Hunter, has exposed alleged fraud and corruption in Jakim, especially the issuance of halal certification. Instead of investigating the allegations, Jakim accused him and Asia Sentinel of slander.
Minister for Religious Affairs Mujahid Yusof Rawa (above) said that the fraud was the work of rogue agents claiming to work for Jakim. Will he name the fraudsters who brought Jakim into disrepute? When will they be charged in court for masquerading as Jakim officials and tricking legitimate businesses? Will Mujahid listen to the concerns of concerned Muslims?
After 62 years of Umno Baru/BN lies, no Malaysian takes the word of a minister at face value.
Did Mara Corporation listen to the residents of Gebeng when it announced that it was teaming up with Lynas to convert the non-radioactive waste from the rare earth facility into fertiliser for Malay farmers. They claimed that the product had been certified safe.
Why are our academics and independent scientists, silent about this? Will they demand to see the test procedure so they can assess the veracity of the results before we spread this muck nationwide?
If one wants to destroy a nation, one nominates an incompetent to be minister for education. Again, Harapan MPs are not listening to the rakyat who demand a revamp of our children's education.
A country cannot progress, when we pander to the needs of a particular community. The nation cannot excel when some of our best and brightest Malaysians have to seek opportunities overseas.
So, you see, a post-mortem is a waste of time in Malaysia.
A post-mortem did not help firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim (above). A pathologist's findings were rejected, but the testimony of a physics lecturer, who had not even examined Adib's internal organs, was believed.
After three post-mortems, numerous delays, an exhumation and the necessity for police approval to release the post-mortem results, 11-year-old Mohd Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi's death was blamed on a rat. The beating he endured at his tahfiz school was largely forgotten.
The families of Teoh Beng Hock, Dutch model Ivana Smit, A Kugan and others who died in police custody, did not learn the truth after initial post-mortems.
Forget the post-mortem in Tanjung Piai. Taxpayers' money will be wasted on a think-tank, which will churn out reams of paper but reach no logical conclusions.
This column and other columns in Malaysiakini can reveal the causes of abject failure, for the price of a subscription.
No post-mortem needed. Just listen to the rakyat, or Malaysiakini.
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