A price to pay for Malaysia's political melancholy

Half a year wasted in failing to inspire and fire up the Malaysian soul. With no signs of a political direction, the country languishes in the political melancholy that was mainly forced upon the nation by none other but the politicians.

Pakatan Harapan was deemed to fail even as the voters marshalled their hope for change in 2018. It failed eventually.

Twenty months of a journey for a 'new' Malaysia was lost in a quagmire of political suspicion, distrust and wrangling for power and control.

The advent of a coup-styled government by Perikatan Nasional is already giving political ammunition to two political blocks that citizens - Malay, Chinese, Indians, Sabahans and Sarawakians - fought hard to vanquish the Umno and PAS' six-decade stranglehold.

Even as citizens demand the return of the electoral mandate that was inked through a democratic general election, there is instead threats of a snap election now.

Cutting deep into the thick of Malaysia's political melancholy is the emerging truth that Harapan is turning into a 'Pakatan Tiada Harapan'.

With our political landscape in disarray and punctured with numerous unending accounts of corruption, deceit and a bankrupting of political ethics, it does not need blue chip analysts to tell you that we are heading for a long drawn failure mode.

Should the sons and daughters of this land sit back and be run over as pawns in this political melancholy that is destroying our nation when other nations are rallying their populace together to battle on the 'new normal' with resolute political will?

We certainly need to pray for a leader who can rise from the drowning political ambers and save the country, the people and our rulers.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad is losing his magnetic appeal to lead a party. Anwar Ibrahim is teetering with the ground under him fast eroding while 'reformasi' rings out more hollow.

The younger and promising leaders have almost disappeared in the wilderness of the lost horizon of hope.

No small wonder that a political coup was so easily and successfully set in motion by conspiring wannabees.

Perhaps hopelessly the nation is driven to cling on to prayer. To pray that the united will of all races who believe in citizens' power - not political power, will drive the wounded nation to heal and taste victory from the overwhelming political melancholy.

But whether we will be able to purge our culture of patronage, rent-seeking and self-interest before the nation's needs is championed is the crux.

Or is the political melancholy is here to stay for a long, long period? - Mkini