Stop whining. Nobody forced you to be a politician

 

In the farce that passes for Malaysian politics nowadays, critics of our current leaders are sometimes rebuked with the refrain “But they’re doing the best they can … what else do you want?”

It staggers the imagination how someone can come up with such a response.

Here’s the deal, man.

Nobody asked these politicians to do these jobs. They put their hands up and volunteered to do it.

“Volunteer” may not be a good way to describe it, though. They forced their way in and they certainly aren’t doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

They, also, actually get paid for it. And get paid quite well, too. They get salaries and they get perks, which can even be more than the salaries – luxury official cars, residences, free holidays and such.

Don’t forget the huge cost of drivers and in some cases the guards and servants and police escorts. Many of the official vehicles are top of the range luxury makes; sometimes repairs cost more than that of the whole vehicle (though I still haven’t quite figured out this part).

Even a deputy minister, of which we have so many that even the PM probably can’t recognise all of them, or just a plain member of Parliament, can earn more than what most of us do. For many of them, they also earn more than they could ever earn anywhere else.

Strangely enough, mature liberal democracies pay their politicians quite badly versus what poorer third-world dysfunctional democracies do. Perhaps because their politicians are competent citizens who enter politics for reasons other than to get rich.

Many politicians in Malaysia make politics their career because they’d never be able to make it in the real world. But they seem to be doing well, if being incompetent without getting fired can be characterised as doing well.

By the way, the salaries and perks they receive are just the formal incomes declared on their tax returns, for doing jobs where the minimum requirements are to have a pulse and to have won an election.

What about the “bisnis” they all engage in? The approved permits and the chairmanships or high level posts in GLCs, GICs, public agencies and corporations? Board memberships left, right and everywhere? Contracts steered to friends, families and cronies?

Add the political donations from rich benefactors which are very large and apparently legal in our country and need not be accounted for: “ka-ching” goes the cash register.

Now don’t forget the baksheesh (tumbuk), rusuk (facilitation), money or commissions – all quaint old terms meaning corrupt proceeds from abusing their position. Ka-ching ka-ching.

Not to mention actual world-class theft, pilferage and fraud from their organisations and foundations and especially from the country’s coffers, which, as we’ve seen, can come up to billions.

They aren’t “volunteers”. They’re being paid well or even too much to do their jobs. On top of that, factor in the other incomes (or ill-gotten gains) too. None of them are on the poverty line or flying white flags.

No Malaysian politician has ever gone poor from being in government. Bankrupt perhaps, but don’t confuse a bankrupt politician with a poor politician.

Next, there’s the matter of the promises they made.

Every single one of them made promises and put out manifestos claiming the other side has failed. And because of such failings the country is going to the dogs, and only they can save it.

In many instances, God is the implied sponsor to such manifestos. They claim their piety offers them special grace from God that the other side doesn’t get, either for not being close enough to God, or for teaming up with the wrong God or Gods.

It’s convenient to co-opt God in politics. You can blame Him for the problems you can’t handle – the virus, economic crisis or natural calamities. The risk of being struck by lightning while blaming God is generally quite small.

If you feel they’re running a pyramid scheme, you’re not far wrong. As in any pyramid scheme, it’s all about selling a mirage for which a small group at the top wins everything and the large group at the bottom loses everything.

So here we are. They started out by condemning their opponents for everything. Then they guaranteed that they would sort things out. And they couldn’t, and hence didn’t.

These are promises that came out of their own mouths (or rear ends – sometimes it is difficult to tell). It’s on record because they’ve made these promises to everybody everywhere and all the time.

It’s how they cling to power and justify whatever tricks they play regardless of consequences to the nation. They’ve never admitted to any failings or asked for any forgiveness or showed any humility.

In fact, the more they fail, the more they demand our support. They argue failure only proves how powerful and cunning the “enemies” are. In no other human endeavour has failure been used as an excuse to continue being on the job.

So, they are where they are because they chose to be there. Nobody forced them into it. They unethically dismantle checks and balances and guardrails around them to further their agenda, which is political survival.

In the case of today’s Malaysia, they’ve clearly failed. They would have received failing grades from pretty much anybody who cares about fairness and justice.

In the real world, they would have been fired by their employers or shareholders.

And yet they’re still there, desperately attempting to shift the narrative and confuse the issue and deflect the blame. Or, unbelievably enough, claiming victory where there’s failure, and blessings from God where there’s none.

So, don’t blame others for holding them up to their own promises only to be found wanting. They asked for the job in spite of being totally unsuitable for it, and failed to deliver upon being given the chance.

If they insist on staying put, then expect more fingers being pointed their way – and one day, maybe even being given the boot.

That’s how the game works.

They need to stop complaining and feeling sorry for themselves. Shape up or ship out. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.