U-turns and empty promises, the trademark of politicians

 

The upcoming state elections are vitally important to all the “players,” there is absolutely no doubt. That importance though, is not really targeting us, the real people who are actually going to be affected by the leadership that runs and manages these six states for the next five years; the “rakyat”.

The players I am referring to are politicians, their political parties, and their odd political coalitions.

Selangor and Penang are the crown jewels that PH have held for 15 years now. Selangor is the highest contributor of GDP in Malaysia, and Penang contributed 29% of the country’s total exports. So, we will see a lot of politicking to retain these two states.

PAS has held Kelantan for over 30 years and the populace there do not seem to mind them, despite muddy water from taps, and a GDP that only beats Perlis, the smallest state in Malaysia. The Kelantanese voters keep giving them landslide victories election after election.

In the past few years, the same has happened in arguably one of the most beautiful states in Malaysia, Terengganu, with its miles of spectacular sandy beaches that are bereft of any development unlike Bali, Phuket and Danang.

A columnist in FMT recently wrote about his travels to Terengganu. He mentioned that towns like Marang used to be very popular with foreign tourists. In the 90s, even I remember bringing my friends from overseas there and to Rantau Abang regularly. But, as quoted in the column, a local boatman now says “habuk pun tadak.” Incidentally, the PAS president has been the member of Parliament for Marang for 15 years.

In the general elections a few months ago, PN led by PAS did what they call an almost “clean-sweep” in Kedah, winning 14 out of 15 parliamentary seats. Unless the unity government makes its case to the people of the state effectively in the next month, which is quite doubtful, we can see where this state is heading to.

While the PH coalition is externally buoyant in Negeri Sembilan, the result there is anyone’s guess.

So, it is top notch politicking season now. Politicians will meet with their sworn enemies and form new friendships. Plans from their last manifesto, which did not work and were left to gather dust in some cupboard, will now be wheeled out again. And if questioned, new plans will magically materialise.

The old “war-dog political operatives” are likely to dredge out racial and religious bigotry once again to fear-monger. PH “players” will harp repeatedly on fighting corruption, yet none of them will offer concrete plans as to how they intend to do it, or how we can measure their effectiveness.

The PN jamokes will speak about the flailing economy, and place the blame squarely on the unity government. Yet, the stench of their alleged corrupt practices, and economic mismanagement, especially during the pandemic, when they suspended Parliament, still looms large.

Yup, it is election season alright.

And this week, our nonagenarian former prime minister piped up one more time with nonsensical remarks about attempts by people “from other countries” trying to change Malaysia from “Tanah Melayu” into a multiracial country.

People from which other country? Most Malaysians of Chinese and Indian heritage are third or fourth generation Malaysians. Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s paternal grandfather, like mine, came from Kerala in India.

While Mahathir presided over great economic growth for the country, he also engineered the steady decline of public institutions, the judiciary, the civil service, and most importantly, our race relations. Stoking the embers of racial discontent is probably on page number one in his political “playbook,” and he is shamelessly doing it again.

Like a chameleon having ditched Mahathir in 2020, Muhyiddin Yassin then held a two-hour meeting with him this week to discuss the Malay Proclamation. It was apparently the first meeting the two have had since the Sheraton Move in 2020, which led to the collapse of the Mahathir-led administration.

But it’s election season, so principles are flexible and enemies become frenemies. “Janji” we spook the electorate, especially the Malay community. Forget about the cost of living, rising inflation, and a tanking economy. It is most important that “you must vote for us” lest you want the “people from other countries” to change Malaysia.

This week Penang also “threw out” the island’s first-ever development master plan, which was found to be riddled with errors. Civil society groups knew it for some time, and repeatedly said that the master plan was plagued with errors, and designates too many areas for commercial use. Finally, and only now, the state government decided to drop the plan.

So, you know elections are just round the corner.

All of this just shows once again that during election season, politicians will do everything and anything to kowtow to the electorate. After getting elected, well, you knowlah…

Former minister and crowd favourite Khairy Jamaluddin was irked with an academic who cast aspersions on his credentials earlier last week. After some explanations, and sounding irritated, KJ asked, “…so, I don’t know what bollocks he’s talking about.”

I think we should ask all our politicians the same question. - FMT

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