After Nenggiri, PMX should find low hanging fruit easier to pluck

 

From Terence Netto

Like maverick politician Zaid Ibrahim says, the unity government’s election victory in Nenggiri is a boost for its head honcho, Anwar Ibrahim.

Wouldn’t it then be logical for the 10th prime minister to do what he has been reluctant to do in the 21 months he has been in the PM’s seat – that is, pluck the low-hanging reformasi fruit?

A disinclination to pluck such fruit has alienated reformasi supporters; worse the disillusioned among them are toying with the idea of supporting another set slate of parties in GE16 who may be interested in resurrecting the reformasi agenda.

That’s a bridge too far.

Recent moves by Anwar’s administration to appoint retired court of appeal judge Hishamudin Yunus as Suhakam chairman and the reopening of the Teoh Beng Hock inquiry suggest that PMX is amenable to small steps towards satisfaction of the reformasi agenda.

More low-hanging fruit such as not requiring organisers of assorted demonstrations to give statements to the police after they have vented their spleen in the public arena; subtly easing the way towards reuniting Indira Gandhi with her long-separated daughter; an easing of the acoustics in readiness of a favourable decision from the courts allowing for freedom of artistic expression in the movie, Mentega Terbang – would be further steps in the way of reformasi.

These emollient gestures would nudge the disillusioned among the reformasi crowd to see it is still better to hope for incremental steps along the reformasi pathway rather than a bitter turning away in search of other placebos.

In Malaysia, political choice often entails opting for the marginally satisfactory over the intolerable.

After the unexpected unity government triumph in Nenggiri, following their dismal defeat in the Sungai Bakap poll, PMX ought not to be loath to take minimally placatory steps towards the fulfilment of the reformasi agenda.

A disinclination to take these steps would waste the glad tidings from the Nenggiri victory.

What with the good vibes stemming from the pay rise for civil servants to be implemented in December, the optics are favourable for executive acts from the unity government along the path of more reform of the politics and economics of the country, in preference to the status quo.

This is a better outlook than forming new coalitions in quest of what would likely turn out to be illusory diversions, more disillusioning than immediately past ones.

As the sociologist Max Weber observed, politics is the strong and slow boring of hard boards. - FMT

Terence Netto is a senior journalist and an FMT reader.

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