Playing Monopoly with the rakyat's money

Nothing illustrates the inherent dangers of unrestrained capitalism, like the board game of Monopoly.

A simple and intuitive invention, it demonstrates that most evil of economic concepts, the domination of a single, relentless and profit-minded entity, over a 'free' market.

Highly addictive, it sucks players into endless rounds mimicking the life-economy cycle of wages, rents, real-estate, assets, the law, capricious chance, community draws, business savvy, the heights of financial success and ignoble bankruptcy.

Though designed with eventual end - A monopoly by one player, the furious, chancy, circular rounds, ruled by the luck of the dice, are often near endless. Vicious cycles responsible for family feuds, sundered friendships and marriages splitting up.

Some say this ruthless nature of the world's most popular pastime is made possible by the depersonalising effect, of tokens taking the players' place on the board and quantified, by the worthless paper currency of Monopoly money, for which loss is no object.

However, the game of Monopoly, as it is being played in our own country, has far dire consequences. For our government, by token of their cronies, is dicing around with the rakyat's money, on the real estate of our future.

'I take first, for you the leftover crumbs'

Nearly 54 years have we been going round this Monopoly board, with power concentrated in the monopolising hand of the few - the 'uncle-moneybags' Umno-caste pseudo-royals, their 'battleship' MCA spawns, 'howitzer' MIC minions and other attendant BN serviles.

Boundaries end up blurred as elections, law enforcement, the monarchy and civil service are monopolised by the ruling elite and manipulated like so many tokens upon the board, by the totalitarian powers that be.

Sadly, absolute power isn't its sole larceny, it spills over into the economy. The lion's share is handed to cronies, who hold in proxy real estate and assets for sponsoring political dynasties.

And billions go down the chute with public funds used as carelessly as if it was Monopoly money.

Essential goods, necessary services, transportation and communication hubs, are all made monopolies, by those that covet the rakyat's wealth, The Internet, electricity, water, rice, sugar, tolls, fuel, media, taxi, air travel, to name a few.

With 'Get out of jail free' cards, their chosen ones are kept safe, while the community chest is being plundered shamelessly straight-faced.

"People first, performance now", sounds more like "I take first, for you the leftover crumbs".

"No more, no more"

In Monopoly, the end is one player lording over all. Raking rents and cash, holding the deeds to assets, winning dominion upon the board.

An end most unfortunate, for those foreclosed to bankruptcy, or kept in debtor's cells.

But even in Monopoly, runs the luck of the draw, and the roll of the dice, to even out the odds, to give a fighting chance, for all to win and lose. A game of chance, where fortune and misfortune, fairly favours all.

Alas, in their monopoly over Malaysia, the dice is rigged, the draw fixed, the odds always siding those who run the jig.

Is it time to run amok, tell them their jig is up, that their con of race and creed, no longer holds appeal?

The answer lies in all of us, this one Malaysian race. No banal Najib slogan craze, but the realBangsa of Malaysian birth.

Free the dice, let fate draw, let us our odds make, and our votes rig their jig.

They have played Monopoly overlong, kept us docile with treats and threats - in gist - blinkered eyes, chained hands and feet.

"No more, no more" we must protest, shed the blinkers, shatter the chains, vote our conscience, our fates reclaim, and end this game.