Disconnect with the rakyat

More important than a set of meaningless slogans such as ‘1Malaysia’ and ‘People First’ is the ability of the leader to connect with the people.

Look at Pahang. In my previous article, I mentioned that both Perak (where my current focus is) and the state of Pahang are facing threats to the environment.

In both cases, the menteri besar as head of the state administration is accountable to the sitting prime minister. When complaints have fallen on deaf ears, the people expect at least Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to step in.

After all, he has the power to appoint and remove the menteri besar, whenever he likes it. In the first place, some menteris besar should not even be there for more than two terms; they should be willing to step aside to allow others within the coalition a chance to run the state.

It would be a great mistake for Najib to appoint only people who support him. He needs to appoint those who truly care for the welfare of the people. As it is, Barisan Nasional’s popularity and that of Najib has already dipped to the lowest since 1957, and Najib can ill-afford more headaches caused by his little Napoleons at the state level.

Najib isn’t responding either

We can see that despite the complaints that have come out of Kuantan, the capital of Najib’s own home state, there is not even a word - not to mention a visit - by Najib to understand the extent of the problem or stop the indiscriminate bauxite extraction.

The health of the people and their livelihood may be adversely affected. A warning has already been issued against eating fish from bauxite-contaminated water, which means that the fishermen will be the first of the lot to suffer.

Some of these fish may even end up on our dining table in the west coast, due to some unscrupulous fishmongers. The industry itself will be affected, and fishermen may suffer financial losses as a result.

While some people may be benefiting directly from the aluminium rush, it is the ordinary people who are left to fend for themselves. The ordinary people, although ‘first’ on Najib’s agenda, are not getting his attention when it is most needed to stop the bauxite extraction and deforestation.

Malaysians are generally very passive until the mudslide hits their homes or compound, as in the Cameron Highlands and Tambun. Their faces turn red like the colour of the mud. It is easy to see the red on the faces of the Orang Asli in Perak, when their traditional land are sold to some developers.

The reddish river and seawater phenomenon in Kuantan reminds me of Rome burning furiously while the Caesar, Nero, was playing his fiddle.

Indifference spreads

When Bersih 4 was organised, it attracted a vast majority of the middle ground Malaysians. The strong show of support throughout the entire period, with an estimated 400,000 people, including former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, should have indicated something to a savvy government.

In most countries, the sitting prime minister would have voluntarily stepped down, or been forced to vacate the office. However, when Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi openly declared that the government would not listen to the demands of the people, it is a clear sign of insolence on the part of the leaders.

When the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was implemented, Rosmah Mansor, wife of Najib, made a pathetic remark which riled up the people. This reminded the people of Marie Antoinette, wife of French King Louis XVI, who told the starving peasants during her era, “Let them eat cake.”

Although Marie Antoinette did not say these exact words, the saying has stuck with her till this day, as her indifference towards the suffering of the people had gave the reputation as Madame Déficit because France’s financial crisis was largely blamed on her lavish spending.

We should all learn from history through the mistakes made by others; yet just a few days ago, another deputy minister, Ahmad Maslan, who is also Umno’s information chief, said he has three jobs.

With the burden that is already placed on the rakyat through a series of subsidy cuts and other inflationary pressures, now, we are asking people to carry more burden that may eventually break their backs, while sons of ministers are happily driving their Ferraris and Lamborghinis, or living in luxurious apartments in New York.

Where is the connection with the people, which we had in previous prime ministers? Because in the past, Dr Mahathir Mohamad had allowed former chief minister Taib Mahmud to issue logging concessions, much of Sarawak’s rainforests are now gone forever.

Leaders cannot afford to become disconnected with the people. When they do, they will be living in an ivory tower, while peasants like us will find it hard to survive during hard times.

Also, our Vision 2020

For this reason, many of us are with Nurul Izzah Anwar in her article.

If the R.A.H.M.A.N. prophecy comes to pass, Najib would be the last of our Barisan Nasional prime ministers, probably one of the worst unless of course, he turns over a new leaf in 2016. But will he?

As I can see it, the 1MDB scandal is not coming to an end yet. Instead, it has become more evident how the finance minister himself has tried to dig into one pocket to fill up the other.

I just hope 2016 will turn out to be a better year for Najib and his cabinet, or they may find the woes that they are about to face this year, will and can only get worse compared to last year, especially when the people are suffering.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008. -Mkini