The power of Sheila’s voice

If you tell a politician about a problem faced by society, you may get his attention for a few seconds, and the issue is then buried forever.

You could speak to the media about the same issue, but you would probably find the police investigating you and charging you with breaking the Official Secrets Act. The ordinary man who goes to jail is soon forgotten.

On the other hand, if the same issue is made public by a celebrity, the nation becomes abuzz with her views. If the artiste were to be arrested, the extra publicity would create a snowball effect, while bad press puts politicians in a negative light.

Sheila Majid, who burst onto the pop scene in the 80s and captivated millions of Malaysians with her jazzy renditions, is not one for mincing words.

When she sings, we are mesmerised. She wowed the crowds in Japan, sang to a packed audience at the Royal Theatre in London’s West End, and was the first local performer at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.

Her forte is her singing, but her normal voice is just as powerful, if not more potent.

On Dec 5, she tweeted about the high cost of living, expensive food, weak ringgit and scarcity of jobs. She said, “Malaysians are becoming tired & angry for being squeezed over debts we did not create.

“Stop making excuses & looking for faults. Focus on the job of getting our country back on track! Disappointing!”

The extent to which her views penetrated the public can be gauged from the subsequent bad-mouthing by Umno politicians, political aides and pro-Umno artistes.

Malaysians have been complaining about the high cost of living as well as other issues for decades. But if a celebrity picks up the mantle, the issue makes headlines.

Why attack Sheila, who was only the messenger? Obviously, the truth hurts.

What Sheila did was right. It is the response of her critics which makes them look ridiculous.

Television personality Azwan Ali claimed to have been shocked at Sheila’s tweets.

He said, “Her whining will spoil the new generation. You are a major artiste. Successful. Has (sic) a datuk title. Rich. You have millions of followers. Is this not because of the government?”

Azwan is both insulting and pathetic. Sheila’ rise to the top of her profession was through her own hard work and the guidance from her father, a man she much admired.

He was an academic who valued education and language. As with most Malay families, religion was important but so was living in a multiracial society and receiving an open-minded upbringing.

Rizal Mansor, who is an aide to the prime minister’s wife, also reprimanded Sheila for complaining about the high cost of living. He accused her of being a “propaganda tool for the opposition”.

“Yes, you are a national jazz queen and considered a legend by fans, but how could they afford to buy the concert tickets priced up to RM888 if the country’s economy is really so bad?” he said.

He had the cheek to tell her that it was Barisan Nasional which enabled her to lead a comfortable and luxurious life, and that she should be grateful to it for inviting her to sing at corporate events.

Perhaps Rizal should approach the marketing and events companies which manage concerts in Malaysia. They set the prices.

Only a small percentage of the population can afford to attend concerts, but everyone has to buy food, take public transport or drive, to go to work and to contribute towards the nation.

When Sheila highlighted the various issues, she was trying to get politicians to address the many problems affecting the rakyat.

People like Rizal and Azwan forget that politicians were elected to serve the people.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.