With so many U-turns, Reformasi is on the road to nowhere

The Reformasi movement commenced in 1998 after Dr Mahathir Mohamad sacked his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim. January 2018 marks the end of Reformasi.

The movement started off as a political campaign calling for the resignation of Mahathir, but is now instead is calling for the reinstatement of Mahathir as the prime minister.

Many newspapers recently carried headlines on Mahathir making his political comeback in the opposition he once crushed.

The former premier jailed opposition members without trial on security grounds in 1987, and is seen as an authoritarian figure who trampled over human rights.

For years the opposition rallied for the abolishment of tolls but as usual there is a U-turn now. Mahathir now says toll charges needed to be maintained, as it is necessary to cover cost of reconstruction of new expressways and for maintenance of roads.

Since he was “democratically” chosen as the leader of Pakatan Harapan, I am sure all members have agreed to this behind closed doors. Hence, there goes the “no toll” call. One less promise in Harapan’s election manifesto.

DAP’s ageless leader Lim Kit Siang has been constantly probing the government’s protection for Proton and questioning the existence of Proton. In his blog, Kit Siang has said that it is not viable for a small country like Malaysia to sustain a car industry.

Quoting an external source, he said that no country without a GDP of at least US$500 billion has been able to sustain an independent, mass-market car manufacturer. He always felt that it was pointless pouring national resources into the car industry.

However, Mahathir today says that he intends to start a new Proton if Harapan wins the upcoming general election. I extrapolate that the opposition agrees with Mahathir since he is their saviour. Another U-turn on the cards for Kit Siang, and another one more promise to be deleted from Harapan’s election manifesto.

Mahathir insisted on setting up Proton in the 1980s despite a no-go from his personal advisors. Last year, a former World Bank economist rejected the idea of setting up another national car manufacturing company in Malaysia, saying it will incur more losses to the country. However, Mahathir has always only done what he wants to do and this time it is going to be no different.

First no more BR1M, then later they said BR1M would be maintained. Then they said no more GST, but added that a Sales Tax would be brought to replace GST. How many more U-turns?

Looking at this trend, Harapan’s election manifesto will have a lot of empty spaces this time around. Maybe they are saving these spaces to reveal their greatest offering of all, free English Premier League football. What a forward thinking government-in-waiting we have, who have our most pressing socioeconomic needs in mind.

If Mahathir ever resumes office, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail should start the sand clock. Her days would be numbered. In Mahathir’s books, she is the interim, not him.

In the past he used the Internal Security Act freely. Now, when he is in office he will use the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. The opposition can go on opposing forever. Whether it is BN or Bersatu, they will always remain a loyal and fiery opposition.

Bobby Cohen and Alex Kurtzman, the producers of the movie “Now You See Me,” should perhaps consult Mahathir on their next sequel. There are not many better illusionists than Mahathir in this world.- Mkini