Why do some still think the world of Abah?

To be honest, I have never been political. Growing up in a household where both parents were civil servants, I lived a relatively comfortable life with no major upheavals.

People like me stick to our comfort zone and go with the flow. Taking risks is not a part of our lexicon.

That brings us to our former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, or, as he refers to himself, Abah (father).

He was always known as a man who followed the party line, a diehard Umno loyalist.

Then he went against the rules. As deputy prime minister to then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, Muhyiddin stood up to his boss, even demanded answers to Najib’s involvement with 1MDB.

He did get the boot for his efforts, became a hero, and moved on to a new party, Bersatu.

Once a politician, always a politician - and Muhyiddin proved this.

As home minister with the Pakatan Harapan government, he courted controversy when he blocked reforms and even detained a few DAP members for their links to the defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

On their way out - after the 'move' decision was made at Sheraton Hotel in PJ on Feb 23, 2020

Then, the whole Sheraton Move happened, and in a blink of an eye, Muhyiddin became the PM. And there he was, all over the media, trying to calm a nation that was undergoing sheer panic during the early days of the Covid-19 onslaught.

He did not shout: “I am the leader, you will listen to me!” He opted to be everyone’s dad, a brilliant public relations move that endeared himself to the masses.

Even his speeches were not ordinary PM-type speeches that are mostly rhetoric. Instead, Abah offered us homespun wisdom with some interesting characters (Makcik Kiah was one) and made himself relatable.

The fact that Abah was also a cancer survivor raised him to a whole different level.

'His soothing fatherly voice'

We did not know much about Covid-19 then, and as many of us locked ourselves indoors and went into survival mode, his soothing fatherly voice tried to assure us that he had things under control, even when he didn’t.

Love him or hate him, at times like those, all we wanted was for Abah to tell us that everything was going to be alright.

Yes, he made some decisions that, in hindsight, might not have been the wisest.

Abah’s fans are not naïve or stupid. His appeal was that he was in the right place at the right time and said all the right things.

Being a leader during those dark days was not the easiest thing to do. None of our former PMs ever led the nation during a global pandemic. So, when certain politicians constantly attacked him, it did not sit well with many.

In the Malacca state election, it was obvious that many still looked upon Abah with respect.

But it was not what Abah did or did not do that resonated with me. It was what took place around the country during his brief tenure.

It was how everyday people came together and decided it was up to them to help those who were less fortunate.

The common people realised that it was up to them to keep the country running, to help those who were marginalised. We began to feel empowered to do something.

There were food banks set up, people delivering food to the less fortunate, and many who lost their jobs found alternate ways to make a living.

We did not need leaders to tell us what to do...

Most important of all, for one brief moment, this country was one. “Kita jaga kita” was our motto. We decided to take care of our own, regardless of our differences.

We did not need leaders to tell us what to do, for we were the leaders.

The pandemic forced me out of my comfort zone and to look beyond my little world. I decided to leave my job and start again afresh, in another company.

I want what I do to matter. So I am starting anew, learning from people much younger than me.

Looking back at when many of us decided that our lives should have more meaning, there came Abah with his speeches, reassuring a terrified nation that we will all be okay.

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why many are still sentimental and protective of Abah. He was the background score to our greatest challenge. - Mkini

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INDRA SATHIABALAN is a member of the Malaysiakini Team.