The failed Keluarga Malaysia

 

From Adnan D

Malaysians, generally speaking, are peace-loving and non-confrontational.

Some incidents, if they occur in countries with administrations comparable to the Malaysian government in the last 30 years or so, would result in a revolution, street violence and rampant looting.

Agreed, there has been the occasional protest here and there, a prominent one in recent times being the Reformasi movement when Anwar Ibrahim was arrested. I was there and I saw what happened.

Generally speaking, most Malaysians also forget easily.

They forget and have become desensitised towards all the scandals, lies, corruption and racist government policies imposed on them. They forget and don’t talk about the BMF scandal, Perwaja steel, forex fiasco, the corruption charges, charges withdrawn, the lopsided contracts, the direct deals, etc.

There are so many, they will more than fill this page alone. Within months, most forget.

The older folks still talk about the late Mokhtar Dahari, the late Arumugam, Chin Ann and Santokh Singh. Mirnawan Nawawi, the Sidek brothers were all in the past. They talk about the glory days of Malaysian football and hockey. They talk about muhibbah.

Malaysians used to go to Singapore to buy duty-free, cheaper goods, even car parts. When I was studying abroad, I would try my best to stop in Singapore, stay with my cousins and go shopping.

How things have changed for the worse. The younger generation doesn’t see it, I don’t blame them.

Unless they have read, they would not know. For them, this current state of affairs is the norm, again generally speaking. How far from the truth is that?

Then came the Talibanisation of Malaysia. Instead of unifying people, politicians started to create divisions.

The oldest trick in the book: divide and rule. And rule forever.

Political players even went as far as to change history, without recognising the contributions of other races.

There was one moronic academic who even said Malaysia was never under British rule. What’s worse is that he received so many kudos.

National schools have become more religious, sidelining others. If a Muslim girl doesn’t wear a hijab, she tends to get ostracised or pressured from all and sundry.

We all know who started this. Let’s not mention names. Their names are not worth my ink.

When I went to school in Malaysia, at that time in the 70s , we were “Keluarga Malaysia”. Today it’s not “keluarga”, it’s dysfunctional Malaysia.

If you were to speak to the elderly makcik from the village or market, they were fluent in both Bahasa Melayu and English. They were full of pride and manners. They wrote beautifully. They were kind and would always smile. They were humble even if highly qualified. My visits to general hospitals were always pleasant, it was safe.

Today, we say “Keluarga Malaysia”, but we do the opposite. Again, not naming people, but check your MP’s and Adun’s report cards.

Check what is said in some sermons in masjids and suraus. With smartphones, we get everything instantly. Read. Check parliamentary proceedings. Watch YouTube.

Today, everything is an issue of race and religion. The floods in Taman Sri Muda are a classic example.

To be honest, the ordinary people are the actual Keluarga Malaysia. There will be some recalcitrants (a word which always reminds me of what an ex-Australian PM called a Malaysian ex-PM), but let’s talk about the majority.

The politicians, on the other hand, including the tax-paid ministers, are incompetent. It’s all about staying in power, using the media (some of whom dance to politicians’ tunes).

One was using a water blaster to clean a reasonably clean drain with full media coverage. If that is not ridiculous, I don’t know what is.

Another was seen lifting a spade, with all and sundry clapping. Why even bother?

Another minister was on a full boat, like a tourist, taking pictures. This is while ordinary folks were still stuck on roofs and in their flooded homes. What’s wrong with you? Are you living in La La Land?

There are many private WhatsApp groups that share comments, privately, from Amsterdam to Dunedin, all Malaysians living abroad.

The government officers in Malaysia and overseas receive them, too. If someone takes a video of floods in Kelantan and posts it, another in New York will get it instantly. And these are not fake, they are actual videos. There are even foreign experts to verify them for free.

While other countries in Asean have taken big leaps, Malaysia, due to political reasons, has taken a back seat. We are no longer in the game, not even a substitute.

At one point, Malaysia was the captain. Imagine that.

Why is that? Who caused it? Everyone above 50 knows. - FMT

Adnan D is an FMT reader

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.