The Johor Bellwether: Think carefully, act wisely

 

There is a state election just round the corner in Malaysia. And, to borrow from an Americanism, it is arguably a bellwether state election.

In their presidential elections, US political observers carefully study the trends in these bellwether states. The Missouri and Ohio Bellwether is a political phenomenon. The way the voting goes in these two states indicates who will win the US presidential elections.

In Malaysia, perhaps, we need to be looking at the Johor Bellwether.

The run up to this state election has been an interesting spectacle. Everything Malaysians say they want to move away from is at play here, blaring at a decibel-shattering volume.

If we do a rudimentary scrutiny of all the political commentary over the last five years, the analysis would have you believe the following:

1. Malaysians will not accept politicians tainted by corruption and impropriety.
2. Malaysians cannot forgive the ‘frogs’ who brought down a legitimately elected government.
3. Malaysians want to move away from race baiting and religious intolerance.
4. Malaysians are fatigued by the ‘old-guard’ with their hogwash, and we want new blood.
5. Malaysians really want leaders with integrity.

While claims are made that we want all of the above, in the state elections in Johor, the following is happening:

1. A politician with a tarnished reputation for corruption and malfeasance is leading the charge.
2. There are quite a number of ‘frogs’ vying for seats.
3. The battlelines are drawn along racial lines with ‘Malay’ or ‘Chinese’ constituencies and the ‘Indians’ claiming to have a real important role in swinging the results.
4. The same old fellas are on the campaign trail and drawing the crowds.
5. And, young candidates keep being harassed with interrogations about their ‘inexperience’.

So, the question is: Do you want change or will you settle for the same old, same old?

You now have a chance to reset and ‘drain the swamp’ in Johor, or do you feel safer in the hands of the usual suspects?

Are you willing to experiment with youthful fresh ideas, or are you falling back to tried and tested methods?

Do you want to punish the corrupt rogues, or have you forgiven them?

While at first glance it appears that Malaysians want change, the opinion polls, and the mood on the ground suggests that all is forgiven and we are rolling back the years.

As we head to the polls this weekend, perhaps we need to be reminded of some home truths.

The alleged lack of integrity in some of our leaders in the front-lines of this state election is absolutely dumbfounding. Phenomenal sums of money have been misappropriated. Politicians leading the campaign trail, from all sides of the divide, have been hauled to court for corruption and misuse of power.

One politician in particular has already been found guilty, yet wantonly parades around claiming that he is a victim of political persecution. Literally every few days, there is another breaking story of opaque transactions, and collusions with corrupt business people and civil servants.

I thought we wanted to be led by ethical people, who demonstrate high integrity.

When you see the ‘old-guards’ mouthing off promise after promise to the electorate, have you forgotten that these are the very same ‘jamokes’ who put our nation in peril in the first place?

Isn’t it time we change, and get a whole bunch of people who are not tainted by a checkered past?

Obviously, it was wrong to assume that as a nation, we had reached the point where we would dump the people who have messed us about, and focus on looking for alternative leaders.

We seem to fall for the same players, narratives, and ultimately, become prey to the same insecurities.

It is clear that voters are fed a steady diet of corrosive views by charismatic leaders and are made to fear specific but imagined consequences of not choosing a particular political party. Plus, they get brainwashed into making the warped views of certain politicians central to their own belief structure.

This is the sort of destructive propaganda that leads Malaysia to being so poorly governed.

If we say we want people with principled behaviour and a strong sense of integrity to lead us, why then do we keep being captivated by leaders without honour?

Malaysians profess banalities about integrity, but when we vote, we have a tendency to gravitate towards charismatic and magnetic personalities. These characters usually have huge egos, and enthral us with their megalomaniacal visions and grandiose ideas.

If we choose leaders only based on their charisma rather than their integrity or their confidence rather than their actual competencies, we shouldn’t be shocked if they become self-obsessed, once in power.

I have said it before in my columns and I’ll say it again. We are to blame for the mess Malaysia finds itself in, because we do not bother to familiarise ourselves with a candidates’ background, beliefs and platforms. Instead, we get seduced by their nonsensical charms.

So, ask yourself, what do you really want for Malaysia? - FMT

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