Does anyone in the cabinet or in Umno know what they are doing? Caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a prisoner of his own doing. He is trapped by his own party and imprisoned by his peers. Ismail Sabri's mixed messages spread only confusion.
One minute he was mister-tough-guy, proudly boasting that only he had the authority to call for the general election and that no one could influence him in advising the Agong when to dissolve Parliament.
He was ill-prepared when 12 Perikatan Nasional (PN) ministers presented the Agong with a letter objecting to the 15th general election (GE15) being held this year. Ismail Sabri stood firm and stressed that the legitimacy of his administration remained.
Two days later, he backpedalled and blamed the dissolution of Parliament on the same PN ministers.
What transpired behind the scenes? In the battle of wills, it was Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who claimed victory. Is it a case of whatever Zahid wants, Zahid gets? Zahid's ploy to hold GE15 this year is pure survival. His own.
How could Ismail Sabri betray the rakyat? It does not take a genius to realise that holding GE15 during the monsoon season is gambling with people's lives. What happened to Ismail Sabri's advisers?
Will the Malays kick all of them out of office?
Many Malay leaders have delusions of grandeur. Is this a side effect of suffering from Ketuanan Melayu? Their dream is that Malaysia will become a high-income, developed nation, but at the same time, they refuse to dislodge the tempurung mentality, which is firmly entrenched in them.
Ismail Sabri boasted that he delivered his speech in Bahasa Malaysia at the last United Nations General Assembly in New York. What happened to the audience? He was addressing a largely empty hall.
If he and the other Malay-minded MPs want to project Malaysia onto the world stage, economically, socially, and politically, at least show the world that you can speak basic English and not hide behind your perfect Malay. Who understood them? Who cared?
‘Tunnel vision’
Malaysia has suffered three prime ministers in as many years. Two were not from Umno, but all three are contaminated by Umno genetic material. In common with many Malay politicians, they have tunnel vision in all matters, and their focus is only on the Malays. How does one become a prime minister just for the Malays?
The PMs may claim their policies benefit other races too, but the non-Malays who really benefit are their cronies. The ones they do big business with. Or the politicians who have learnt to dance to their (the Malay leaders) tune.
Dr Mahathir Mohamad should learn to let go, but he won't. He will continue to meddle, until his last breath. His Malay-only agenda is an obsession that he will take to his grave.
Muhyiddin Yassin is proud to declare that he is a Malay first and a Malaysian second. For decades, his peers and superiors overlooked and ignored him, so when he had the chance, he grabbed power in the Sheraton Move and put the first nail in the Malaysian coffin. He lowered the dignity of the entire Malay race with his lust for power and his cheap tactics.
The major problem with Malaysian prime ministers is that as soon as they occupy the PM's seat, they surround themselves with their friends and cronies.
Ismail Sabri continued Muhyiddin's tradition of selecting ministers who excelled in fawning. Our cabinet ministers and heads of GLCs were nominated because they were good at ampu-bodek.
Those belonging to Ismail Sabri's inner circle would be rewarded, and therefore, those who are on the fringes will do their best to gang up against him to stop him from doing what he wants.
A progressive and switched-on individual would have chosen cabinet members with particular expertise or skill. Instead, we are bogged down with mediocrity. Actually, mediocrity would be an exaggeration.
Many of Ismail Sabri's ministers are not fit for purpose. Environment ministers who have no background in science. Law ministers who talk about God's wrath rather than articles of law. Women ministers who are misogynists and who are subservient to males.
Education ministers who ignore STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematical disciplines) subjects, but make religion the main focus. Religious leaders who criticise women's clothing, their hair, and their conduct, but say nothing about corruption by fellow Muslims.
Ismail Sabri said he would help ordinary Malaysians in his "Keluarga Malaysia" but it is the ministers and GLC heads who get the best financial rewards.
Ismail Sabri was foolish to let Zahid have his way. What's wrong with waiting another six months, during which time, all of the political parties can improve themselves, focus on the rakyat's needs and seriously consider their manifestos?
No one is saying "Do not hold GE15". We don't want it to be held when heavy rains and flooding are expected. That is all. How would the elderly, the infirm and those in wheelchairs cope with flooded voting centres?
Most of the nation's problems are the consequences of the Ketuanan Melayu and affirmative action policies. Ordinary Malays did not benefit much from them. Only the elite and the politicians made tremendous gains.
Have the ordinary Malays learnt their lessons after six decades of being tricked by crafty Malay leaders? Will they unite and reject Malay leaders from Umno, Bersatu, Gerakan Tanah Air, and PAS? Time will tell. - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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