Dirty money talks, but has little voice during elections

 

 So you think politics is dirty and everybody in it is corrupt and evil? You could be right.

It seems like we’ve somehow managed to find the worst of the worst in our country, selected the worst of them and then gave them the keys to Putrajaya and the state capitals.

And then we condemn these people for basically doing what many of us would’ve done had we been in their shoes – taking care of ourselves first.

But you could be wrong, too. Those we are condemning are not aliens, but our own family or kin or friends or at the very least, our “kind” of some kind or other, however you may wish to define it.

If they’re bad, perhaps it’s because we’re no better ourselves. It’s been said society deserves the leaders it gets. Looking at how things are today, our society must be in the pits to deserve our current leaders.

But here we are in the frenzy and madness of the election season, being buffeted daily by promises or accusations or threats by candidates, many seemingly bereft of guilt or shame and often, intelligence or character.

What’s happening out there is a massive Cheap Sale promotion…of our future! Like a shop going out of business, it’s all “Cheap! Cheap! Buy Now!” conveniently neglecting to mention the “Pay Later, With Interest” side of the deal.

Not a campaign issue

Corruption, in its many forms, is a staple diet of Malaysian politics, whether those committing it (with gusto, it’s the Malaysian way) or condemning it (with gusto too, it’s the Malaysian way too).

Lately everybody seems to agree that corruption is bad. Even the religious folks, often reticent on condemning corruption, have come out against it, now that it’s clear who wanted to become their partners and who didn’t.

Though, should things change, they may press the mute button on corruption again.

However, corruption won’t be much of an election issue during times when people are worried about the future while suffering in the present. Asking poor people struggling to put food on the table to care about unfathomable amounts of stolen money just doesn’t work.

Then factor in the feudal nature of our society, now rising due to the unfortunately very effective and successful efforts to turn people into being the 3Ds – Dumb, Docile and Delirious. The hard work over decades is clearly bearing fruit.

Leavers and believers

But there are also those smart and comfortable enough to know and care, but choose not to because, well, as long as we can make money, who cares? They’re the unwitting enablers of the worst of our society.

I’ll admit that many of us, myself included, are generally doing OK. We grew up in kinder, gentler times, and are surviving, with some even thriving, regardless of the issues and challenges we face now.

And we think “worst case, we’d just pack up and leave”. And indeed, many of us can, and will, and it’s our right to do so.

But the reality is that, for most of us, there’s no safe harbour somewhere else, there’s no green card or PR status or a foreign passport.

Whether by choice or not, Malaysia is our home, and very likely the home of our children and grandchildren too. We owe a duty to leave behind a better Malaysia.

The debt incurred by our generation brought about by corruption, incompetence or sheer apathy, led by the politicians, but also by the rapacious corporate or social or religious leaders working hand in glove with them, will really be felt down the road.

No gain, no pain

Unfortunately, by then the money to repay those debts, whether caused by (swindled) sovereign funds or (swindled) military procurement or (swindled) cattle farms, will be money that won’t be available for our own society’s good.

In the worst case, it’ll mean the International Monetary Fund or foreign banks coming in to force down our throats severe austerity measures. There’ll be massive pain all around, especially at the lowest levels in our society.

But there’ll be pain for all. We would probably only be able to build three hospitals when we need ten, 10 schools when we need a hundred, a hundred scholarships when we need thousands, and thousands of jobs when we need millions.

Roads will not be paved, medicines at the hospitals will be rationed, public transport will be disrupted (oh, that’s happening already…) and public money will just disappear into thin air without any explanations or accountability (oh…).

Promising heaven for votes

I’ve said earlier we are not a failed state…yet. But we’re certainly a dysfunctional and underperforming state, and the trajectory is certainly towards a failed statehood.

Even religion, supposed to be the bulwark against corruption, has become a convenient tool for it. If you define corruption as, among other things, taking a good thing and making it bad, then promising heaven for votes surely amounts to corruption too.

Nobody goes around thinking they’re corrupt. But everybody seems to go around thinking their struggles – especially fighting for race and religion – are so important that some “leakages” here and there that benefit them must be tolerated.

Well, sorry folks. A true reading of religions, something which most of our religious leaders seem to have conveniently ignored, will tell us any corruption at all – any deviation from the straight and narrow – is not acceptable in the eyes of God.

Remember that when you’re in your polling booth next week – you’re not just voting for some popular politician, but for the future of your own children and grandchildren.

They deserve nothing but the best from you. - FMT

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