Malaysians do have an alternative to the unity government

 

The ongoing dilemma for liberals and moderates in Malaysia is about whether there is an alternative to Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government. I am in some “intelligent” and “not-so-intelligent” chat groups, and there is always a heated debate going on about this.

The old-school liberals want an inclusive and corrupt-free Malaysia. They want the Malaysia that Tunku Abdul Rahman and his coterie of like-minded communal leaders envisaged. A Malaysia where everyone is treated with fairness, all citizens have equal growth prospects enshrined in the constitution, and a Malaysia that does not disintegrate into a parochial non-secular nation.

For these people, the current unity government is just not living up to expectations.

They do not see inclusiveness when Jakim is handed a bigger role with a bloated budget. They see the government tacitly condoning raids on watch shops on religious grounds. These liberals also cannot see past a deputy prime minister who is tainted by allegations of corruption. They complain about the faltering economy, rising inflation, and unbridled increases in the cost of living with government ministers not coming up with quick and effective solutions.

So, they take umbrage and make regular scathing attacks on Anwar Ibrahim’s government. Some even dredge back to the prime minister’s former Islamist credentials, and say “…see I told you so.” Yet they do not offer an alternative.

On the other hand, for the more pragmatic liberals and moderates, an Anwar Ibrahim-led unity government is the best option for Malaysia for now. Warts and all, the alternative is unthinkable.

One message I read even said if we do not accept Anwar Ibrahim, then we should petition the powers that be to release former prime minister Najib Razak. At least under Najib, the economy was doing better, notwithstanding his world-famous corruption scandal. I just assumed that it was said acerbically.

For these modern liberals, it is okay that Anwar is holding the reins and we must give him enough time.

These debates rage amongst moderate Malaysians. But this sometimes-self-obsessed group does not make the entire voter bank of the country. In fact, I do not believe it makes up even half the number of voters in Malaysia.

What about the rest of the nation, especially the rural and displaced population? What kind of debates are they having? Do they also ruminate philosophically about the pros and cons of Anwar?

According to Khairy Jamaludin, who is being courted by every party as their wannabe “poster boy,” the prime minister is struggling to gain Malay support because of the community’s continued discontent with the government’s lack of economic direction.

He added that the profound Malay anger is amplified by the apparent duplicity of the present administration, and he was referring specifically to the appointment of his former party boss as deputy prime minister.

KJ, as he prefers to be called, says that it is this, rather than the PN-led “green wave” that is a problem for the government. The move to support PN is not caused by extremist tendencies in the community, but instead it stems from an expression of genuine discontent.

He suggests that the Malay community as a whole is not hard-line, and does not really want the “Talibanisation” of Malaysia. This segment of the population is disgruntled by our economic situation, and the perceived hypocrisy in the political path that the unity government has chosen.

And of course, for this group of Malaysians, whom I dare say outnumber both the old-school and modern liberals, PN is an alternative.

If PN can show that they will focus on the economy and turn the woes of the citizenry around, the rural and displaced voters, particularly from the Malay community, would not have a problem with voting them in at the upcoming state elections.

The fact that PAS is the single largest party in the PN coalition, and its leaders have the propensity to make strange statements like nurses’ uniforms being too tight, this voter bank does not get rattled. They really do not seem to care if PAS makes nonsensical statements.

For many, if PH leaders stood on their soap-boxes before the last general elections and confirmed that there was absolutely no way that Anwar Ibrahim could work with Zahid Hamidi (you remember this, right?) and then they do precisely this after the election, voters also know that to rile up their base, PAS will say whatever it takes to get into power.

The Malay community knows that they are not extremists, but want an economic guarantee first. If the unity government cannot provide this, they will, as is their right, explore alternatives.

If this unity government keeps making hollow promises about combating corruption, and repeatedly says that they will bring a compassionate Madani economy yet they do not walk the talk, you cannot fault the community for their growing distrust.

So, for all the “liberals” out there, both old-school and pragmatic, an alternative is already available, and the largest voter bank in Malaysia does not share your fears. Unless this government bucks the trend, and starts being serious about the economy, it is going to be an unstable four and half years ahead.

And, Malaysia can ill-afford more instability. - FMT

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