“Clearly, it is time for all who have hoped for fundamental reforms in Malaysia to build a new progressive democratic opposition for a truly just, democratic, and sustainable future that BN, Harapan, and Perikatan Nasional have failed to provide.”
- Kua Kia Soong
Look, if someone deserves an apology, it certainly is Kua Kia Soong.
So sorry, Mr Kua, because although what you wrote is god’s truth, the reality is that Malaysia is on a dark path, and the minority, including Malays who are not buying what the Malay establishment is selling, is not going to invest in any party or coalition beyond Pakatan Harapan/DAP.
The fear in the moderate polity is too intense, and I do not blame them.
Indeed in nearly every one of my articles, I warn of the slowly forming theocratic state and how, ultimately, we do not have the numbers but, more importantly, the political will to stop the formation of that theocratic state.
When the DAP tasted power, real power, the first time it won states, they more or less became running dogs (a term they revelled in) to Malay power brokers who could help them sustain their power.
Now, of course, it is something worse.
Spook the Malays
To sustain this government, the DAP not only have to eat loads of manure but also put on a smiley face lest they spook the Malays and screw up Harapan’s chances, allowing PN and the deep Islamic state to further their goal of turning this country into a theocracy.
When the great dictator goes on about how the Chinese built towns and cities and all that stuff, the reality is that the plutocratic Chinese class and the political class of the MCA were a part of it.
This would mean when the MCA was enjoying the support of the Chinese community, they were getting things done not only for their Malay overlords but also for the country.
Meanwhile, the DAP was demonising them as running dogs and nuance and subtlety, anathema to partisan politics, were thrown out the window.
Look at how the DAP handled the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College issue or how arrogantly Lim Guan Eng said, “Your time is up, your time is over”.
When Lim was debating (Former MCA president) Chua Soi Lek back in the day, he said: “We should not bow to fate and have the right to equality. We should not kneel and beg. We should be brave enough to stand and ask for it.”
Remember what Dr Mahathir Mohamad said when Lim was finance minister: "So, how come he is said to be the one with the power? He had no power."
Learning fast
The DAP learnt fast that dealing with Malay power structures on a federal level and a bureaucracy that is, in essence, an extension of a political party (Umno) is complex and requires stratagems and rhetoric.
Which is in total opposition to the egalitarian ideas that the DAP tells its base is the foundation of a new Malaysia. Non-Malay political parties have this delusion that they are independent operators. They are not.
They are, in reality, proxies for Malay power structures, with varying degrees of public and private influence within Malay hegemons. To believe otherwise would be delusional.
When it comes to racial politics, minorities squabbling for the political interests of majoritarian stakeholders is painful to watch.
Malays from either side of the political divide sometimes can meet halfway on those politically-designed issues of race and religion.
Throw in culture, and you have Malay power structures at war, but not tearing each other’s eyes out like the non-Malay component parties do to gain political power for their Malay overlords.
Test for DAP supporters
The DAP’s cult-like followers will be tested in the upcoming state elections. As I have argued many times before, the only party in Harapan with a stable base is the DAP.
The test will be if the DAP can ensure that their supporters come out and vote for former enemies.
When I get Umno people who stopped communicating with me and ask me to relay information to DAP operatives that their supporters need to support this unity government in the state polls, you know you have gone deep down the rabbit hole.
I mean, look at Anthony Loke’s response to the question of an apology.
He was diplomatic and non-confrontational. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, meanwhile, looked as though he just wanted to ignore this nonsense.
I know this is politically incorrect, but the only people who could advocate for a secular Malaysia are the Non-Malays.
If you are Malay and you advocated for such, you would be sanctioned by the state. Do not seek help from Non-Malay political operatives because they do not want to spook their Malay partners.
No help
If you were non-Malay and believed in needs-based policies, you would get no help from the political mainstream.
If you were a Malay who thought this or felt that affirmative action policies were immoral, you would likely end up like Wan Saiful Wan Jan and join Bersatu.
So there is no natural avenue for genuine change, but more importantly, there is no support even amongst the so-called moderate Malaysians for any of that.
These days my thinking is that the only reason to vote for these charlatans, as opposed to the religious extremists' charlatans, is that it slows down the eventual destination of failed statehood.
All evidence, from partisan fervour to policy decisions by BN, Harapan and Perikatan Nasional, point to the reality that their voting bases are more comfortable backing autocratic ideas often cloaked in pragmatism rather than democratic ones.
We get the government we deserve. - Mkini
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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