Malaysians deserve better

 

Anwar Ibrahim’s 25-year-long journey to premiership was at times “torture”, wrote Fortune, in an interview in Ipoh on Aug 24, in which the prime minister also discussed his 10-year plan for Malaysia.

The irony is that many Malaysians are only starting to experience their own socio-political “torture”.

Just imagine how soul-destroying it must be, for the hundreds of thousands of Pakatan Harapan and Anwar supporters to be dealt not just one blow, but several setbacks under the Madani administration.

Recent events will have questioned their trust in democracy, politics, government, Harapan and their leaders.

In 2018, after several decades of trying, we did the unthinkable and overthrew the corrupt Umno government.

Then, in December 2022, we were told that it was politically expedient to form a unity government, and Anwar’s supporters reluctantly agreed to the marriage of convenience between Harapan and the tainted Umno.

Anwar had campaigned against corruption during the 15th general election and had promised a slew of reforms.

Installing the Umno president as his deputy, made Anwar’s moral high ground sound somewhat hollow.

No one is expecting the promised reforms to be rolled out overnight, but nothing of substance has been forthcoming.

For some Harapan supporters, the first signs of doubt were slowly emerging. Then, came the other signals, which added to the unease.

Things like the harmonisation of civil and Syariah laws, even though federal law is supreme.

Or that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) would help formulate national policy.

Or the latest bombshell, whereby the Hadith-40 module would be inserted into the school curriculum. There are many issues in education which should be addressed with urgency, so why are these not implemented first?

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Muslim lives are heavily regulated in Malaysia, and yet that community records the highest rates of incest, drug taking, divorce and pornographic viewing figures on the internet.

With the extraordinary number of hours spent on religious scripture, instruction and control, one would have expected the community to be a virtuous one.

Meanwhile, Harapan’s supporters are increasingly becoming more agitated and to justify these forays into religion, we were told that these were necessary steps to counter the threat of the “Green Wave”.

Harapan apologists would say, “Didn’t you see the young, impressionable but naïve 18-year-olds who voted PN in GE15? Our leaders are merely trying to convince the Malays that we have their interests at heart, too.”

With these words of reassurance, the unhappy Harapan supporter is temporarily relieved.

To allay our fears, we are repeatedly told that Jakim’s involvement, the harmonisation of the two laws, and the Hadith-40 module are innocuous measures and that non-Malays need not worry.

Really? Tell that to Indira Gandhi or the converts who try to opt out of Islam.

Indira Gandhi

Moreover, has anyone bothered to ask Muslims if they don’t mind if their lives and their children’s education are heavily regulated? Many are too petrified to openly object.

These soon-to-be-introduced “innocuous” policies are surreptitiously paving the way towards the Islamisation of our institutions. We appear to be completing PAS’ work for them.

So, forget the threat of the “Green Wave” because Harapan is doing a good job of accomplishing what PAS could only hope to do if they had convincingly won GE15.

One tires of the oft-repeated remark, “If not Anwar, then who?”, or “Do you want the ‘Green Wave’ and Abdul Hadi Awang as our PM?”, or the pathetic, “…the lesser of the two evils.”

Lesser? Who? Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or Anwar?

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad openly announces what he wants for Malaysia, however disagreeable that may be.

Muhyiddin Yassin is a Malay-first-and-Malaysian-second politician and his policies will reflect his stance. We know that Hadi’s end goal is an Islamic state. These men are predictable.

However, the most dangerous leader is one who disarms you and seduces you by claiming that he shares your values, even though he does not.

Unsurprising ‘judicial miracles’

He makes people dependent on him so that they think only he can make them happy and provide them with the security they crave.

The desperate will sacrifice their principles and their own integrity because of their dependence on this leader. Who are we describing?

We should not have been shocked about Zahid’s discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA). He was not the only high-profile politician to know that “judicial miracles” do happen.

Many billions of ringgits have disappeared down the black hole of Umno/Bersatu/PAS. The “ikan bilis” (small timers) are caught while the big sharks escape.

The rakyat, and not the politicians, are the main source of our problem. Malaysian politics is not built on a foundation of meritocracy, accountability, transparency and integrity.

We want overnight solutions. We will not take to the streets in a peaceful protest, because we probably want Bersih to lead the way and do the hard work.

We will not write to our MP, assemblypersons or newspapers to demand politicians act with integrity because we claim we are not articulate. It is easier to moan in our WhatsApp chat groups, and we learn how to keep quiet in public.

Don’t tell me that out of the 15 million, law-abiding, sensible adults in the country, there is not one Malaysian, man or woman, of any creed or culture, who can lead us out of this political quagmire.

Without Anwar’s succession plan, be prepared to accept the possibility of Zahid becoming our next prime minister. - Mkini

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MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the 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.