Aren’t we tired of all the politicking?

 

The year started with another “move,” but instead of being about the economy or the socio-cultural direction that Malaysia takes, it was the “Dubai move.”

When will politicians put an end to this nonsensical continuous political skulduggery and focus on the actual betterment of the people of Malaysia?

This government hasn’t given us a plan for revitalising the Malaysian economy. So, what is the focus for growth areas? Where will funds be deployed to strengthen certain sectors? How will we spur industries like tourism? How do we address the lack of skills in growth areas? And, what is the plan for educational reform that supports our economic growth? Until now, I’ve heard nothing. Have you?

Signing MOUs for foreign investments is all well and good, but it is just a “wish list” until the money is in, and the transfer of technology is actually done. So, shouldn’t the cabinet robustly work on stimulating the economy, and planning for growth instead? But there is nothing forthcoming from them.

Some argue that our last prime minister, who was in power for barely fifteen months, all the while being hemmed in by politicians on his own side, achieved more than our current prime minister has. If true, this is a damning indictment of this unity government.

Everything is fragmented in Malaysia.

The underlying racial and religious tensions remain, often stoked by politicians themselves. As a nation, our diversity has not become a strength. It is like a “time-bomb” instead, and is hanging over us like an albatross. I once thought that our unity in diversity was our biggest forte. But alas, our politicians have made dis-unity their main agenda.

Our education system is not future ready. There is no concerted effort to focus on what skills our young people need, to make them globally competitive. Instead, parochial nonsense is fed to them and they graduate high school with very little appreciation of a larger world-view, but with a large dose of narrow mindedness.

Who wants to holiday in Malaysia?

Just go visit what used to be the premier beach holiday destination decades ago, Batu Ferringhi in Penang. Today, it is jaded and filled with sidewalks of “warungs” and cheap rip-offs. The uncontrolled development on the island has led to the pristine beaches being eroded and the sea is just dirty.

Conversely, 20 years ago, if you visited Danang in Vietnam, the beach was fabulous but the infrastructure was wonky. Today, the beach there remains magnificent, but the general ecosystem with hotels, restaurants, and touristic sites have been upgraded to make it a great holiday destination.

We had everything going for us, but we squandered it all. And, we continue to slide down. Malaysia was the very embodiment of multiculturalism, and of what a “moderate” country should be. But through decades of bad governance, self-serving politicians, and racial politicking, we seem to have lost it.

Repairing Malaysia is a collective effort. We, the citizenry, need to take things into our own hands.

Firstly, we need to be smarter voters. The old adage that a people deserve the government they get, is absolutely true when it comes to us. Remember, we voted these jamokes in. There is no point getting sore and being upset that they are messing up again. We elected them.

Let’s start 2024 with the resolve that we no longer vote for the “party.” Often, our loyalty is to the symbol of that party. Perhaps from now, we can forget the “dacing” (scales), rocket, or the moon. We should refrain from just ticking on the symbols. These political parties have no loyalty to us, so why should we be loyal to them?

Instead, we should focus on the candidate. We should pick only the people whose sole interest is the well-being of the community and not the accumulation of personal wealth for themselves and their family members. Your local representative must be 100% concerned about your area and nothing else. Why do we continue to vote for politically motivated candidates planted in our “kawasan” who just prop up the leadership of their political masters?

This is a start. Then we must ask questions. Relentless questions!

Just because you were a Pakatan Harapan (PH) voter, don’t be disingenuous now and pretend that everything is hunky-dory. I notice that those who were vociferous in their criticisms of past Barisan Nasional governments, have conveniently hushed up. Stand up, ask, and agitate. Let’s make our MPs responsible and accountable to us, and not to their political masters.

When we change, perhaps we can see some change in our country too. We better change first! - FMT

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