One year ago today, as a panellist at the Malaysiakini forum titled “One Year of Madani Government: What’s Next?” I presented a harsh yet truthful assessment, giving the coalition government a D-minus based on its performance.
I listed a catalogue of unkept promises, including abolishing the PPPA (Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984) and the Sedition Act.
I said: “The only thing Anwar is consistent about is his oratorical skills. Of course, we welcome the death penalty amendment and anti-stalking legislation, which have been made to the Penal Code.”
Instead, I noted that the seizure of the Swatch watches that had rainbow colours is a repetition of what the Umno government did with Bersih when yellow T-shirts were banned.
So, has anything changed in the past 365 days to warrant a review of the D-minus?
Look in your backyard first, Anwar
Anwar has become “the prime minister of Palestine”, according to some critics, for his support to end the violence in Gaza and for flying injured persons and their relatives to Kuala Lumpur for treatment.
Expectedly, he was peeved and expressed disappointment and sadness over the move to bring injured Palestinians from Gaza to receive medical treatment in Malaysia - the first country in Asia.
I responded: “There is no glory in being the first, anyway. What purpose does it serve when the people in your backyard - fellow Malaysians need help - more than foreigners?
“Maybe the people around you only tell you what you like to hear. Hence, you are unaware of the actual situation on the ground.
“Why don’t you start by visiting our public hospitals and talking to Malaysians who have to wait for months for medical treatment?” I asked Anwar.
Has anything changed? Hospital queues are getting longer, and the government is considering using generic pharmaceuticals.
It is an understatement to say that our education system is in shambles, with several thousand graduates on the streets. What is being done to address this?
When will Madani start righting wrongs?
When the religious card is played at every turn and when there’s a semblance of it interfering with our daily lives, those who speak up become Islamophobes.
We have been constantly reminded of the 3Rs - race, religion, and royalty - but how come no one says anything when political leaders are fighting to show whose shade of green is shining better?
I am not nitpicking. The long delay in getting justice for the deaf driver who a police escort assaulted, child marriages which have led to 44,263 teenage pregnancies over the past five years, the continued haemorrhaging of some government-linked companies, the leaks of government funds, lopsided contracts, rent-seeking, the demonising of the judiciary, nepotism and cronyism in government appointments, etc.
These matters may seem trivial to those in government, but they matter to the man in the street - the voter.
It is a long list. Add these to the auditor-general’s quarterly catalogue of shame; plenty can be done, but the work has hardly started.
When will we seriously attempt to rectify all the wrongs? Does the Madani government have the political will and determination to go the extra mile? Or will it pander to some for political expediency?
Yes, it cannot come overnight, but it has been two years since we elected what was touted as a “clean government”.
Two years have already gone by
The latest “bombshell” came on Saturday, when Malaysiakini was ordered to remove video clips of the alleged corruption scandal in Sabah.
In July 2015, the Najib government suspended The Edge and the Edge Financial Weekly for three months, ostensibly preventing both publications from publishing details of thousands of documents related to the 1MDB scandal unfavourable to the then-BN government.
At that time, many political leaders stood up, shouted “media freedom”, and supported these publications. Some of them are now part of the Madani government.
Their loud noises and vociferous statements reverberated around the country when they were on the opposite side, but their continued silence is now deafening.
Don’t they have the gall and nerve to stand up to this? Do they have short memories or plainly “jaga periuk nasi“ (looking after their rice bowl)?
The order, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, came from the police, who claimed that they could interfere with police investigations into the death threat against the whistleblower and compromise the safety and privacy of the individual.
Fellow columnist P Gunasegaram has since addressed this issue in his column yesterday.
It would be foolhardy to state that progress has not been made in other areas, but these are minuscule compared to the big holes we continue to fill and the many selectively ignored issues.
It is said that a week is a long time in politics. Two years have flown by so quickly; in another two, all will be engrossed in planning for the next election.
So, the D-minus stays until now. If nothing drastic changes, it will remain so until 2027. But is anyone worried? They still believe the government knows best using an outdated, obsolete solution - telling feel-good stories and throwing crumbs before the date is fixed.
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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