Failed rallies and the echo chamber of discontent

 We are in a period of realignment under which the old system has died and the new system is struggling to establish itself.

From Martin Vengadesan

I was just reading through various reports on the underwhelming rally that was held by Malaysia’s right-wing opposition in the heart of our city centre yesterday.

Indeed, I was in the vicinity to observe and can assure you that the various claims by Perikatan Nasional leaders like Hamzah Zainudin, that the crowd would go up to a million, were substantially off the mark.

It was a moderate gathering, not a patch on the Reformasi and Bersih gatherings. In the end, the main participants were thousands of attendees bussed in from outside KL, particularly the north where PN support is strongest.

There were forlorn speakers like former prime ministers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin, and a virtual coterie of other disgruntled figures and would-be statesmen.

I laughed aloud when reading the fake narratives spread by paid cybertroopers and other hacks, some of whom haven’t been in the country for years.

Make no mistake – the rally was an abject failure, fizzling out in a quiet KL afternoon.

The fact that it was held without interference is a reflection of the current administration’s commitment to the right to peaceful assembly.

The fact that it was reported live by the mainstream media speaks volumes for press freedom in Malaysia today.

The fact that there was no clumsy attempt to hold a counter rally speaks to a degree of political maturity not present before.

Mind you, we take it for granted now, but it was not that way in the past when we were under one-party rule.

At the same time, it would be remiss of the administration just to gloat and ignore that there is room for discontent.

Indeed, Malaysia is rebuilding itself from decades of large-scale corruption and the recession ushered in by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have a burgeoning national debt and global economic unpredictability due in no small part to volatile US policies. Some painful measures like the expansion of the SST and subsidy rationalisation had to be taken. Despite compassionate measures by the government, cost of living is not easy to manage.

At the same time, there is an echo chamber of discontent by people who expected more from the government and are lashing out because they haven’t seen immediate changes.

This is compounded by false narratives like the judicial appointment saga, which was mistakenly labelled our worst judicial crisis, and various other issues that get distorted with loud volume by an opposition that doesn’t have genuine issues or policies with which to counter the government.

This government has brought stability and better figures in terms of FDI, GDP growth, ringgit stability, EPF dividends, press freedom, and global competitiveness than any of the previous regimes over the last decade.

I would urge supporters to judge it at the end of its term and recognise that it is not a homogenous reformist government with a sweeping mandate. We are in a period of realignment under which the old system has died and the new system is struggling to establish itself.

Let’s view this period in our history as an opportunity for gradual change and not slip back into the echo chamber of discontent.

Martin Vengadesan is a former news editor who currently serves as a strategic communications consultant to the communications ministry.

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