Prioritise, ponder, discuss and deliberate
the last couple of months preand post-14th General Election (GE14), I have exited quite a few WhatsApp chat groups as I could not take the exuberant responses of family members, friends and associates to link both fake and real news, as well as the comments made on one another’s comments.
In fact, it has been a pattern on WhatsApp that when I have had enough, I do an honourable exit by saying my goodbyes and thank yous. Inside, I am of course fuming at the oftentimes illogical, irrational, irresponsible and emotional responses.
Where I have a duty to moderate, I try to do so in a guarded, studied way, referring to history, tradition, convention and custom or just offering a commonsensical argument. My chat group members think I am domineering, controlling or just undemocratic.
I have come to realise that the notions of democracy and human rights have their sinister twists; the phenomenon of people power and rakyat’s freedom very soon reveal their downside.
While it is fashionably expected of the new government to announce change and reforms, which is what they promised in the run-up to GE14, to promise to do so in the first 100 days is a tall order indeed.
The vow of transparency so honourably made means that a lot of vital information and decisions that are privy to the cabinet and other key bodies are now released to the public. This is often accompanied by the emotional, subjective reaction of ministers and top officials to cases being investigated. Is this wise?
The 10-point election manifesto of Pakatan Harapan to be implemented in the first 100 days is laudable, but are they achievable? The trouble with promising too much too soon is that it encourages hasty decisions and about-turns. There’s nothing like taking time to prioritise and ponder, to discuss and deliberate, even to admit more time is necessary to introduce these important changes. With distinguished councils being set up and rakyat’s feedback being invited, it seems like whirlwind democracy is at work after the tsunami of sorts.
No doubt, there are numerous wrongs to right, many unnecessary policies, plans and projects to review or discard. But, first things first. Priorities must be set right.
I hope the new government will honour its promise of bringing hope to the nation and the rakyat, especially in giving women their rightful recognition. The real change would not be in terms of fulfilling the nebulous 30 per cent women in the cabinet, but, the more substantive one of appointing the most qualified women to key positions where they will contribute to Malaysia’s integrity as a sovereign nation respected by all.
President, Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason (PCORE)