Honeymoon is over, time for govt to deliver
The people did not vote in Pakatan Harapan to be haunted by ghosts of the past
RECENTLY, I was contacted by a friend and former colleague who works for a media outlet. She wanted my help in convincing a senior Pakatan Harapan leader to participate in a music video.
The video featured Pakatan leaders singing a patriotic song to commemorate our 61st Merdeka Day and the coming Malaysia Day celebrations.
It reminded me of how the present leadership used another music video recorded before the general election by the heads of government-linked companies (GLCs) to identify individuals to be removed in the GLC cull that took place right after the polls.
In any case, I told my friend that I couldn’t assist her as I believe this celebrity worship of our leaders was getting old and tired.
My response to her went along the lines that the
media should stop glorifying our leaders and start
ensuring they do the work
they were elected to do. In fact, the Pakatan lea
der in question declined the request, agreeing that the
honeymoon was over and
it’s time to show that the new government can deli
ver.
In her defence, my friend
agrees with me on a perso
nal basis. In fact, she is one people’s of the most formidable journalists still in the industry.
When we worked together I remember politicians agreeing to be interviewed on condition that the interview is not conducted by her.
However, in the present-day media landscape where ratings, readership, unique visitors and page views are the primary concern, fluff, unfortunately, can sometimes take precedence over hard serious issues.
Viewers dig this type of thing, I guess. Which explains why the Kardashians are into the 15th season of their reality TV show.
But the hero-worshipping of our leaders is not a reflection on them. It is a reflection on us as the people who put them in power. And we must hold our present leaders to the same high standards we expected of our previous administration.
Do they get a free pass on some of the shenanigans just because the previous regime was guilty of far worse offences?
The New Malaysia has allowed newsmen to be more critical in the unrestricted media landscape that Pakatan has promised. It has also given the rakyat who put them in power the courage in voicing out their displeasure over their leaders. They can criticise without using pseudonyms or fake social media accounts.
The new Mahathir administration is not like the old Mahathir administration. There will not be a knock on the door in the middle of the night for speaking your mind and saying your piece.
But are we really taking advantage of this new environment to play the role of the electorate and the Fourth Estate effectively?
Granted, many are euphoric over the change in government. Anything can be better than the last administration. But we need to change this mindset that when you are already scraping the bottom of the barrel, you should be satisfied with anything you get.
Just because the past government was rated a big fat “F” does not mean Pakatan can get by with an “E” or “D” or “C” on its report card.
The people voted for something much better on May 9. They wanted an A+ because that was what was promised in the recent election.
They did not vote in Pakatan to “settle” for mediocrity or a 4.0 version of Barisan Nasional or Umno.
They did not vote for their leaders to be bickering over seat allocation in the new Cabinet line-up.
They did not vote Pakatan in only for it to go back on its promises on certain repressive legislations.
They did not vote for a stock market and exchange rate that continue to be sluggish due to a lack of certainty in policies and a leadership succession that seems to be still a subject of debate among certain quarters.
They did not vote for an unelected politburo that attempts to supersede the authority of elected Members of Parliament and appointed Cabinet ministers.
They did not vote for relatives of the present leadership to be given government contracts without going through an open tender process.
They did not vote for a lacklustre responses in dealing with issues such as child marriage and the much-needed revamp of our education system.
They did not vote for the emergence of new gatekeepers and Little Napoleons who are wreaking havoc with turf wars and undermining senior civil servants within ministries and agencies.
In short, the people did not vote to be haunted by ghosts of the past.
Perhaps some of our leaders feel they should sing for their supper. After all, what’s wrong in boosting one’s popularity by spending a few hours in the recording studio.
It is understandable that leaders want to appeal to the masses by appearing “cool” or “down to earth”. But this must be complemented by hard work in not just addressing the sins of the past but also coming up with ideas and sound policies to move the country forward.
The SST (Sales and Service Tax) which came into force on Saturday will be the first tangible test whether the new government is on the right path as this directly impacts the people’s pockets – much like GST (Goods and Services Tax) did before that was among the deciding factors for the demise of the Barisan administration.
If they do not get over this first hurdle, one fears that the novelty of the singing YBs will pass, and the next tune they perform could be their swansong.
The SST which came into force on Saturday will be the first tangible test whether the new government is on the right path as this directly impacts the pockets.