‘Tis the season to end the folly

Let’s hope that the year-end wishes for less politicking, better governance and a united Malaysia will be granted.

ALL I want for Christmas is for us to identify our fellow citizens as Malaysians instead of focusing on their race or religion.

For example, Gerakan Pengundi Sedar (GPS), an online movement linked to Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), criticised TV3 for assigning an Indian broadcast journalist to cover the funeral of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.

Muhammad Adib died from injuries sustained during a riot over a Hindu temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

GPS, subsequently, deleted its politically incorrect Facebook posting and apologised to the journalist.

GPS should have been concerned about whether a qualified Malaysian was assigned to cover the event instead of focusing on his race.

It should be about his qualification and not his “kulitfication” (qualification based on skin colour).

To apply Deng Xiaoping’s economic “Cat Theory” to our racial context, it doesn’t matter if a cat is Malay or Indian or Chinese or Lundayeh; as long as it catches mice, it’s a good cat (Malaysian).

Sometimes, this is easier said than done.

I – a Catholic Kadazandusun from Sabah – still count how many Kadazandusuns or Catholics or Sabahans are in the Cabinet. There are times when I’m Kadazandusun, Catholic or Sabahan first.

All I want for Christmas is a Cabinet reshuffle.

Just like Santa Claus, most of us have made a list, checked it twice and knew which ministers have been naughty or nice.

One naughty minister on my list is a Sabahan. See, although I’m a Sabahan, I am not biased.

There are MPs who are good, but unlike Santa Claus, the Prime Minister doesn’t reward them with a Christmas present in the form of a ministerial post.

There are bright and young MPs who have been overlooked.

There are also deputy ministers who are smarter than their ministers, who were appointed based on party quota and not merit.

All I want for Christmas is fewer about-turns by the government.

On Thursday, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak succinctly illustrated Pakatan Harapan’s reversals when he posted on social media a two-second video of a car making a spectacular U-turn at high speed.

“The Pakatan Harapan Ministers are very indecisive. I have a special video on standby for them. No need permission to share. Just use it. Many more opportunities for the video to be used again,” he wrote.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended his government’s 180-degree turns by saying: “Although most of us are angels, angels still make mistakes. So, when angels make mistakes, they turn around.”

One of the Pakatan government’s major turnarounds is the lifting of the suspension of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan instalment scheme.

All I want for Christmas is the abolition of PTPTN repayments and highway tolls.

Scratch that.

Santa Claus did promise them. But his promise is not a bible that has to be followed and abided by religiously.

I would also want to backtrack on wanting PTPTN to be abolished.

If you’ve borrowed money for your education, you have to pay it back as there are others who need it for their studies.

All I want for Christmas is for politicians to be more honest.

The lies politicians tell to justify why they abandon their party is incredulous.

For example, some claimed they quit Umno because it was unpalata- ble for the party leadership to have closer ties with PAS.

But how come it was palatable when Barisan Nasional was in power?

Johor Baru Umno chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Samad hit the nail on the head when he said: “Be truthful. Don’t lie to get out. Say it straight: ‘I don’t want to be an opposition MP’.”

Also, the leaders of the parties taking in these jumpers should be honest about the reason they are accepting them.

Just tell the public that all I want for Christmas is more MPs as politics is a numbers game.

All I want for Christmas is less politicking in the country and more governing.

But that’s like asking Santa Claus to bring snow to Malaysia

There’s too much politicking as there no political stability.

Sooner or later, the post of the prime minister will be vacant.

There’s an unseen dark force – someone like Star Wars’ Senator Palpatine, who unknown to the rakyat of a galaxy far, far away, is, in fact, the evil Darth Sidious – that is lurking in the shadows.

The Sith Lord has seduced a Jedi to the dark side of the Force with the promise that he’ll be PM.

All I want for Christmas is for the prices of eggs, chicken, petrol and overseas holiday trips to go down.

When I buy breakfast at a coffee shop in Subang Jaya for my wife, my 10-year-old daughter and myself, I’m amazed that it can cost about RM38.

If I remember correctly, not long ago it was about RM25.

The value of the ringgit has shrunk. Inflation is the Grinch that stole Christmas.

The Pakatan government has failed to reduce the cost of living.

Just like how Barisan was mocked as harga barang naik (prices of goods increase), people have started saying that PH stands for “price hike”.

If it is not careful, Pakatan will be like the Republican party that lost the US presidency to Bill Clinton, whose campaign slogan was “It’s the economy, stupid”.

That’s if the coalition doesn’t implode over matters like rustling Umno MPs.

On Thursday, Lim Kit Siang warned that DAP would leave the coalition of hope if it abandoned the objective of forming New Malaysia through major reforms.

If Pakatan does implode, that’s like a present underneath the Christmas tree for those who all they want for Christmas is a regime change.