Endless deja vu
If you’ve got a Bard feeling about the state of the nation, you are not alone – we are seeing too many shades of the gutter politics of old.
“SOMETHING is rotten in the state of Denmark”. That phrase kept popping into my mind when I sat down to write this column.
As most of you may know, this is a line from the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It was uttered by one of the palace guards after he saw the ghost of the dead Danish king suddenly appearing and walking over the palace walls.
It’s now generally used to describe corruption or a situation in which something does not appear right. Does anyone out there happen to share this feeling of mine which has arisen out of several recent events and decisions by the Pakatan Harapan government?
Or am I the odd one out hit by a sense of being trapped in an endless deja vu with the many recent statements by leaders from the Federal Government and Pakatan -ruled states? There have been far too many coincidences lately, something reminiscent of the past government.
Maybe it is time to remind Pakatan leaders and its hardcore supporters that the euphoria of the May 9 election victory is slowly but surely giving way. You just cannot continue riding on the perceived state of the people’s mind to push through bad decisions and actions that remind the voters of the very practices of the previous regime that this coalition had condemned.
Supporting Bersih’s call for free and fair elections, Pakatan had said in its manifesto that its secondary aim, but equally important in the long run, was to make democracy work by inspiring people to participate in policy-driven conversations and debate – shifting focus away from gutter politics.
But Pakatan Senator Bob Manolan’s warning to Orang Asli chieftains showed us a glimpse of that gutter politics. On the eve of nomination for the Cameron Highlands by-election he warned them that they would be removed from their position if they supported Umno. He later clarified that what he meant was chiefs should not be involved with Umno while receiving an allowance from the federal government because this was a conflict of interest.
Seriously Bob? Where does the money to pay these chiefs come from? From the Pakatan coffers? Didn’t Pakatan leaders lash out against Barisan Nasional leaders and top government servants when they warned their staff not to support the opposition in the last elections as they claimed it would be tantamount to biting the hands that feed them?
And then came a shocking action by certain Ministers which reminded many of us of the time during by-elections when Barisan was in power.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Human Resource Minister M. Kulasegaran; Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar and Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook suddenly found themselves with official functions up there.
They coolly claimed innocence by saying it was a mere coincidence. I am sure it was not the cool highland weather that made them say this.
They reasoned that the trips were planned before the by-election was announced, the same reasons given by Barisan ministers and deputies. And the Pakatan leaders who were in the opposition then had roundly condemned this practice calling it a sheer abuse of power and government funds. What a coincidence!
Then came Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali’s family holiday where they “coincidentally” met with the whole family of Umno’s Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who just happened to be on vacation in Morocco.
On another matter, Azmin said that Pakatan may tweak its promise in the manifesto that only non-politicians will be appointed to the boards of government-linked companies (GLCs). In what appears to be a contradiction, he agreed that there would be no political rewards in the GLCs, but not in the context that politicians cannot hold any post.
“This is because there are politicians who are professionals – accountants, engineers and architects – who can contribute towards the development of GLCs, but we are giving priority to the professionals,” he said.
It’s a no-brainer that political appointees will obviously be answerable to their political masters. It is obvious here that Pakatan does not seem to be learning any lessons from Barisan’s past practices that led to many voters being disillusioned.
In yet another possible proof that Pakatan’s coalition partner Bersatu party is being transformed into a new re-branded corrupt version of Umno, Tun Mahathir’s lieutenant – vice president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman – openly said that it would be “stupid” to deny its party leaders access to lucrative government projects. This former Election Commission chairman takes the cake for this preposterous proposal at the party’s general assembly last month. I am not sure if he realised that he was asking the government to practise corruption and cronyism, a disease which decimated Barisan after 60 years.
I am not sure if he was a recipient of such contracts during his Umno days but what shocked me most was the thunderous applause he received from the thousands of delegates. They were actually cheering the disgusting practice of cronyism and power abuse which was practised by the Barisan. It appears that you can’t take the Umno out of these members although they are out of Umno.
Yes, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did clarify that it was Abdul Rashid’s personal opinion and that they would not resort to such a practice. However, we should really worry about the emphatic “aye” from the grassroots. It kind of reflects on why they are in the party.
The frequent use of the Sedition Act against social media commentators and on an Umno leader recently is yet another Barisan practice that seems to be rearing its ugly head. Claims that these actions were threatening public order and so they needed the use of the draconian law is to me, a plain hogwash. While we should not condone profanities, personal insults and unverified accusations against the Royal institution or just about anybody, Malaysians should be given space to have a decent debate on a matter of such importance.
Going by Dr Mahathir’s admission that the clause on insults to the royalty was too vague with even the enforcers not exactly knowing what words constitute such a crime, it should put all the recent actions on hold. At least until the changes come into force. The Prime Minister did emphasise that we are in a new environment of freedom of expression and as such, the law has to be specific and made very clear.
Interestingly, several people including a few current leaders who were charged with sedition by the previous regime have had their charges withdrawn. Perhaps it is time to remind Pakatan that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. As long as bad laws exist, history had shown that they will be used by most to remain in power.
Pakatan had promised to bring an era of a clean government which emphasised on bringing back the Rule of Law and not abuse its powers. If indeed the coalition had meant it, all the ministers should have postponed their official events until after the by-election. They missed a great opportunity here to show that Pakatan was whiter than white and will not tolerate any abuse of power.
Here, two Pakatan leaders stand out in their convictions as they consistently warn their leadership against repeating actions by Barisan when in power. They are DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli. I hope the leadership takes their views seriously.
I am beginning to wonder if power blinds people to an extent that some leaders cannot see for themselves that they are repeating the errant and undemocratic ways of Barisan. If they continue to blithely ignore the sentiments of the voters here, we may be headed for another change come GE15.