SELAMAT PAGI, MALAYSIA BARU!
Hopes are high that the new administration led by Dr Mahathir can earn the country its respectful place on the world stage
ALHAMDULILLAH. Allah be praised. Apologies for the cliché, but a new dawn is really upon us! And this new dawn changes the national landscape forever. Things will never be the same again and the faster you get used to this, the better.
It is now 11 days after the general election. Things have been hectic, far more hectic than recent elections. The stakes were extremely high, higher than ever before. But we emerged unscathed, apart from a few isolated skirmishes and shattered egos.
Everyone is on a new drawing board. Many old ways will have to be discarded. We are on a massive learning curve as we guide this beloved nation to a path back to dignity and respect. There is no time to waste and we need to douse little fires and build a new foundation based on mutual respect and brotherhood.
I told this to several grassroots politicians on both sides of the divide soon after the election. They were Umno branch committee members and Pakatan Harapan supporters, who formed makeshift machinery to help their candidates in the May 9 polls.
Well after the election, some of them are still in a combative mood. The Umno fellas were still in denial and trying to cope with the history-making defeat. The Harapan guys were in jubilant mood, insisting that this was going to be their time to run the country and teach the previous administration a lesson.
I stepped in to give my views, which stopped the argument and made them think. I told them that when PH formed the new Federal Government, it would be business unusual all the way.
Don’t expect, to quote today’s phrase, same old same old. And this will be the way forward for the nation henceforth.
But first, there is the question of consolidation and reconciliation at the national level.
PH has shown reconciliation from the very top. This public demonstration of reconciliation between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim holds the key in managing the nation.
It is not lost on many people that Dr Mahathir was on hand to greet Anwar before the latter met the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to receive his unconditional pardon letter.
Flashback to 1982. Dr Mahathir accepted Anwar, then a popular youth leader, when the latter decided to join Umno. Anwar was wooed by Pas, but he opted for Umno instead.
The fact that Dr Mahathir had received Anwar in the Prime Minister’s Office instead of Umno’s headquarters was probably not a coincidence either.
Both leaders have been out of government for many years. But public statements by both reflected a desire to chart a new path for the nation using new templates and throwing away old methods.
If Dr Mahathir and Anwar can cast aside their differences and step up their partnership to build a new Malaysia, there is hope that the country can stand up once again to earn its respectful place on the world stage. And this has been demonstrated in the last few days.
This is a clear manifestation that things are changing. Settle old feuds, look for new touchpoints, serve the people because they are the masters, and they have rediscovered their true strength. The interest of the nation and its people are far more important than anything else. Dr Mahathir and Anwar have clearly shown that.
It has been a bruising run-up to the general election, with all sorts of name-calling and personal attacks never seen before.
A significant portion of this was seen on social media. PH used people-driven social media to great advantage compared with traditional media.
Today, 11 days after the gamechanging polls, the dust has yet to settle. Both Barisan Nasional and PH are on a big learning curve. The former is learning how to be an opposition party and the latter is learning how to govern at the national level.
Both cannot rely on old ways of doing things. We need a credible opposition, with members of parliament which are knowledgeable and articulate. We need a government who can dispense justice and execute people-oriented programmes.
Simply put, we need a government that works.
The PH government is very much a work in progress. Led by a man in a hurry, this work in progress thing cannot be forever. The people’s expectation is high, given the promises made and onground issues that need urgent attention.
PH MPs and state assemblymen have a tough task ahead.
They have taken the high moral ground and they must now walk the talk.
We, the people, have given you our trust for the next five years. Don’t betray us, please.
We are on a massive learning curve as we guide this beloved nation to a path back to dignity and respect. There is no time to waste and we need to douse little fires and build a new foundation based on mutual respect and brotherhood.