Let’s move on beyond the politics

THERE is the familiar where-have-we-seenthis-before feeling. It’s like waking up to a bad headache. You wonder when was the last time you had it, but you nevertheless shake it off with a cup of coffee, and soon head out to start your day. Unfortunately, you know similar mornings will come now and again, too.

Nobody craves headaches, except those professing cures. It’s déjà vu. All over again.

Malaysian politics is characterised, among others, by the stories of people having the numbers, from party politics to the control of state governments, all the way to the federal seat in Putrajaya. These are grist for the conspiracy theorists’ mill.

It was in February, after the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government, that we saw the last iteration of the numbers game.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed to have the numbers for a new government, and then Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was rumoured to have them, too. There were lists circulating over social media. It was Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who later convinced the Yang diPertuan Agong that he had them. Soon in a number of states, leadership changed with numbers thinning on one side, and growing on the other.

Last week, with a dramatic prelude all over social media, it was made known that Anwar again had the numbers, and Muhyiddin’s government would fall. A meeting with the king would see the end to Perikatan Nasional’s legitimacy.

It is a major development in domestic politics, the Anwar claim, if indeed it were to be true. We could see a third government in just over two years. However, for now, we will have to wait as details at the moment are sketchy.

However, surprisingly, there seems to be a collective shrug to the whole thing. Except for the faithful, people are more curious than excited. After all, we were already consumed by the Sabah state election, an alarming rise in Covid19 cases, and concrete blocks falling from elevated highways.

Our hands are now full with the impact of Covid-19 on our lives, our families, our health, our economy, and at times, our sanity. Will we have a job, will our business survive, can our kids go to school, will the economy survive the global recession, will there be a vaccine, should I fist bump, should I tell off the guy behind me who is not safely distancing? These are issues keeping us awake at night and we can’t really take another political crisis, manufactured or otherwise.

Of course, we care who leads the country, how the country is governed, where it is going, and all those ideals that we have. However, I am not too sure we have the wherewithal to go through this constant politicking in the time of the corona.

Another day, another political situation. Oh! It’s Wednesday, we must be due for a political crisis.

We are tired. We know what’s going on. We are not naïve to the ways of the world or the workings of politics, or governing. But we are really tired. Many of us have issues with our governments, their policies, and leaders. We understand no one is perfect, and neither are governments, and leaders. However, we are more preoccupied with the uncertainties of the future that the pandemic brings.

This is not to say that Anwar did not have the numbers, or he will not become PM. After all the Sabah snap election was called as the opposition was said to have enough numbers to demand control of the state government.

Incidentally, as an aside, Anwar seems to suggest that he has support from enough members of parliament, some of whom were from the other side of the aisle, to give him a considerable majority.

I am not sure if the irony is lost among some, but switching alliance, even from the “dark side”, is still jumping ship. Apparently, almost Orwellian-like, some frogs are better than others — they are political frogs, of course, but they are ours.

The answer to all these uncertainties is, of course, a general election. Many are calling for it, and I have always been a big proponent of one. It gives a resolution to the current political musical chairs.

Then there is Covid-19 that will likely get a renewed impetus as all manner of precautionary measures, such as safe distancing, mask-wearing, and crowd control, will be thrown out of the window during campaigning.

Is it worth it?

I personally know not of how else this can be done, unless politicians curb their enthusiasm for power and position. It is likely, the general populace may have less enthusiasm for politicking than politicians.

However, without a new election, I see a near future of endless numbers games, even if Anwar does manage to get his way and form a new government.

A government of coalition is made up of many moving parts and aspirations that have to be held together by promises and rewards, which if life has any lesson for us, suggests that they are all easily broken.

Unless politicians see it within themselves to match the enthusiasm of the tired electorate, and to give things a rest, a fresh election is the only way to go. However, we could be feeding Covid19 .

believeI politicians should go beyond the echo chamber that they each live in and perhaps venture to listen to the rest of the country, many of whom, I must admit I am concluding generously, would want to move on beyond the politics, at least for now.