MAY 7 — It’s been a year... and what a year, it has been!
On that fateful day of May 9, 2019, right-thinking Malaysians voted to save our motherland. It was an obvious choice. If Pakatan Harapan had not won GE 14, all would have been lost; it was just a matter of time.
A year has since passed — has Pakatan Harapan delivered?
We are alive today, no?
Yes, to a certain extent, Malaysia has been resuscitated back to life and for that, we must thank the Pakatan Harapan government of the day.
Thank you, dear Dr Mahathir and crew, we are very grateful.
Are we at our healthiest? Of course, not... how can we possibly be?
It’s just been a year...
Malaysia was hurt rather badly; she was at death’s door. The previous rogue government had many, many years to run the country to the ground.
Pakatan Harapan has been at the helm for merely a year, come on, let’s cut them some slack.
I’m not saying that everything is dandy in Malaysia today and Pakatan Harapan is perfect, far from it. There have been enough bad decisions but there have been some courageous ones, too, thank you.
Yes, some things could have been handled better.
Yes, the Pakatan Harapan government shouldn’t have pandered to certain voices, defend the indefensible and retain the untenable.
Yup, you people in Pakatan better shape up or be shipped out, come GE15.
However, I shudder at that thought... better not let that happen!
And, yes, some Ministers need to be sent back to finishing schools.
Yes, Ministers, you are supposed to be better-informed; to have enough context to be able to interpret it appropriately and to use it sensibly.
Yes, Ministers, be responsible, be accountable.
Most of all, be courageous — translate the “cause-and-effect” of any mechanism to the rakyat, coherently and honestly. Hiding the truth is just postponing the inevitable.
Embolden the rakyat by your own example — face the truth and live by the truth.
Yes, people do identify with political leaders. Perhaps, fools and idiots with those who create the loudest din.
But then, how long can they, even fools and idiots, identify with the “Thief of the Century”?
Be bold, dear Ministers, make bold decisions which will hold Malaysia in good stead, in the long run — a Malaysia for our children and our children’s children.
Easier said than done for those used to be given 2 fishes daily, so teach them, dear Ministers, to fish for themselves.
Many of you have done well, dear Ministers, thank you. However, there’s much room for improvement and so much more need to be done.
Buck up before you lose control of the democratic processes that should and could take place.
Be enlightened in order to be skillful enough to come up with good policies. Perhaps, in the near future, Malaysia will have a political culture, mature enough to allow you to do your job, better.
Not all’s lost, not at all, some Ministers are doing a great job, thank you.
For one, I must agree with Works Minister, Baru Bian, when he said that Malaysians must not leave the job of fighting the politics of race and religion to politicians and must speak up when such issues arise.
Though democracy, for the most of us, seem an incredibly positive notion, we can surely do without the politics.
However, each and every one of us has a role to play here. We can start by not making racist remarks and decisions and most of all, to check our very own unconscious bias.
Talk is cheap, every one’s talking; perhaps, the loudest din created by those who know least.
Let’s create engagement instead, for better communication and to come up with solutions.
Let’s stop throwing stones at glass houses and for those who would pull wool over the eyes of the rakyat, please don’t waste every one’s time, let’s be more productive.
Let’s get REAL and make an honest examination of our realities... Malaysia is complicated, very complicated and many things are often, not, that clear cut.
However, that’s the beauty, that’s the challenge. How much richer we can be if we can get our act together!
Yes, let’s work hard, very hard, to get our act together; to look for ways to make sense of what is the very complicated reality that Malaysia is.
For that, we must have the courage to change.
And, does Pakatan Harapan have that courage to change?
We can embolden our leaders if we ourselves have the courage to change.
It’s not just them who are “same old, same old” but we too, are too lazy and cowardly to change.
Change entails some sacrifice, come on, most of us have “enough” to give up something.
Could be material, could be habits, could be what we think are our birth right.
Let’s give up something for the larger good, for Malaysia; a Malaysia we can all be proud of.
True, there are fools out there; idiots abound.
True, there are greedy people out there; we had many thieves in the previous rogue government.
Are they, the majority?
When them gajah beradu dengan gajah, do we pelanduks have to die, in between?
Of course not, we pelanduks shall set the rules of the game, ok?
For, we are the majority.
We are the Malaysians who love Malaysia.
We are the Malaysians who came out, to save Malaysia, just one year back.
If we had the courage then, whither the courage now?
My dear fellow Malaysians, show your mettle... have courage to change.
Thank you and God bless.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
