My absence from blogging has been due to the fact that I needed a break from the renovation drama around me and I wanted to spend some time with my family.
The family time was great- we all enjoyed our time together. Uneventful and happy.
Over a family meal in KL, I spoke to a relative who is currently the long standing MP of a certain seat. I've always been close to this relative (I use that term in the broadest sense- take it anyway you want it.) For the nth time, I asked him when Malaysia was going to come out of the dark ages and change certain things in the constitution such as "Malay rights" and ISA. When will Malaysia become a secular state? You know what his answer was this time?
"Why should we change? Just because countries like America want us to?"
No, I said- because your own rakyat wants change. Your voters change.
"How do you know that? *irritated* Nobody has told me that they want change. People still vote me in."
Noting that he had suffered a cut in majority votes in the last election, frankly I was shocked that he still had the arrogance/defensiveness to say this instead of learning from the experience of losing votes. So I said, "Well, that's only in your constituency and only the x% of voters who bother to vote. How do you know what the remainder thinks?"
"That's their own fault if they don't want to come out and vote then."
I said, that's why there are so many protests going on that create political awareness amongst Malaysians.
"If the opposition want to go ahead and "buat bising" for no reason then let them lah."
OMG. I was exasperated because what was coming out of his mouth at this point, I considered ignorant. So I said, "If the government continues to view these protests by the opposition as nothing more than noisy irritants and not listen to them, then you'll never be able to win votes over from them."
I am still recounting his words. I grew up respecting this man- he received a liberal education in the west as he grew up. He was a success in his own field before his long standing political career. He was a respected man amongst many. Too many years as a politician. God help those Malaysians living in Malaysia now. Too many think like him.
Malaysian politicians have forgotten that their boss is NOT the PM, their boss is not their own political party's power hierarchy... their ultimate boss is the PEOPLE. ALL PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY VOTE YOU IN OR NOT, YOU STILL SERVE THEM.
2 comments:
God save Malaysia. But i do understand how he feels. He got a point. He was voted in. It is about vested interests
Some fair-haired politicians will just do whatever they want regardless of vested interests. Sad to say, these guys have predominantly longhouse consituencies who will vote them in regardless... How will you save these people, BB?
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