Of Change, Early Promises, Hills and Elder Statesmen
There is no doubt that Tun Dr. Mahathir seeks to influence governmental policy one way or another. Accountability breeds responsibility as surely as night follows day and in the absence of some form of accountability, the elder statesman cannot be allowed a say in government.
By DAVID D. MATHEW, MySinchew
The thing about change is that it often brings about a rather circuitous state of affairs. Nehru was spot on when he observed that "The wheel of change moves on, and those who were down go up and those who were up go down."
Moving with the wheels of change are people, policies and principles. In Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak people will see a more decisive leadership capable of acting quickly and without procrastination. Race relations and economic stability will be at the head of the policy spear closely followed by education and delivery. There may however be a less welcoming approach towards the freedoms be it of speech, association or press if these elements in any way impede the new prime minister's blueprint.
The wheel of change also brings with its recent turn, the return of Tun Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohamed. Clearly not always is change of the caterpillar into butterfly type and in the same breath it is obvious that Najib needs Tun Dr. Mahathir as much as caterpillars need birds.
The canny politician that he is, Tun Dr. Mahathir was quick to reject speculation that he would return in some official capacity. Unofficial adviser he says. Rather conveniently, this unofficial status allows him the benefit of being unshackled by any form of collective responsibility. Accountable to no one, that which pleases him will receive praise and that which does not please him will receive scorn. It is a selfish place to be in.
There is no doubt that Tun Dr. Mahathir seeks to influence governmental policy one way or another. Accountability breeds responsibility as surely as night follows day and in the absence of some form of accountability, the elder statesman cannot be allowed a say in government. This would fly in the face of representative democracy and naturally gives rise to irresponsibility.
Najib would do well to avoid making his path one that needs to please Tun Dr. Mahathir. He would also need to go beyond making hollow decisions and statements although the early indications are that this has not yet happened. Right out of Chapter One of Mahathir's reign, Najib releases a number of ISA detainees without any concrete assurance that the draconian act would be forever banished from the statute books.
Subsequently in a speech to the Malaysian Press Institute, Najib remarked that the nation's media should be allowed to report responsibly what they see without fear or consequence. Again, this statement is as reassuring and useful as a bucket without a bottom given the guillotine in the form of the draconian Printing Presses and Publications Act hanging over every printing license or publishing permit in the country.
Unsurprisingly, the public was not buying Najib's last ditch efforts. Batang Ai aside, West Malaysians in the two Bukits returned Pakatan Rakyat candidates with larger majorities. The new Prime Minister's work is therefore cut out for him. The voting public expects more. One off gestures are treated like Greeks bearing gifts and only continuous "performance now" will do.
This brings one nicely to the question of whether the three by-election results can properly serve as a referendum on Najib. The answer has to be a no. In so far as Bukit Gantang goes, it was a referendum on the Perak political impasse and as for Bukit Selambau, it was in the main a referendum on the BN's failed policies and Samy Vellu's MIC.
Fairness requires that time be given to Najib to go beyond one off gestures and put in place his 1Malaysia policies which in turn pre-requires him to effect change in the UMNO mindset. Some might say it would be easier to push a stubborn elephant up the stairs.
When Khairy Jamaluddin mentioned the need for UMNO Youth to reach out to the component parties during his victory speech, you could have heard a pin drop in the hall. Change this mindset of protective exclusionism and the elephant in the 1Malaysia room will shrink ever so much.
Most Malaysians would wish Najib all the very best over the next few years especially with regard to the task of handling the economy and riding out the global economic crisis. This is the one of the central tasks on the shoulders of the new cabinet aside from having to grapple with race relations.
To all intents and purposes, the new cabinet has little choice but to adopt the mindset of a war cabinet that has to urgently coordinate the twin pronged battle of riding out the economic crisis and ensuring the survival of the entity known as the BN. Time is not on their side.
Lest we forget, justice must be served on an urgent basis in the Kugan Ananthan case. If it takes so long to get to the bottom of this case which happened in police custody, one shudders to think how long it would take to solve a similar case that happened in any other place. With respect to differing views, the boy did not die peacefully however one contrives to categorise the cause of death variously as something underlying, acute and pulmonary assisted by a sprinkling of blunt force trauma, toxins and infections.
Mr. AG, please step up. Justice delayed is justice denied.
