Who’s To Blame?

In Malaysia, there is a marked difference between BN and the opposition. The former has all the advantages and its members are less quarrelsome. While DAP and PAS are more discreet, PKR is full of squabbles and intolerable transgressions committed by impatient and/or power-crazed members.

Written by P. Jayendran

Politics and religion are both ideologies in a strange realm. They can be mystical and affect the masses in peculiar ways.  Some people acquire a distorted perspective from where they life while others are awakened. Yet, the levels of comprehension and interpretations can be so varied.

In Malaysia, there is a marked difference between BN and the opposition. The former has all the advantages and its members are less quarrelsome. While DAP and PAS are more discreet, PKR is full of squabbles and intolerable transgressions committed by impatient and/or power-crazed members.

Frankly, I have more faith in PAS. At least I know they have a strong bond through religion. The only danger I expect is the possibility that some extremists may be over-zealous. But betrayal is less likely. Good Muslims are honorable, fair and can take criticism. When I first met good Muslims, I was taken aback by their magnanimity and understanding as to why others have yet to see the “light”.

The curse of ideologies however, is the wanton bloodshed they often cause. Some purveyors of democracy have failed uphold the citizens’ freedom of choice. People should be accorded the right to choose an alternative.  As a result of non-acceptance of their choice, millions have died and generations have been physically and psychologically affected .

The proponents of democracy are no better than anyone else when it comes to avarice and domination. But these days, they have found a new enemy. This happens to be another ideology called fanaticism. Fanaticism claims to have God on its side and that’s a potent propulsion. Strangely, we are also reminded by their adversaries that God is also on their side with the boldly printed tag “In God We Trust”. It’s expected that the enemy would be mutually demonized. See what happened to Castro? He outlasted more than 10 US Presidents.

Malaysians tend to harbor a false sense of security. Yes of course we have many exceptions but not 28 million of them. View the video in MT that shows the ignorance of some Americans. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. We live in a relatively safe country with a relatively safe government. We don’t have to worry about natural disasters. Despite the relatively comfortable life we have, it’s human nature to want more. So we grumble and throw tantrums. But what we always tell ourselves is to try to keep things peaceful.

There is no assurance that a replacement for BN is going to be any better. From the likes of what I see, I am pretty apprehensive. For one thing, the blemishes of certain probationary or transitional opposition governance are beginning to manifest as the make-up is wearing off.  There’s nepotism, cronyism and I expect corruption too. Whether it’s in the context of the mind, power abuse or simply pecuniary, corruption nevertheless is still decay.

Some of these fellows ought to understand that it takes time to bake the pie and to cool it down before cutting and dividing the pieces. Still there is no assurance that the pie-getter is not going to look at the others plate and complain of being shortchanged. Then there’s a danger of it becoming the dog and the bone situation. Already I am seeing a coterie of betrayers, backstabbers, tantrum-throwers and runaways in opposition politics. The most memorable to me was the diabolism of Madam Ironside of Perak.

I am on nobody’s side but just an amused spectator to the theatrics that plague the horizon. To me it’s like being thrown between the devil and the deep blue sea. There is no assurance that some major earthquake would not hit us nor is there any consolation that Sumatra’s volcanoes would not spew hot ash or send tidal waves here. The Andaman quake of 2004 which caused the tsunami shot past the apex of the Richter scale. That gave new meaning and gravity to the word “disaster”. We are living in dangerous times where even the weather is getting screwed.

I love my Malaysia. It’s a place where we grew up in peace and harmony with neighbors as diverse as our ecology. We shared and helped one another. In any government, you have the brilliant minds as the mundane and downright distorted. It’s a congregation of functional misfits who somehow keep the system going. Sometimes the machinery breaks down and other people have to pick up the pieces. But as usual, the leader of the pack is expected to be the alpha. Sometimes that doesn’t happen either. Often I console myself with the thought that indeed there’s a God and he is keeping things together.

Well didn’t I mention that ideologies exist in a strange realm?

P. Jayendran