A ‘Malay Dilemma’ in the offing?

(The Rakyat Post) – The weekend at Independence Square (now known as Dataran Merdeka, and once known as Selangor Club padang or simply The Padang) went without incident.

Of course, that depends on who one speaks to. We have the pro, the anti, the opposing, the right and left wings, there was also the police air wing… the list is endless.

The observant “fence sitters” who speak without fear or favour should also be lauded for their presence.

One incident of interest was when volunteers armed with black rubbish bags went about collecting anything and everything which seemed like discards.

If there was ever one point which came across from Bersih@KL was that they achieved what DBKL (City Hall) has been accused to failing to do — keeping city streets and its drains clean and unclogged.

It would seem the volunteers would have thumbed their noses at DBKL for their environment cleanliness efforts, or else how would one explain the rise in dengue cases?

Coincidentally, tomorrow begins waste disposal according to DBKL standards, and let’s see if KL-ites can keep things bersih.

There was that incident where more than 20 suffered stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting attributed to something they drank.

Whether it was coincidental or otherwise remains to be seen, but one can safely conclude that what was consumed was contaminated.

Of course, some of the things said, too, could also be construed as vile and contaminated. But alas is anybody complaining?

So when former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad turned up for the street party on Saturday, for many it was a sight to behold. But alas, what was the agenda?

Can one be blamed for being taken down memory lane to that Al Pacino movie City Hall?

The movie produced the year before the inception of Reformasi, revolved around corruption, power play and the marriage of convenience between those who walk the corridors of power and those outside.

Such was the politics of patronage then, and remains to be in place to this day, whether in movies or real life.

And if quotes from the gathering attributed to the fine doctor and former elder statesman are true, this “anti Najib” clarion call on Sunday would come as a shocker of sorts to those not in the know!

But alas, such is politics!

How can one be blamed again if one was to reminisce that Tunku Abdul Rahman’s interview, published in The New York Times almost three decades ago, when similar things are said today.

Now, that was the blue-blood former Prime Minister who loved golfing and had a penchant for fast racehorses.

Who could forget the speed, strength and beauty of the connected-to-Tunku Melbourne Cup winner Think Big.

There were other numerous Tunku-connected thoroughbred winners which raced in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

His foray into the winners’ circle at the turf clubs often thrilled readers as Tunku knew how to narrate them with such wit and candour.

Of course, it helped that the Tunku, in his hey day, was also a regular contributor to his Looking Back and As I See It newspaper columns.

But all this, it would seem, came to end as Tunku had narrated, when press freedom was curtailed.

So today, when we look back at that NYT article, it would seem history is repeating itself.

Then, Tunku had expressed his disgust with the man holding office and now we have Dr Mahathir doing likewise with his anointed one.

Of course, in the same NYT article, we have then Education Minister Datuk Anwar Ibrahim, who had reportedly described Tunku as being a voice from the past, who may not even be conscious of what he was saying.

Anwar later went on to become Dr Mahathir’s deputy, and we all know what happened to him following that.

Ironic though it may seem but when looking back, besides Anwar, there was also Tun Musa Hitam, Ghafar Baba and Tun Abdullah Badawi, who assumed the Deputy PMs chair.

One can only wonder if Anwar would now echo such sentiments as he did with Malaysia’s Father of Independence.

Looking back further, how many recollect that open letter penned in 1969 by the doctor-turned-statesman to Tunku.

Like Tunku, we all have to think big to get into the winners’ circle and not get carried away with such vile name-calling politics.

In politics, there is no permanent friends, nor enemies … only permanent interests!

Guess one would only have had to ask the Tunku … he knew it well, and may have paid that price for it.

Then again, how many talk about Tunku as many believe history books have been edited to suit others’ interests.

Now, who were the Education Ministers then?