Change the bus along with the driver
Clarence Devadass, TMI
HAVING dinner with a group of friends recently, someone asked, “What do you think of the new government?” Almost unhesitatingly one said, “New bus driver, still the old bus” and another added, “new government, old mindset”.
Almost everyone burst into laughter. Below that laughter, there remains some element of truth. In the midst of all that euphoria of May 9 and the hope that returned to many Malaysians, we are now seeing reality set in.
The sense of unhappiness and mistrust that seemed to have been thrown out the window especially in the aftermath of GE14, is slowly creeping back into the lives of ordinary Malaysians. The subtle cynicism is back!
To be told “we didn’t expect this when we took over” or “we didn’t think we would win when we drew up the manifesto” certainly does not easily infuse confidence even in the most optimistic person.
There is no doubt that not many people envisaged the magnitude of the problems that had besieged our country, but we knew that we were heading for some kind of disaster, whether it was being led by one person or a cohort, it didn’t really matter. One didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out… the writing was on the wall.
Transition periods are never easy in any organisation, what more from opposition to government. There is going to be a rocky period, for a while at least. However, steady hands are needed to lead this change, and maybe even just one captain steering the ship. On that unforgettable night of May 9, Malaysians chose and mandated, despite his chequered past, Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be our captain, the one to steer us out of the mess.
If there is to be a captain in the team, there can only be one, and all others must work with the captain to realise the dream. There can be disagreements, but they have to be ironed out in the dressing room, and not on the playing field.
Given this new political landscape, it would mean that anyone who may have political ambitions of climbing the ladder needs to put aside selfish motives and see the bigger picture for the common good of all Malaysians, even if it means to step aside and let others carry the team.
In this new political climate, not just politicians, but most Malaysians are still trying find some form of equilibrium, some form of stability. In order to rewire some of the minds who have been saying “cautious optimism” since the new government took over, there needs to be more signs that we will make it through this transition together as one nation, and not as political parties jostling for seats and positions.
The recent by-elections seem to indicate that we still have a lot to do in wanting a new Malaysia, because politicians were still making empty promises and voters demanding more freebies, just like the old Malaysia.
Undoing sixty years of a particular type of governance is not easy and patience is what many people are calling for, but patience can also wear off very quickly when the signs are not comforting and tongues start wagging. In the words of Joyce Meyer, patience is not simple the ability to wait – it is how we behave while we’re waiting… and if waiting is just about unearthing the faults of the past, the future does not give confidence.
I think it is time for the Pakatan Harapan government to stop reminding the rakyat repeatedly what the previous government did not do, but to tell us what this new government intends to do realistically. If this country is going to get through this rough time of transition, I for one, need to see some light at the end of the tunnel to believe that we are on the right road to recovery. But the way things are, it is like singing the song, one step forward and two steps back.
Though we are products of our past, we don’t have to be prisoners of it. If we want a better Malaysia, we not only need a new bus driver, but a new bus as well – a new Malaysia, a new mentality. – October 15, 2018.
* Dr Clarence is a Catholic priest and Director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart,
