When I woke up today and found out, I was … excited. Did not know why I should be, but I was. Just so. Perhaps it was the sense that change is abound. That something different will happen this time. The outcome of the election would be such that Malaysia would be rid of a corrupt and disgustingly inefficient and self-serving political hegemony.
I was pondering in my shower, that I should do something. Not knowing what to do, I thought perhaps I would start by blogging. The usual economics unspining. I thought that it will be good to somehow vent out my dissatisfactions of being treated like a complete idiot by the leaders of our country. That our GDP per capita has increased by 5000% since 2002 if calculated in Zimbabwean currency or that Malaysia is the world leader in competitiveness for a country that is near the equator with a population of exactly 27.5021 million. So we should all be driving our beamers to buy our nasi lemak for breakfast. Or something of such.
Or perhaps something more formal, using reasons and rationales to argue why Malaysia needs political competition specifically and change in general. Why the situation now is not a matter of lesser of two evils, but of lessening the power of a blatant corrupt political monster, on why competition provides balance of power and overall improvement of things, on why no votes are truly marginal. But I have done so before. And it was satisfying; intellectual masturbation they say. But like how Def Leppard would sing, it leaves you high and dry.
Moooo: Malaysian Politics
Then it occurred to me: what for? It is not that most people are too stupid to believe the lies. Or that Malaysians support the current government because it is doing great. Oh no. Malaysians are too smart for that.
But I have come to believe that Malaysians love statue quos; whatever they might be. Even if the status quo means a slow but sure decline of the entire nation. Aversion to change perhaps. Change is too risky. Why bother with a crisis that takes like decades to surface (although by then it would be irreversible) when you could ensure your stable life and income for the next two years or so. The future is not for me to worry about. Or is that apathy? Apathetic and risk-averse. Passive cynics, chronic defeatists, or just god damn bloody do not care. I don’t know anymore.
Funny thing is, for me, it is like, you are in this sinking ship, but all you care is to not ruin the fancy dinner you are having. If you worry, it is because the rising water is wetting your nice dinner dress.
And how apt, I am thinking of Titanic.
As the day came to an end, my excitement dissipated. This election will be the same as the previous ones. Malaysians will choose a choice that is akin to not choosing. The ship will continue to sink. I could hope that this time will be different and it is almost certain to be a false hope.
Maybe Obama is right; there is no such thing as a false hope.
But I am a Clinton fan.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Mental note: No more Artois before sleep. A diatribe like this is so unbecoming...
8 comments:
brighten up wei! :)
we ain't dead yet. in fact, whether we sink or swim is ENTIRELY up to people like you :)
I guess she are mentioning about the majority of Malaysian mind. I am sure there are minorities people trying to rescue the sinking boat. Keep up the good work.
...dun know much abt politics
dun know much abt what it takes
but I do know that if we don't vote intelligently,
...the Malay and non-Malay opposition parties will not be getting enough strength to establish in parliament a more meaningful level of opposition...
Since nobody can do much about 52 thousand tons of metal losing seaworthiness, the answer is to have more pelampung.
I don't know about H Clinton though. There will be 20 years presidency by either Bush or Clinton by the time the next President is sworn in. Isn't it time to have somebody else? I thought royal monarchies are a thing of the past.
I can relate to the frustration of having the same outcome again in 3 weeks' time. But people like you, young and bright, have the abilities to do something. In your case, you could use your superior economics knowledge to counter any misinformation and lies on our economy and its management.
Many Malaysians do know about the misinformation and lies on our economy and its management. But majority especially the older generations tend not to vote for a change. They just scare to take any risk and rather enjoy the relax and peaceful live in rurals.
The 'opposition' is too 'diverse'. Can there even be a credible opposition styled like BN (ala the combination of UMNO, MCA etc)? Even if BN looses its current majority, what specious interparty deals can we imagine that will allow BN to claw its way back? Consider as well how easy it is for someone who wants to excel in politics to make more headway joining the winning team. (looking at Oxford's various Malaysian PPE grads for instance)
Perhaps it would be better if the ship sank. Then those who got out early on the lifeboats might be able to come back with the rescue team, saving the less dinner-engrossed yet morbidly apathetic. And the salvage ships as well...
Oh let us wait and see, hope the election weigh on us, that never will such disaster wait upon us, or better we lose our weight, unless the ship shall sink in our wake.
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