COMMENT Every year the Chinese geomancers make some predictions for the Chinese New Year and this year is no different, and one thought they shared that might catch people’s attention is the theme of change.

The Year of the Goat promises to be a ‘year of change’, while they may not agree on what sort of change. The change in opposition leader may be one change they will claim is part of their prophecy. To sceptics it is pure coincidence, to others simple logic. No need to guess.  

Anyone can predict changes and get nine out of 10 wrong. And in the old days if a prophet made predictions and got it wrong he would be stoned to death for being a false prophet. That is why God frowned on astrology and diviners and damned them as dabblers in the dark arts among those in the Abrahamic faiths.   

Others, more down to earth, have been talking about change of government and the government itself has been talking about change in its transformation plans and reforms to fend off criticisms and challenges from growing opposition and dissent.

The more they threaten, the more groups and individuals seem to pop up like mushrooms. I guess some people never learn that repression is like pushing down a spring that will bounce back with greater force. It is a fact of physics and governance.

I wonder why anyone should be afraid of criticism or opposition if they know what they are doing and what they do is above board and they have nothing to hide. People who have something to hide are always afraid of transparency. They use the concepts of democracy but practice dictatorship.

The masses cannot be repressed for long because like a beast cornered they will throw caution to the winds and bite back and devour their oppressors. This is the history of all social upheavals for change, and the harder the repression the more violent the backlash.

Still, many developed countries see changes in government without any fuss because these are true democracies unlike so many floundering countries in South East Asia where political repressiveness is a way of life, rather sadly.

And citizens who allow this to happen ought to hang their heads in shame for their apathy, cowardice or even abetment.  

Only two weeks ago we saw Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) deal with a possible leadership stoush in an almost clinical manner at the cabinet meeting where it turned out that 40 percent of his backbenchers wanted him replaced.

It was all very orderly, very dignified and Australia wasn’t forced to watch the leader burn the dissidents as what we have seen in Malaysia since Anwar Ibrahim dared covet his boss’s job. The years of political vendetta and conspiracy continues even after Anwar’s jailing and is symptomatic of the sickness.

But there is no such such political sickness in Australia and even the dissidents have agreed to let  Tony Abbott prove he is capable of change. The media had a field day commentating and no government minister or police officer would even dream of warning them or the public for their comments, however caustic and damaging of the government.

‘Change is the only constant’

In Malaysia the promise to abandon the Sedition Act turned out a broken promise like so many changes that were promised. The most damning is the ‘clean, efficient and trustworthy’, administration Dr Mahathir Mohamad promised when he was the political ruler but can only condemn as ‘rotten’ during Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s (Pak Lah) reign and now ‘something rotten’ under another of his anointed successors.

Perhaps no one reminded the Chinese geomancers that one of their famous sages said that ‘change is the only constant’. And even a high school dropout will tell you that everything changes and every year sees changes. Change is indeed the only certainty and we either have change happen to us or make change happen.

There is hope that many older Malaysians will see change in their lifetimes as younger Malaysians crawl out of their holes and stand up to be counted in doing something concrete to save their country and their future before unaccounted for use of their monies and corruption ruin the country.  

Unlike during Christmas, the Chinese don’t have a all I want for Christmas Chinese New Year wishlist. But I do have a wishlist for the Chinese in Malaysia.

I hope more of them will have a higher sense of purpose than simply making money. I know that money talks. And I know that money is king. And even in places where the Chinese are discriminated against and given short shrift, those with money are treated differently.

Money is their passport to everything - almost.

Jesus knew what he was talking about when he taught that no man can serve two masters. Serving God means putting mammon behind God and keeping it waiting. Or we end up loving one against the other. The love of money is the root of all evil sums it up.

Money is important but not all-important. Money is to be used for one’s enjoyment and the benefit of others. All religions encourage sharing with the poor. Money is to be saved for a rainy day not hoarded without purpose. People say you cannot take money with you after you die. But tell that to the Chinese.  

If they can’t take their money with them they can still burn hell money notes. Anyone would be discouraged, thinking they would go to Hell after they die. But some would tell you that is to bankroll their way through corrupt officials along their way to where I have no idea. It depends which version of the story you believe. I laugh at them all.

I have not seen a ‘kong teik’ ceremony where the Chinese burn effigies and replicas of everything on earth so the deceased can enjoy them in the Afterlife. In my grandmother's case so many years ago now, I remember she had a paper mansion, and even a Sikh watchman and cars even though my grandma couldn’t drive. Yes, I remember, there was also a driver.  

And as kids I used to dread being recruited to fold the ‘hell notes’ into some semblance of ancient Chinese currency so that they could be burned later. It didn’t matter to the flawed logic of the Chinese who were Buddhists that their deceased relatives may not need any ‘hell notes’ because does not Buddhism teach that the dead would be reincarnated?

But the love of money is not an exclusive Chinese trait. It only looks that way. The Chinese are not foolish to overlook that money is not everything and they like to remind one another with words like, “You can't take it all away with you.” But usually, it is the ones with no money who often say that.

Turn away from the road the country is being taken

In my Chinese New Year wishlist I would like to see all of Malaysia, not just the Chinese, come to their senses and turn away from the road the country is being taken.

The road to perdition is proverbially wide and far more travelled than the narrow road to salvation and the country does need saving and veer away from its present route. It is a highway to hell, so to speak.

In my wishlist is the desire to see Malaysians focus on what is good for others and not just for themselves and for those in power not to be self-serving but people-serving.

Malaysians can see through the deception even if those culpable can’t realise their own self-deception.

For illustration, their driving and causing of unnecessary traffic jams reveal the state of their minds that they think  they are more important than others  and know not about considerateness for others. They have become like selfish zombies behind the wheel.

Once, one huge lorry, unbelievably, tried to beat the jam by driving recklessly onto the road verge, nearly causing other cars that got out of its way to crash, and when I hooted at him in rebuke he could only grin and wave his hand in the air as if that was his automatic pardon from all of us affected for his silly and dangerous act of selfishness.

Like many, I wish for the government to go back to the basics of governing justly and honestly for the people and not be constantly embroiled in one scandal after another in alleged acts of wrongdoing and possible corruption.

It is time for those people to get off their rollercoaster of political antics and intrigues that destroy the country and hold it back from its full potential. They shold govern more and lead better and politick less and do so little.

And no greater wish is that the nation comes to its senses and that people not just the government begin to realise that Malaysia is worth saving and building up as a place for everyone not just the privileged, the well-connected and those with the means.

And please stop the ill-treatment of foreign workers and those who are most vulnerable and without anyone to protect them.

Above all I wish that people especially politicians in power would stop making lying a feature of their political modus operandi and worse, audaciously expecting the public to believe their lies.

And please stop talking like the schoolyard bully. We grew up meeting such types and we know what happens to bullies.

There should be honour among politicians

Reading what goes on in Malaysia is a pain to those who still believe in the old adage that ‘honesty is the best policy’ and that if there is honour among thieves than there should be honour among politicians, many of whom have developed tarnished reputations because of what they have done.

For this reason I find it so important that independent media especially one like Malaysiakini survive and succeed to continue to give us the truth so that people can make their own judgments.

While Malaysians brave the traffic snarls to go home and celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year eve reunion dinner with their relatives it is a hot and sunny day in Perth where Chinese New Year may as well not exist.

But it does in sporadic activities and the famed lion dance troupe will no doubt be making appearances at Chinese restaurants and shops and Aussie Chinese kids will receive little red packets and not know what all the fuss is all about. Their cousins in Melbourne and Sydney will have all the Chinese New Year fun.

Meanwhile, I indulge in some wishful thinking with a long wishlist (some shared here)  for Malaysia and foremost of all that the combination of a changed government and a changed people for good not for worse is the surest way to achieve the best outcome for a hijacked nation and all Malaysians of all races, backgrounds and beliefs.

Happy Chinese New Year to all who are happy.


STEVE OH is the author of the novel Tiger King of the Golden Jungle and composer of the musical of the same title. He believes in good governance and morally upright leadership.