The longest week in Malaysia
COMMENT | This has to be one of the longest weeks in the history of Malaysia.
From the beginning when news broke that political meetings were taking place in the Klang Valley, Malaysians were taken on an emotional roller coaster ride. A week ago, we had a prime minister, a functioning cabinet, and we were doing well in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. A week later, we only have an interim prime minister.
What is clear is that there was an attempt by some quarters to form a "backdoor" government with political parties that did not win the last general election. What is also clear is that that first attempt has not been successful.
What is clear is that seventh Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has resigned. What is clear is that he has been appointed as "interim prime minister". What is also clear is that with his resignation, the appointments of his cabinet ministers were revoked...
COMMENT | This has to be one of the longest weeks in the history of Malaysia.
From the beginning when news broke that political meetings were taking place in the Klang Valley, Malaysians were taken on an emotional roller coaster ride. A week ago, we had a prime minister, a functioning cabinet, and we were doing well in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. A week later, we only have an interim prime minister.
What is clear is that there was an attempt by some quarters to form a "backdoor" government with political parties that did not win the last general election. What is also clear is that that first attempt has not been successful.
What is clear is that seventh Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has resigned. What is clear is that he has been appointed as "interim prime minister". What is also clear is that with his resignation, the appointments of his cabinet ministers were revoked. So too, all political appointments related to those positions.
What is clear is that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (photo, below) conducted face-to-face interviews with 221 Members of Parliament to determine who in His Royal Highness’ opinion has the support of the majority of MPs.
What is unclear is whether we will have a prime minister out of this exercise. What is unclear too is how the political allegiances will end up once the dust settles.
What is also clear is that a lot of good initiatives and many reforms have been halted as a result of the political turmoil. One example is the revolutionary #Malaysia@Work initiative which was announced during the tabling of the budget, with the target of providing jobs for certain specific groups such as youths and women. It was supposed to take off in the second half of the year.
Similarly, Bursa Malaysia, already struggling post the 14th General Election took a beating on Monday as a result of the political uncertainty. If this crisis prolongs, it is likely that investors will shy away from investing in Malaysia.
All this happened because of the political ambitions of certain people in the political elites. Most disappointing of all is how some, who previously have preached moderation and diversity, find no qualms with working with the extremists and the corrupt to destroy a multiracial government.
Certainly, politics is about power. But the pursuit of power should be for good, to bring about positive change and to improve the lives of people. Not for selfish interests.
Less than two years after the historic general elections, the legitimate government elected by the people collapsed in what is clearly a betrayal to the mandate and trust of the rakyat.
However, this should not be a reason to give up on politics, especially for young people. If young people want a new way of doing politics in this country, we must not leave it to the old guards, especially those with selfish interests.
As for Malaysians in general, if those in political circles find the events confusing, those on the outside would probably find the turmoil confounding. But this too shall pass. We have to keep going, we have to stick together, and we must continue to believe that at the end of the day, things will work out for the best.
I end this article with the words of Samwise Gamgee from JRR Tolkein's The Hobbit:
It's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here.
But we are. It's like in the great stories Mr Frodo.
The ones that really mattered.
Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy?
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow.
Even darkness must pass.
A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Those were the stories that stayed with you.
That meant something.
Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr Frodo, I do understand.
I know now.
Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t.
Because they were holding on to something.
That there’s some good in this world, Mr Frodo.
And it’s worth fighting for.
SYAHREDZAN JOHAN is a civil liberties lawyer and political secretary to Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
