\’Wayang kulit’ politics in Malaysia creates a lot of noise about the wrong issues but delivers very little change, in real terms. Let me give some good examples. Take the kangkong issue. Lots of noise and even some bigoted statements about Malays being ridiculed, but at the end of the day, price of food and ingredients still go up without fail. Are we addressing the real issues?

Or, take for example the Approved Permits (AP) Policy under the the National Automative Policy or NAP. It does not take brilliance for any ordinary first year business student to figure out that while the AP was introduced to “control flow of imported and built up units,” it does not do so any more, despite the same policy purpose and agenda being still in place.

Instead, the goal has been displaced but further justified, to make some selected crony individuals rich at the expense of the public interest. In the meantime, ordinary citizens pay more in terms of costs of goods and services and even ordinary cars.  

We are among the only nations in the world which makes cars but have to pay even more for cars. I suspect even if we compare car prices between Singapore and Malaysia, we can understand these issues and know the failed nature of our National Automotive Policy. Why do we even have this policy if it means paying more for all brands of cars? Is the policy relevant; if so, whom does it serve?

Globally, politicians are finding out that their attempt to control circumstances by power and authority to resolve policy issues and problems are finding no way ahead. The false assumption they make is that power can be used to control circumstances beyond their control. There is a false premise of a universal worldview of life and for life.  

Just take the ‘Allah’ issue and we can understand this problem. Instead of competing with each other to worship God in more meaningful ways, we stop others from worship because we have this holier than thou worldview. How can one group ever dictate how the other worships. Just try it with your own children and you understand why; not while they are below 12 but after then and before they turn 21.

The world of politics needs to understand that universal appeal of political parties and issues is no more. All issues and problems today have multiple perspectives, and unless one learns to hear and understand all the different ones, one will not really comprehend the core issue at hand.

Lack of political will

In the context of the above, I am rather amused that it is obvious that PKR instructed its party representative in the Kajang state seat to resign so that a by-election can be held. After the fact, we hear that they are asking their non-formal leader to stand for this vacancy in the state assembly in the Kajang seat. I still fail to understand the real reasons.

This is within the context of the issues on the ground related to cost and price increases as subsidies are being dropped and incompetent governance continues in most states and ministries.  One only needs a simple review of the Auditor-General’s Report to affirm the real reasons for cost increases. Do we really need the chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee to instruct the secretaries-general to discipline their errant officers?  

For that matter, it is my view that the secretaries-general are the controlling officers and the Auditor-General’s Report must take a more strategic approach and demand that they be more accountable. Simply demote one secretary-general based on the Auditor-General’s Report and we can see the full effects then.

Even far worse is the game-playing with the public interest that we see through this by-election.  In the past, the federal government used the ‘buy-election strategy to win’. Now, it appears PKR is opting the ‘buy this election strategy’, taking the people of Kajang for granted, because they can change their representative at their whim or fancies.

Really? And the people of Kajang do not mind? My caution to PKR is, please do not take the people of Kajang for granted. Address their real issues and concerns; even if you know them.  

I must admit that I cannot buy the published version of the so-called PKR strategic agenda. First, I am not sure or convinced that it is a Pakatan strategy, because if it was, it was only one forced or foisted upon their partners, as DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng did not know about the strategy the very next day, and was reported to have said so.  

Therefore, if the PKR informal leader cannot rein in his party membership to resolve internal party issues, I do not agree with why they need to take the issue to a by-election to resolve their internal issues. On the other hand if there is a serious and earth-shattering reason as to why the people of Kajang need to help resolve issues, please make that straightforward and explain the core issue of the artificially created by-election.  

Otherwise, please do not take people for granted.

Cosequently, I find the PKR sudden decision irrational for the following reasons:

  • MB Khalid Ibrahim is already doing an excellent job and does not need another stronger personality in Selangor to muddy waters at the state level;
  • There are serious and significant areas of improvement still to be done in Selangor, but that is not something any personality driven leadership model can change.  What is needed is a Selangor state government with real political will to make changes happen, in order to make Selangor an exemplar state;
  • It appears that the rest of Pakatan partners were taken by surprise with this sudden action of PKR and its representatives. Pakatan needs a united and sincere but transparent stand if you want to convince the people of Kajang, that they are not pawns in some larger chess game;
  • Within the context of rising costs and obviously wasteful ministries; it is unwise to create a state level by-election simply to mediate some internal party problem or issue;
  • This by-election will raise another round of fervent politicking and lead to another round of wasteful and meaningless spending by the government which the nation-state can ill afford; and
  • It is in bad faith to treat ordinary citizens in Kajang as if they are simply going to be taken for granted because parties cannot rein in their rogue leaders.