JULY 17 — If it wasn't already obvious before, the events of the past year or so have surely made it clear to most Malaysians — elections have consequences.
Some consequences are obvious and direct. Like, say, the fact that Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is no longer Prime Minister. Others are more subtle and incidental. For instance, the current prime minister has a blog, and is on Twitter.
However, it's folly to think that elections only have consequences when there is a historical, unprecedented outcome like the one we had in March 2008.
With the exception of 1969, Malaysians have consistently given the Barisan Nasional a two-thirds majority in Parliament and unlimited control of virtually every state legislature. Whatever our reasons for doing so, Malaysians cannot simply absolve ourselves of our complicity in the creation of the hegemonic, corrupt and arrogant monster we face today. Like I said, elections have consequences.
It is Malaysians in general who indirectly caused the problems facing Kampung Buah Pala, for instance, by continuing to vote overwhelmingly for Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's administration in the 1995, 1999 and 2004 elections. Remember, prior to 2008, there were only a token number of opposition representatives in most state assemblies throughout the country. Absolute power, as they say, corrupts.
It is us who are partly responsible for the cavalier manner in which billions of public funds are wasted in the PKFZ scandal, money that could very well have been used to improve English, maths, science, Bahasa Malaysia and probably even cooking lessons in schools instead of being stuck in the conundrum we are in now.
It is us that allowed Datuk Seri Khir Toyo to amass enough money to build his mansion, and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to concentrate power in the executive branch while weakening almost every other institution, from the media to the judiciary.
In the face of overwhelming evidence of corruption, poor governance and downright arrogance, we chose to support the devil we knew. Or worse still, some of us chose to view not voting as a badge of honour. We can't start feeling self-congratulatory and entitled just because we gave more support to the opposition parties one time.
To expect decades of misrule and poor governance to be automatically erased or reversed just because BN no longer has a two-thirds majority in Parliament and control of several state governments is to believe in miracles. The reality is that the problems are too many and too entrenched to be reversed so quickly, if at all. The Pakatan Rakyat state governments have little choice but to spend a majority of their time undoing the damage done, often with one hand tied behind their back. This is not an excuse. It is reality.
Let's not forget too that there are forces far larger and more powerful than political leaders, including the police force and the civil service at large. The blatantly biased actions of the MACC in its investigation of several Selangor state assemblymen and women, for example. Or the fact that the police chief who presided over an unprecedented rise in crime is likely to receive a renewal of his term.
With all of that being said, however, it must be stressed that elections also have consequences for those who are voted in. Politicians, especially those from Pakatan, must realise that when you make wonderful promises and manifestos that you have no way of achieving, people will obviously be upset and angry, no matter how valid your justification or the root of the problem. Governing might be a lot harder than being a critic, but it is rather pathetic to constantly blame others, be they the media, NGOs or even previous administrations.
While many are extrapolating the results of the Manek Urai by-election to draw conclusions about the state of Malaysian politics as a whole, I'm not convinced a small, rural and largely mono-ethnic constituency can be considered representative of the national mood.
I am hoping, however, that the results will lead to the right consequences. And that is for Pakatan Rakyat to remember that Malaysians might have given them unprecedented support, but it is a support that is far from unconditional. It's time for all parties to get their act together and stop the grandstanding, infighting and, yes, incompetence. Stop being distracted by self-serving political games like the PAS-Umno unity talks and focus on the needs of Malaysians.
Otherwise, the next general election will have severe results for the fledgling coalition, and even more dire consequences for the country as a whole.
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