Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad speaks during a press conference at Parliament with him Minister of Economic Affair Datuk Seri Azmin Ali – Filepic

A sea change happened two years ago, and now, rumblings of another revamp to the country’s administrative landscape is expected to keep eyeballs peeled on newsfeeds.

WITHOUT doubt, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is the master politician! Like or loathe him, he has set a few records which no one in the world can match.

At 95 years old, he is the oldest Prime Minister in the world and his supporters, including the Opposition now, want him to remain in office. That’s unimaginable, though.

He is also the only PM in Malaysia to have been reappointed to the position for a second time, and still holds the record for being the longest serving PM in the two decades of his first tenure.

And now, he is set for another record – PAS is said to be ready to initiate a motion at the Dewan Rakyat next month to express support for Dr Mahathir.

The Islamist party, an Opposition party, is defying logic. Instead of making moves to dispose of a serving PM from the ruling party, it, in fact, wants to keep Dr Mahathir on.

There are two ways of looking at this – PAS wants to elevate Dr Mahathir to strike a deal, which could involve being in government, or, the party views the nonagenarian as such a liability to Pakatan Harapan that he could be the ultimate self-saboteur in the ruling coalition.

After all, surveys have showed that Dr Mahathir’s popularity has taken a plunge, with one study showing that Pakatan’s 87% popularity in GE14 had dropped significantly to 35% by the first half of 2019. Pakatan has also lost in four consecutive by-elections.

Since last year, PAS leaders have openly declared that its 18 MPs will back Dr Mahathir if a no confidence motion is placed on him.

This time, when the Dewan Rakyat sits from March 11, PAS wants to turn the tables and submit a vote of confidence.

For a vote of confidence to succeed in the Dewan Rakyat, it must have the support of at least 112 out of 222 MPs.

There’s another peculiarity – many PKR MPs, headed by deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, want to retain Dr Mahathir at the helm instead of his own party chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Now, that’s also unprecedented.

Last week, Dr Mahathir said he welcomed support for him, including from Umno and PAS, saying, “Anybody supporting me, I feel like floating.”

Kuala Lumpur has been abuzz with speculation that moves are being made to create a new alignment, supposedly called Pakatan Nasional, comprising Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, and some MPs from PKR, PAS and Umno – leaving DAP and Anwar’s loyalists out in the cold.

DAP has struggled for acceptance in Malay politics, with Malay Pakatan politicians admitting that the DAP has been a burden for them, saying that party’s leaders suffer from image problems and the inability to be embraced by the Malay community.

It has also failed to win over the hearts and minds of senior civil servants at Putrajaya, and the lack of endearment has caused a debilitating fallout, with senior officials perceiving that they’ve been shut out.

Ironically, the DAP is also losing the support of the Chinese community (whose disdain for the party has increasingly grown), plotting a downfall of hero to zero in a little over a year. It having a sizeable 42 MPs isn’t a lost point, either.

PAS has openly said that a written agreement was drafted to show its commitment to Dr Mahathir until the 15th General Election, in the interest of religion, race and country.

Its secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan has also reportedly said that they had met Dr Mahathir to discuss issues relating to oil royalties, as well as representation for the economic action council in PAS-led states Terengganu and Kelantan.

It appears that besides political appointments, PAS wants more money from the federal government for the two states under its control, particularly for cash-strapped Kelantan. It has one of the worst logging abuse records in Malaysia, where even Orang Asli land has been encroached on.

Playing with a toxic concoction of race and religion, and Malay dominance, it’s clear the message to Anwar and DAP is that they shouldn’t even think of asking Dr Mahathir to retire soon.

While there is an agreement that Anwar will succeed Dr Mahathir, as stated clearly in the signed document, there is no mention of when that will take place. It doesn’t say two years or three years.

And there’s another catch – the Federal Constitution also stipulates that the PM must have the majority support of the members of Parliament.

Basically, the agreement isn’t good enough if Anwar doesn’t have the numbers.

Regardless of it being either a vote of confidence or no confidence, the numbers are needed.

It looks like the former is easier, and if fellow Pakatan MPs, especially those from PKR, DAP or Amanah, decline to throw their support behind Dr Mahathir, it would look odd. It will be as good as a no faith call, without the need for a formal motion even.

The common assumption, among political players and analysts, is that the players seem to have issues with gaining committed numbers.

With PAS in the picture, splinter party Amanah will find it weird to get back with PAS. PAS has 18 MPs against Amanah’s 11.

The overtures have been made to Umno’s Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, and even its president Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi, who has over 50 corruption charges staring at him.

His critics have said he seems prepared to work with Dr Mahathir to save his skin.

Controversial Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam has declared the two and other Umno leaders – in a series of videos – infected with Kerala Virus, referencing Dr Mahathir’s ancestral home in India’s southern west coast.

Lokman also sensationally released an audio recording claiming that Zahid had tried to convince party leaders during a meeting that Umno needs to work with Dr Mahathir.

On Friday, the Umno supreme council announced that Lokman has been given the boot.

If the forming of Pakatan Nasional is to be believed, it can’t be legitimate for it to brand itself a Malay and Muslim platform. PAS, with its unwavering commitment to setting up an Islamic state, may want it that way, but that’s not Dr Mahathir’s thinking.

He is cunning enough to realise that without Sabah and Sarawak, it won’t be possible to form a federal government – whether via the front door, back door or any door. In fact, Pakatan Nasional will be shown the exit door if it’s all about Malays and Muslims.

Malaysia is a multiracial country and any ruling government needs multiracial representation in the Cabinet.

The Sarawak political alliance of Gabungan Parti Sarawak has no love for PAS, and for that matter, it has no interest in backing any peninsula politicians who have failed them.

GPS comprises Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Their sole priority now is to win the Sarawak state elections this year, and it can only do so on its own – not with Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Nasional or Pakatan Harapan. This is also the best time for Chinese-based parties in GPS to wrest back seats from PKR and DAP, which have three and seven seats respectively.

GPS has announced that it will remain independent and look after the state’s interests, as it dismissed talk of joining any coalition.

However, the real winner from the outcome of the manoeuvring seems to be PAS – which is being courted by Barisan via Mufakat Nasional, and now, the so-called Pakatan Nasional.

PAS is extracting the highest price on its part, and it knows that all the Malay-based parties need its solid votes. The six by-elections have proven that an election can only be won with PAS’ votes. That is the political reality.

Despite pledging its support for Dr Mahathir, that still didn’t stop PAS from campaigning for Barisan in the Tanjung Piai by-election to ensure the defeat of Dr Mahathir’s Bersatu.

Succession planning has always been Dr Mahathir’s biggest flaw, intentional or otherwise, and if he succeeds in staying on, then he has created two other records.

Anwar will be the world’s longest PM in waiting, and, unbelievably, may not even get to it. And the best part is, he has wreaked havoc with disunity in PKR, and now Umno.

Without doubt, he is at his best or worst when he reveals his Machiavellian streak, and it would be naïve to think that he has changed, or mellowed, after all these years.

Wild animals may have tickled the palates of the adventurous, but the spread of another deadly global disease should conclusively put paid to unnecessary dietary requirements.

THERE is a well-known Chinese joke that the community has no qualms eating the meat of anything that has four legs other than a table, anything that flies other than an airplane, and anything that swims other than a submarine.

Yes, the Chinese are certainly an adventurous lot when it comes to food.

For sure, Chinese food isn’t just fried rice, sweet and sour fish, dumplings and fried noodles – the standard fare for most Westerners when it comes to Chinese cuisine.

And certainly, experimenting with Chinese food isn’t just about chicken feet, century eggs, stinky tofu, boiled blood cubes and less “desirable” pig body parts.

Common in China is the sight of street food encompassing scorpion, pupa, grasshoppers, lizard, starfish and crickets on skewers, especially in the Wangfujing area in Beijing.

These creepy-crawly snacks are apparently the norm, even if tourists cringe, joke and take bragging right photographs for Instagram purposes.

But in the lesser known, dark market areas in some parts of China, the harsh and sad reality is that there is a demand for exotic meat – those of snakes, dogs, cats, civet cats, bats and now, even wolf pups.

It’s unclear if the novel coronavirus’ source is a bat or snake at the Wuhan market, but we can conclusively agree on one thing – there is absolutely no need to consume such meat.

Not all Chinese have this persuasion for something different, though. Remember, China is a country of 1.3 billion people.

But the recent outbreak of the virus has given rise to racist and xenophobic displays towards this community, and even ethnic Chinese in other parts of the world.

It doesn’t help that there is a widely circulated video of Chinese social media influencer, Wang Mengyun, tucking into a bowl of bat soup. Here’s the clincher though – the video was filmed three years ago in Palau, a Pacific island nation where bat soup is a delicacy.

Regrettably, the video has been used in the United States and Europe to renew an old narrative about the supposedly disgusting eating habits of foreigners, especially Asians.

However, perception is always an issue, whether we like it or not. So, the time has come for the Chinese government, with all its might, to put a stop to the trade of exotic meats.

It isn’t just cruel to eat these animals, but the Chinese simply don’t need to eat any of this in the first place. Most don’t and there is no reason to fear a backlash, really.

Let’s face it, tiger penises are not going to improve the sexual prowess of anyone in China. It’s preposterous to even think that.

No one there is dying of hunger either, and there is no famine in the republic which could warrant eating wild animals and tree bark, like what was reported in North Korea at one time.

China is self-sufficient when it comes to food, since it produces half of the world’s pig population and 37 million tons of farmed fish, which is more than 60% of the world’s total, according to a report.

It’s not good enough that China has ordered a temporary ban on the trade in wild animals as the country struggles to contain a deadly virus believed spawned in a Wuhan market that sold exotic creatures as food.

A government directive says that raising, transporting or selling all wild animal species is forbidden “from the date of the announcement until the national epidemic situation is over.”

Conservationists have long accused China of tolerating a shadowy trade in exotic animals for food and as ingredients in traditional medicines, including highly endangered species such as the pangolin and tiger. Experts say the trade poses a significant and growing public health risk as potentially dangerous animal-borne pathogens that people would normally not be exposed to, make the jump to humans.

According to a news report, the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) virus that killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in 2002 to 2003, was also traced to wild animals; scientists say it likely originated in bats, later reaching humans via civets.

“Civets, a cat-like creature, were among dozens of species listed on an exhaustive price list for one of the animal-trading businesses at the Wuhan market that emerged online last week. Other items included various rats, snakes, giant salamanders and even live wolf pups.”

The announcement said all businesses, markets, food and beverage outlets and e-commerce platforms are “strictly prohibited from trading in wild animals in any form”.

It added that “consumers must fully understand the health risks of eating wild animals, avoid wild game, and eat healthy, ” according to AFP.

The so-called bushmeat trade, along with broader human encroachment on wild habitats, is bringing humans into ever-closer contact with animal viruses that can spread rapidly in today’s connected world, scientists reportedly say.

A study by the Global Virome Project, a worldwide effort to increase preparedness for pandemics, estimated that there are nearly 1.7 million undiscovered viruses in the animal kingdom, nearly half of which could be harmful to humans.

Peter Daszak, a virology expert with the project, said its research also indicated that we could expect around five new animal-borne pathogens to infect humanity each year.

China has previously cracked down on the wildlife trade, including after SARS, but conservationists say the trade typically resumes over time.

This is a good time for the Chinese government to launch a massive education campaign against the consumption of such exotic meat, in the foolish belief that they cure health problems or even function as an aphrodisiac. On the contrary, in some cases, it has been proven that they are even harmful to health.

As the Chinese population becomes more affluent and sophisticated, it’s clear that they will stay away from such eating habits.

Many Chinese now rear dogs as pets, which, during China’s early days as a struggling communist country, was dismissed as bourgeoisie behaviour to flout wealth. It has been reported that China is home to 130 million pet dogs, so it’s no wonder animal rights activists there have emerged in protesting the sale of dog meat.

China’s animal-protection movement is growing among young people, especially with those in urban areas and on the Internet. In April 2012, activists rescued 505 dogs headed for slaughter from a truck on which they had endured harsh conditions.

It is heartening to note that the state linked China Global Television Network has also called for a ban on the sale of exotic meat.Wild animals are not meant to be traded for their meat, fur or, as in the case of the Asiatic bears, their bile. It’s also no longer acceptable to keep animals in cages in zoos, which are mere animal prisons.

This is the right time for China to impose a complete ban on the sale of wild animals as food, as well as implement animal protection laws.

Only the Chinese government has the power to shut down an entire city three times bigger than London. No government in the western world has that kind of clout to do the same, and it shows the kind of will that China has in fighting the virus.

It has stopped the people of Wuhan from travelling out of the city, because it wants to contain the virus.

China has done tremendously well economically over the last decade and has surely stunned and impressed the world with its growth. But it’s time now to take further steps.

As the late iconic Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi said, “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Basically, what that means is a civilised society is recognised by its ability to take care of the oppressed and helpless.

I am confident China will do what is right to win the fight against this virus and make things better. This is the time to stand together with the people of China (especially those in Wuhan) for a common cause.

Fear and prejudice will heighten with the declaration of a global public health emergency, but this is a humanitarian issue, and certainly not about race, trade wars or rivalry.

If there is one thing we can be sure of, it’s that most of us will have less money to spend this CNY, and that will translate to lighter ang pow packets for the kids. — Filepic

FOR those of us who frequent the wet market, it would be obvious how much the value of the ringgit has shrunk.

Buying essential food and household items has become an expensive affair.

For proof, ikan kembung (mackerel) used to be animal feed for our cats, but now it costs about RM20 per kg, while chillies are around RM15 per kg.

If you live in Kuala Lumpur, it means paying about RM6 for a plate of mixed rice, or economy rice (or chap fahn) as it’s commonly known, and that doesn’t even include a cup of coffee.

I’m not sure if our elected representatives know the price of food items because I reckon they barely step into markets, until they need to canvass for votes during election time, of course.

If they do, then they would know how much the cost of living has soared. Hopefully, they gain a greater appreciation for what ordinary Malaysians go through every day.

This Chinese New Year, we are feeling the pinch hard, as things have become pricier. A container of kuih kapit (love letters) is going for RM30.

No one takes seriously the optimism expressed by our leaders about the state of our country’s economy, with their bold predictions that we will do better this year.

Across the Causeway, Singapore leaders are more cautious, realistic and guarded with economy forecasts.

The year 2019 has been rough for the island republic, but they’ve had a greater haul than they expected. However, while growth indicators show the worst may be over, they are still advising their people not to expect a dramatic turnaround story.

The difference here is that our ministers tell us that all is hunky dory. The only problem is, none of us feel their exuberance, simply because we know they lack credibility.

Malaysians feel poor when they travel out of the country. Many of us who have business meetings in Singapore now find it more economical to fly back to Malaysia the same evening and return the next day than to put up in a Singapore hotel, because it is far more expensive these days.

Yes, we have come down to that because a Singapore dollar is now worth RM3.02. Those of us in our 60s would recall it being dollar for dollar once upon a time. In fact, we even used those Singapore coins to pay for our drinks at coffee shops. They were used at sundry stores, too.

Malaysians who have been to Shanghai would surely have felt instantly poor because the wealth disparity between these Chinese mainlanders and us is stark.

Shanghai is a shiny example of what an international city should be, with its glitzy skyscrapers and efficient public transport system. One can easily tell how cities like New York and London have deteriorated, yet amazingly, these Western cities are oblivious to how far they are lagging.

Let’s not go further. Just visit Thailand – the nearest city being Hat Yai for most of us, and Golok, on the east coast, though Bangkok is likely to be the choice pick.

These were our favourite Thai towns because food and lodging were inexpensive, but not anymore.

One ringgit will only get us 7.5 baht, which means that our ringgit has weakened more than 37% against the baht. At one time, the exchange rate was 10:1, or 10 baht for every ringgit.

According to Pankaj C. Kumar, who has written about our weakening ringgit based on Bank Negara’s monthly statistical bulletin, the end of August 2014 was about the last time the THB/MYR exchange rate hovered at the 10 ringgit mark, to be exact, at 9.8780 per 100 THB. At that same time, the USD/MYR exchange rate was at 3.1570, and the SGD/MYR conversion stood at 2.5270.

The economist wrote that the ringgit has also weakened against the US greenback, and likewise with the SGD. Both the USD and the SGD were last seen at 4.0913 and 3.0297, which basically means the ringgit has weakened respectively almost 30% and 20% against them.

So, what has caused the ringgit to depreciate so much against the THB, while the THB has gained ground on the greenback and the mighty SGD?

“Economic books tell us that the strength of a currency on a long-term basis is driven by a few factors, and this includes, and in no particular order, economic growth, trade and current account balances, management of a country’s debt profile, international reserves, interest rates and inflation.”

While Malaysia’s economic growth has been stronger than Thailand’s over the past five years, we have had a higher inflation growth, and even as the rates fell, we failed to ignite interest in the forex market.

“Hence, from here, we can conclude, while interest rate is an important factor in a currency’s strength or weakness, the impact on the ringgit (well, at least as far as when compared with the baht) was rather muted.”

“Third, one of the determining factors in terms of strength of a nation’s currency is its international reserves, ” he wrote, pointing out that Thailand’s reserves had been rising over the past few years to record levels while ours went south.

“… Thailand has not only a superior current account surplus, but a growing surplus, and this strength, when measured against the GDP, shows that Thailand’s current surplus is effectively more than three times of Malaysia’s surplus. It is not to say that Malaysia’s surplus is insufficient, but rather, our northern neighbour has a superior surplus than we do.

“How did Thailand generate such significant increase in its current account surplus? Textbooks tell us that current account is simply the difference between what a nation earns from what it receives via exports of goods and services, income from overseas investments or remittances it receives and what it pays for imports of goods and services, repatriation by foreign investors’ income from the country and outgoings in terms of remittances.”

A weaker ringgit means our import prices going higher. Malaysia remains a net importer of food, with figures showing that the nation’s food and live animal imports have gone up from RM38.9bil in 2013 to RM51.3bil in 2017.

It also means that parents with kids studying overseas would have to fork out more for their children’s fees and living expenses.

For employers, their operating costs will spike if they need to purchase materials in USD, and if they face a weakening demand for their products, it will generate lower revenue and profits, too.

That would affect their bottom line and, ultimately, the employee will be impacted. It means few increments, less bonuses or, worse, being laid off to mitigate the company’s problems.

No one is spared when the country isn’t doing well. If a politician tells us we are doing great, it means he’s bluffing, or being overly positive to the point of seeming ridiculous. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them are on the good stuff, too.

The cop out would be to blame the US-China trade war and its impact on the world, but really, even before the two giants clashed, the ringgit was already sliding.

If there is one thing we can be sure of, it’s that most of us will have less money to spend this CNY, and that will translate to lighter ang pow packets for the kids.

More than ever, we need to wish everyone Gong Xi Fa Cai, or may you amass greater wealth!

There are a multitude of reasons that bring us together as Malaysians, yet there are those who spend inordinate amounts of time finding divisive ones to separate us instead.

IT’S preposterous that a school that has put up Chinese New Year decorations has found itself in a controversy because of a complaint from a fledging political party.

The protest came from Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) vice-president and lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, who threatened to report a public school in Puchong recently over its supposedly “religious” Chinese New Year decorations.

The lawyer, in his own warped interpretation of the law, said the decorations were “unconstitutional” and claimed that Muslim parents had complained against what they saw as an attempt to propagate a non-Islam religion to students in SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1 in Pusat Bandar Puchong.

“The complaints we’ve received show unease at the excessive Chinese New Year 2020 decorations in your school. Some parents say the school looks like a Chinese-owned market with religious elements on display that are other than Islam.

“This is distressing for the Muslim students and is also against Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, ” Mohd Khairul said in a letter sent to the school’s principal Rohani Mohd Noor, while also sharing it on his Twitter account.

Mohd Khairul is the same person who had challenged the constitutionality of vernacular schools in the country, though the Federal Court dismissed the application. He had claimed that the existence of such schools was against Article 152(1) of the Federal Constitution, because they don’t use the national language as their medium of instruction.

It’s clear where he stands. His hard-line approach seems to be based on unfounded prejudice and ignorance. It’s unacceptable that the school principal had to be intimidated and bullied into having to remove the decorations.

We are told that such practices – celebrating all major festivals – have been a tradition in the school. Principal Rohani should be commended rather than pressured for her efforts to instil such a Malay-sian sense of togetherness among her students.

We hope that Rohani and the school will not be discouraged by the views of one unelected politician and even one or two implicated teachers.

No one should let the bigoted minority force their views on us because most rational and moderate Malaysians want to keep our country the way it is.

We must never allow them to take charge of the agenda and narrative, and it’s heartening that leaders from both sides of the divide swiftly slid into action to defend the school.

Moral support from the majority is essential in thwarting such offensive threats.

The Chinese New Year is celebrated by ethnic Chinese from all faiths, and like in most countries, including Malaysia, it is celebrated by everyone.

It’s a gazetted national public holiday and accorded prominence by the government, with national-level events attended by our leaders. Our Rulers have also made it a point to join in the festival when needed.

Chinese Muslims also celebrate this spring festival, which began 4,000 years ago to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

I am a Christian and I celebrate Chinese New Year with similar decorations put up at that school. My Chinese Muslim relatives do likewise.

In 2017, Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad explained that CNY celebrations held in this country were allowed under Islam. The Federal Territories mufti said the celebrations didn’t infringe on Islamic principles since they were meant to preserve cordial ties within Malaysian society.

“We find that the Chinese New Year celebration held by most ethnic Chinese leaders and participated by Muslim national or state leaders, are still within the prescribed space allowed by Islam.

“This is because they are meant to take care and preserve societal ties and are more towards living in a celebrated social contract without auctioning religious principles, ” he said in a statement.

Last year, Dr Zulkifli even donated cakes to his Chinese neighbours during CNY and said that “living religiously is beautiful and easy if we understand the religion” and that “the life of Prophet Muhammad Himself showed that the walls of race and religion can be cast aside through politeness and moral values.”

Then there is veteran journalist Datuk Kadir Jasin, who has made it a point to host CNY open house celebrations since he gained a Chinese daughter-in-law. It’s highly commendable of him to do so, truth be told.

Moderation advocate Anas Zubedy, who speaks excellent Hokkien, puts up full page ads in newspapers to celebrate major festivals and explain their significance.

And publisher Hussamuddin Yaacub, who campaigned incessantly against extremism in this country.

We don’t believe this is beyond Mohd Khairul’s knowledge, but the bottom line is, no one should attempt to stir racial and religious matters unnecessarily, and certainly, Malaysia doesn’t need such toxic controversy at this time. It’s certainly disturbing to most of us as race and religion should not be used for political mileage.

The festivals of all major ethnic groups are eagerly anticipated by all Malaysians, and in a unique Malaysian practice, many of us open our doors to friends during such auspicious occasions.

This is unlike Western practices, where most celebrations tend to be more private and involves only family members, and often only lasts a day.

But festivals in Malaysia, such as Hari Raya and Chinese New Year, can be month-long affairs.

In fact, all schools must be allowed to put up decorations for all festivals.

It’s crucial that all sides take a step back because the racial mercury is steadily rising. This is the time to hold back on any and all forms of hurtful remarks or actions which benefit no one.

This is not a zero-sum game. Malaysia has been successful in managing race relations. More than ever, much compromise is needed now. Let the voices of moderation, reason, acceptance and good grace prevail.

Ironically, extremism has no prejudice – it afflicts all races and religions here, let’s be clear about this. Ultimately, it’s best for the media to ignore these fringe figures, and better still to starve them of publicity as it’s akin to pouring fuel on the fire for their pathetic stunts.

So, let’s not allow one or two disrespectful people spoil the CNY festival. This may be the Year of the Rat, but we shouldn’t let political rodents ruin this occasion.

Cutting edge: Schools in China have begun to emphasise the teaching of coding, robotics and AI in the great push to produce the best engineers and digital experts. — AFP

We once had a vision of a future, but now that it’s here, we still seem stuck in the past.

WE are already into 2020 and it’s the dawn of a new decade. But if we buy into the endless narrative of race and religion, it’s as if we haven’t moved.

Six decades after Malaysia’s independence, and we are still trapped in this blinding obsession with ethnicity, which has done nothing but consume so much of our time and energy.

When rationale flies out the window, and reasoning fails, some politicians and self-declared communal champions resort to bigotry ways.

And of course, the most unscrupulous sometimes tell our citizens they should leave the country if they are unhappy, although incredulously, some of these characters conveniently overlook how their forefathers came to Malaya nearly the same time as the rest.

If Malaysia is caught in the middle income trap now, with our inability to reach a higher level of income, that’s down to not having changed in how we’ve functioned economically for the past 40-odd years.

The middle-income trap concept refers to the transition of low income to a middle income economy.

We have failed to achieve the Vision 2020 objective of becoming a developed nation, and the architect of that plan, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has blamed his successors for the failure.

Now, the Pakatan Harapan government – also led by Dr Mahathir – has unveiled the Shared Prosperity Plan for 2035. It remains to be seen if we will reach that goal, either.

But at the rate we are moving, it’s hard to ignore how the voice of hope has somehow hushed.

In fact, Vision 2020 set off bigger expectations and optimism, but now there seems to be a lack of purpose and leadership.

If Malaysia is facing a middle income trap, then we are also snagged in a political status snare because we are heading nowhere as a nation, as we recklessly hand racial and religious hardliners the wheel of the nation.

Unelected religious activists seem to be speaking more boldly than many elected representatives, who seem content to let these fringe personalities hog the headlines.

In the digital age, the decibel level has been cranked in social media, and comments posted by their fans to support these hawks have become more seditious and disturbing.

It’s hard to break free from that gnawing sense that they are allowed to continue because the government fears putting a leash on them.

Our Pakatan Harapan leaders, especially those from Bersatu, seem to lack the will to take on a centrist role, and worse, have attempted to compete with those playing the race and religion cards.

While these political shenanigans may gain domestic mileage, it doesn’t help Malaysia one bit because many see it as part of the inability to get our act together.

They see the vibrance and innovations of Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, and want a slice of that pie. But anyone who has been to the cities of these three Asean countries will understand why they are selling their stories much better to investors.

Let’s be blunt – they are telling investors to forget Malaysia as they highlight our continuing basket case political mentality and actions, with its cyclical scripts in tow.

Who can take us seriously if we believe a group of retired communists in wheelchairs can threaten national security over a reunion, which looked more like their farewell dinner?

Even the communists in China and Vietnam – countries which have good diplomatic ties with Malaysia – have embraced capitalism unlike those in other established free markets. The only thing communist is their political structure, that’s all.

And we still hear some small-minded chauvinists calling for the closure of vernacular schools, claiming they are the root to disunity.

The cause of our fragmentation isn’t these schools (which have produced many great talents), but the resident bigots and extremists.

Framed against this backdrop, it has become even more pertinent for those in significant positions of influence to speak up against these tyrants.

In November, Singapore launched its National AI Strategy, with three objectives to ensure it becomes a global hub for developing, test-bedding, deploying and scaling AI solutions, as well as learning how to govern and manage the impact of AI.

Schools in China have begun to emphasise the teaching of coding, robotics and AI in the great push to produce the best engineers and digital experts.

But our school system continues to be weighed down by politics, religion and language.

For just awhile, can we ask ourselves why we have been so preoccupied and emotional over so many superfluous issues that do nothing to propel Malaysia to become a developed nation?

It’s a small world after all, and in 2020, the world has become increasingly inclusive and is culturally more open and dynamic. But if we continue the way we are, we will remain in the lower tiers of national progress.

THEY were once heralded as brave, articulate and outspoken leaders, always weighing in on issues concerning the people, but they seem to have gone mute, or just disappeared.

The public used to count on these MPs to speak up for the people against the government for its abuse, corruption, wastage and disregard for laws.

The people called them the voices of conscience, and even when these politicians weren’t solicited by the media for their views, they voluntarily sent out press statements.

That resulted in newsrooms collecting similar press statements from many different people from the same political parties, or their component partners.

But a year later, and the transformation is finally becoming apparent. Some of them have transformed into “mute” politicians, who seem more concerned with not offending their colleagues in federal and state governments.

They are more worried about the feelings of their Cabinet members and the state executive councillors than that of the people, whom they promised to represent.

But an expanded waistline, a deeper pocket, adulation and praises that are often heaped on these powerful politicians, have disconnected them from the everyday man.

Perhaps they’ve been consumed by their own glory? Whatever it is, many have lost their voices. We can’t be sure if they even care anymore.

The outcome of the recent Tanjung Piai by-election was a wake-up call for the Pakatan Harapan government, and although many PH leaders said they got the message loud and clear, there’s scepticism as to whether lessons have been learned.

It’s unlikely they have, probably buying into the logic that the next general election is three years away. But a week is a long time in politics.

Throw in a few religious and racial issues into the ravenous pit of fodder, and the people will start feuding and be distracted from the real issues affecting the country. What economy problems? All is well and fine – our economy is stable.

“Education concerns? No way, we intend to be a world class education hub.

“What coding, what robotic syllabus? AI? You mean Anwar Ibrahim? No? Don’t worry about artificial intelligence, as the government is currently studying the matter”.

In the wake of several contentious issues, some touching on race and religion, professional journalists would insist on verifying the authenticity of letters or statements that become viral on social media.

The media’s experience now is, it’s almost impossible to get reactions from most Cabinet members or their deputies, and yet, often, the media gets blamed for inaccurate reporting.

On a recent issue of a letter, said to be from the Ministry of Education, that went viral, no one chose to reply. Perhaps they were on holiday, or perhaps I am a nobody who warranted their time and reply. Guess it must get harder for the average, faceless Malaysian.

My business contacts, who have direct access to ministers, have also expressed similar sentiments, saying their texts were read but not replied. The blue ticks – which denote read texts – have now been re-set, so no indication is generated if messages have been read. Only received messages are acknowledged.

Well, these assuring agents of promise of a New Malaysia have certainly lost their voices.

As writer Clement Stanley aptly wrote in Free Malaysia Today recently: “They were the voices of hopes, dreams and promises of better days ahead if the opposition did the impossible and came to power.

These voices were eagerly waited upon as they bred new life into what was thought to be a forgone conclusion. These voices united a nation, hitting the very nerve of all Malaysians who voted for change. In such orators and fighters lay our trust.”

He added, “but now, like obedient little children at bedtime, they are content to listen to bedtime stories with a happy ending.

“Today, these people on whom we once pinned our hopes, have become mute, a pale shadow of their former selves, toeing the line rather than resisting it.”

Worse, some have even become arrogant by dismissing doubt and concern of the people, while responding confrontationally (as if in opposition mode) to silence differing views. And this isn’t even criticism or dissent.

There are also reform groups which used to busy themselves writing to editors with their lengthy views and speaking at forums, but they too, have disappeared.

A few have transformed into apologists and have attempted to defend some policies while others have taken up government positions, thus putting them in a spot.

“Bro, I hope you understand – I share your views, but I am sure I can’t speak openly now, so please carry out your moderation stand, because I am behind you.”

The challenge for 2020 and beyond is to hope for the emergence of fresh voices to challenge conformity and convention, and to take politicians’ promises with much more than a pinch of salt.

They’ll be busy jostling for positions among themselves even as they tell us, with a straight face, that they are fighting for us, the ordinary people.

When one is in power, it’s safer to play the role of the three monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, as the saying goes.

It’s simply easier that way. After all, why rock the boat and lose it all, having waited so long to be in government?