Mat Sabu was right when he said Malaysians were cowards. He compared us unfavourably to the Indonesians, Burmese and Thais, who he said had managed to bring about positive transformation in their countries by refusing to tolerate corruption, abuses of power and injustices.
He said Malaysians had been left behind, and then he asked: “How long are we going to stay like this?”
Mat Sabu’s question was obviously rhetorical. Most thinking Malaysians have the answer: “We’ll stay like this for as long as we vote the same people into power again.” In fact, we suspect that’s exactly what most voters will do in the next election because, as Mat Sabu said, “We’re willing to be lied to.”
We are indeed cowards. We feel it’s safer to believe the slick words of Umno-Baru leaders.
Mat Sabu’s frustration is understandable. He knows that the opposition has disintegrated. PAS and Umno-Baru has made sure of that. So it was rather disingenuous of Nik Abduh to criticise his former comrade in PAS for tossing away his microphone in despair.
We complain about rising prices, corruption, or a poorly functioning civil service. We tell ourselves that we will vote for the opposition in the next election. And then along comes an Umno-Baru leader to warn the Malays – who represent a large portion of voters – that “a vote for the opposition is a vote against Islam. Umno is the only party that can protect the Malays and their interests. If you vote for the opposition, you will allow the Chinese to control you, and you help to make Malaysia a Christian country.”
So, despite his earlier resolve, the Malay voter will again vote in Barisan Nasional to ensure that “the party that protects the Malays” will remain in power.
So, yes, Mat Sabu is right. We fear something that we only imagine, and it is Umno-Baru that has fed our imagination.
Do we dare write letters to the director of a government department to complain about corruption in that department? Of course not. We are afraid that our application for some government contract will be rejected outright or that our income tax returns will be heavily scrutinised.
Our public officials continue to do as they please because they have been getting away with corrupt practices for decades.
If we had started dealing with corruption firmly a long time ago, it is possible that the level of corruption and injustice might not be as severe as it is today.
If the citizens of a developed nation were to hear allegations that their leader had received a foreign donation worth RM2.6 billion to fund an election, the reaction would have been immediate. There would be mass protests in parliament and on the streets.
For us, it barely caused a ripple in the public sphere. Major activity was seen only on the faceless social media. Indeed, some of us thought that there was nothing wrong with the Prime Minister receiving such a huge donation from a foreign source.
Who do you think make police reports against opposition MPs, human rights NGOs and Umno-Baru politicians who dare complain about corruption in government? Who else, but Malay and extremist NGOs who have unofficial backing from the top. They know that ordinary citizens won’t rock the boat. We normally think of our rice bowls first. The country’s well being is secondary.
Malaysia suffers because of our apathy and cowardice. Mat Sabu’s outburst should make us reflect on this and perhaps encourage us to be bolder for the sake of the nation.
Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.