HAVING read and seen the obnoxious exchanges between senior politicians on matters of little consequence to the man on the street, I am reminded of the puppeteer in a wayang kulit show. He is the man behind all actions and showmanship of the characters. In fact, the characters are inanimate unless the push and pull comes from the puppeteer.
When we delve deeper and deeper into the current controversy the stink becomes too much to bear and not only are the revelations confusing, it gets somewhere between the truth and a lie. It appears from what we read that the puppeteer is still at large.
I usually try to stay clear of the trodden path of falling into the trap of political drama but this time around, my friends and colleagues whom I know have little inclination for politics are all “watching” the show with deep interest and are intrigued.
With that, of course, there is complete distrust in the minds of people who are now pretty sure that Malaysia Baru might be just a fad, one that has waned too quickly, too soon. This is really sad as the clatter eclipses a lot of the good work that has indeed come through from the newbie government.
How do we explain and justify the backbiting, attacks and the slew of conniving events that have shaken our core. Politicians vs politicians get dragged over the coals and the vicious cycle repeats. We easily dismiss them as part of politics.
When the nation woke up one morning and decided that Malaysia must change for the better, we collectively put all our hopes and aspirations into one basket and handed it to the politicians.
Malaysia has changed in a lot of ways, in the last 14 months but can we positively say for the better? I am not sure.
I was speaking to a woman who used to run a parlour in Brickfields and she shared with me how she had to bring the shutters down for good on her business of 15 years. “People do not have money, I heard a lot of talk that with the new government it will be all good, does not look like it,” she said.
She is not alone in her lament. There are scores of issues plaguing our economy and the country’s financial wellbeing.
Everything that happens turns into a political spectacle and squabbling in full view of the public seems to be new age politics, it is both ugly and tiresome just being a spectator.
Incidentally, on a separate matter, I notice of late many Indian and Mamak restaurants closing down and I hear the murmur that running an eatery is becoming increasingly difficult. The workers used to be from India but Malaysia is not lucrative for the workers anymore.
One waiter I have known for almost a decade working in a restaurant in Petaling Jaya said he was calling it a day and returning to his hometown in India. He reasoned that the salaries in Malaysia have stagnated over the years and back home he may be able to earn just as much or more. “Why bother being away from home and the loved ones and on top of that the working and living conditions are deplorable. I work up to 12-16 hours mostly,” he said.
On another occasion, my regular grocery was full of impatient shoppers and there weren’t enough hands to go around. I had to wait at many choke points before I walked out with my purchases and I bumped into the store owner. I asked why the rush and he said all his workers had left. “Why not locals,” I asked. “Bring me the local workers and I will pay you a commission for each,” he replied me and the conversation ended.
In the meantime, when the government was going on a tirade sweeping up illegal workers and immigrants, the regular dens where foreigners were doing brisk business it was business as usual.
I wonder if the foreigners who play hide-and-seek with our vigilantes ever get caught or do they keep the game of hide-and-seek going, without fear or remorse. We have illegal maid supply agencies who bring in workers from India on plantation permits and have them work as maids on an hourly basis. One woman in my neighbourhood is making handsome money out of this.
Malaysia is indeed a land of opportunities, definitely for those who are game to eke out a living the wrong way.
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