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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright June 2024
Ah, the sweet irony of political righteousness!
Once upon a time, Anwar Ibrahim was the gallant knight in shining armour, riding high on his moral steed, ready to slay the dragons of corruption and gerrymandering.
Fast forward to the present, and it seems our hero has discovered that the dragon's lair is quite a cozy place to reside. Who knew the view from inside the belly of the beast was so delightful?
Enter the Sungai Bakap by-election, a saga that could rival any Shakespearean comedy. Our valiant Anwar, now firmly seated on his throne, is dishing out goodies like Santa Claus on steroids. RM17.75 million here, RM290,000 for mosques and suraus there.
It’s a regular festival of federal funds, all in the name of “development,” of course. But let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t altruism; it’s a tactical move straight from the playbook of “How to Win Elections 101.”
Rasuah Busters, the noble anti-graft crusaders, are having none of it. They've taken to Twitter, calling out the Madani government’s transparent attempt at buying votes with national coffers.
“Wrong is wrong,” they declare, no matter who’s sitting on the throne.
It’s almost poetic, isn’t it? The very practices Anwar condemned with righteous fury when he was the underdog are now being wielded with shameless abandon by his own administration.
Let’s not forget the recent KKB by-election, where a whopping RM75 million was pledged to build houses for estate workers.
Talk about setting a high bar for electoral bribery. If houses were votes, Anwar’s government would be winning landslide victories every other week.
BERSIH, the stalwart champions of clean and fair elections, have been quick to join the chorus of disapproval.
Their consistent stance against the misuse of government resources during elections hasn’t wavered. And why should it?
Watching the Madani government’s antics is like watching a rerun of a bad sitcom—you already know the punchlines, and they’re just as unfunny the second time around.
The criticism from Rasuah Busters and BERSIH is well-founded. Promises and gifts leading up to elections create perceptions of bribery and corruption, tarnishing the democratic process.
The notion that such tactics are necessary for “development” is laughable. If these projects were truly for the people’s benefit, they wouldn’t be rolled out like candy during election season.
But here we are, in a country where the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Anwar’s government has proven that it’s no different from its predecessors, despite the lofty promises of reform and integrity. Hypocrisy, thy name is politics.
So, as we approach the Sungai Bakap by-election, let’s keep our eyes peeled and our expectations low.
After all, the script has been written, and the actors are merely playing their parts. And who knows? Maybe one day, we’ll wake up in a Malaysia where elections are won on merit and policies, not on who can hand out the most cash. But until then, enjoy the show.
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