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By Mihar Dias October 2026
"How do you become famous in Malaysian politics?", asked a fellow diner at mamak joint. My resoonse. You can deliver a fiery ceramah, expose an opponent’s scandal, promise to abolish tolls, or announce that the country is on the brink of economic salvation. Alternatively, you can simply speak English with a "London accent" and become the subject of national amusement.
Enter the PAS information chief, whose interview about the Budget has attracted ridicule from detractors who apparently found his delivery more entertaining than his message. The controversy, highlighted by Focus Malaysia, has acquired a life of its own, with the expression “haze budget” becoming a convenient weapon for political mockery.https://focusmalaysia.my/stop-mocking-pas-info-chiefs-haze-budget-interview-he-deserves-kudos-for-speaking-london/
In Malaysia, we have always had a talent for confusing presentation with substance. A politician who speaks fluent English is considered intelligent until he says something foolish. Another who struggles with the language is presumed incompetent before he has finished his sentence. And if he happens to belong to PAS, some critics seem to regard every verbal stumble as confirmation of their prejudices.
Apparently, even the Queen’s English has become a partisan commodity.
But before we join the national laughter club, perhaps we should pause to consider what exactly we are laughing at.
A haze is a haze, whichever party you belong to
Malaysia knows something about haze. We have endured seasons when the sky turns grey, buildings disappear into the distance and the air becomes thick enough to give our lungs an unwanted economics lesson. We know what happens when visibility deteriorates: motorists slow down, flights are disrupted and people begin asking who is responsible.
When a politician’s explanation of a national budget is equally difficult to see through, however, the public is expected to applaud, condemn or defend it according to party affiliation.
That is where the joke becomes more interesting than the man who inspired it.
If a PAS representative struggles to communicate a point, his opponents celebrate. If a government minister delivers an elaborate explanation filled with economic terminology that leaves ordinary Malaysians scratching their heads, his supporters may describe it as sophisticated policy communication. If the opposition makes an equally incomprehensible statement, the government’s cheerleaders are suddenly available for a masterclass in ridicule.
We have perfected the art of seeing clearly through the fog on our own side while discovering spectacular blindness when it comes from the other.
Yet the real purpose of political communication is not to impress an audience with accent, vocabulary or grammatical precision. It is to explain what a policy means, who benefits, who pays and what the government intends to achieve.
A haze is a haze, whether it originates from burning forests or political smoke and mirrors. And an unclear budget remains hazy even when presented in impeccable English or flowery Bahasa Malaysia.
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Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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