When Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed that some of his staff had been affected to the point of feeling depressed by criticism on social media, one question immediately came to mind: What exactly did they expect?
Did they think that becoming a minister, working for the government or being part of the administration would automatically earn them praise?
Did they expect every policy, decision and statement to be met with applause?
Reality does not work that way
Being in government is not simply about holding office or exercising power. It comes with a huge responsibility because government decisions directly affect the lives of millions of people.
That is why governments are scrutinised. Ministers are scrutinised. And in the age of social media, that scrutiny happens almost 24 hours a day.
Of course, not every comment deserves attention. Some criticism is constructive, some is based on facts, while others may simply be abusive or personal.
But the government must be able to distinguish between meaningless attacks and genuine public dissatisfaction.
If people are unhappy about rising costs, they will speak up. If they believe promises have not been fulfilled, they will ask questions. If they do not understand a policy, they will challenge it.
And if they believe the government has failed to deliver what it once promised, they have every right to demand answers. Isn't that part of democracy?
When You Were in Opposition
This is something the government today should perhaps remember. When Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in opposition, criticism of the government was hardly unusual.
All previous administrations were criticised including Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, Ismail Sabri and even Tun Dr Mahathir.
At the time, questioning the government was often presented as an important part of democracy, a citizen's right to hold those in power accountable.
So the question today is simple: Does that principle only apply when you are in opposition?
When you were in opposition, you questioned the government.
Now, the people question you. You demanded answers from previous administrations. Now, you are expected to provide them.
You demanded transparency. Now, the public demands the same from you. That is the reality of governing.
Reform Comes With Expectations
PH did not receive the people's mandate simply because Malaysians wanted different faces in Putrajaya.
Many supported PH because they believed it would bring meaningful change, political reform, better governance, stronger institutions, greater transparency and ultimately a better life for ordinary Malaysians.
When you raise expectations that high, you cannot be surprised when the public sets equally high expectations for your performance.
This does not mean the government has done nothing right. There are certainly policies and decisions that deserve recognition.
But Malaysians should not be expected to pretend that everything is perfect. The government should not ask people to stop criticising.
Instead, it should demonstrate that criticism can be answered with facts, policies and results.
The Price of Power
Governing a country is difficult. You make decisions on the economy, education, security and how taxpayers' money is spent. Those decisions affect millions of people.
So yes, you will be watched, questioned and criticised.
But wasn't this position something you fought to obtain?
No one forced anyone to seek political power.
Once you choose to lead, you also choose to accept the pressure that comes with leadership. That is the price of power.
When you are in opposition, it is easy to point out what is wrong with the government.
But once you become the government, you no longer have the luxury of simply pointing out problems.
You have to solve them, defend your policies and explain decisions that people do not understand.
And when promises cannot be fulfilled, you have to explain why. Not blame the public for asking questions or accusing the social media for being too loud.
And certainly not expect Malaysians to focus only on your achievements while ignoring your shortcomings.
Now Is the Time to Prove It
The people are not spectators. They are the ones who gave you the mandate.
Criticism does not necessarily mean that people hate the government. Sometimes, criticism exists precisely because people expect more.
PH once presented itself as a political force capable of governing Malaysia better.
Now that it has been given the opportunity to prove it, that responsibility rests on its shoulders.
Perhaps, therefore, the more important question is not why Malaysians continue to criticise the government.
The question is: Why has the government yet to convince enough Malaysians that the change it once promised is genuinely being felt?
A government cannot choose to listen only when the public applauds. If you want to lead a country, you must also be prepared to listen when people disagree.
Because in a democracy, a government is not measured by how many people praise it. It is measured by how well it fulfils the trust placed in it.
Azzman Mantoya (azzman.tvpertiwi@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!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
