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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright July 2024
Oh, the melodrama of Malaysian politics, where the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, gallantly reminds Opposition MPs that they only need to negotiate for their parliamentary allocations.
Apparently, our esteemed PMX is baffled by why anyone would run 200 km to raise funds when a simple negotiation would suffice. "No need to run or jog," he quipped, with all the nonchalance of someone who’s never had to fundraise for a constituency.
Syed Saddiq’s “Langkah Muar” wasn’t just a jog in the park but a dramatic protest highlighting the absurdity of the situation. The young politician and his compatriots raised RM160,000, putting in a grueling 200 km marathon that the PMX dismisses as unnecessary.
One wonders if this is the same kind of "negotiation" Anwar suggests, the one that’s theoretically simple but practically elusive, especially for those outside the ruling coalition’s warm embrace.
Anwar insists that there are no conditions like needing to support the prime minister to receive allocations. Of course not. It's just a happy coincidence that those who do support him don’t have to lace up their running shoes to fund basic constituency needs. Why would anyone think otherwise? Perhaps, the MPs are just looking for an excuse to get some exercise and fresh air.
To Awang Hashim from Pendang, Anwar's advice is clear: hurry up and talk to your party whips. Maybe then the funds will flow as freely as Anwar’s reassurances.
After all, why complicate things with public fundraisers when a good old-fashioned chat with the government should solve everything? And if it doesn’t, well, you’re clearly not negotiating hard enough.
In this theatre of the absurd, the Opposition MPs' claim of receiving no federal funds stands in stark contrast to Anwar's idealistic vision of democratic negotiations. The message from the top is clear: no need for public spectacles, just negotiate. But perhaps the PMX should take a long, hard look at why these MPs feel compelled to resort to such measures in the first place. Maybe, just maybe, it’s not as straightforward as he’d like to believe.
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