By Niza Shimi
Lately, when the 10th Prime Minister (PMX) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks, the Bee Gees song “Words” runs through my mind, especially the lyrics “Its’ only words, but words are all I have to take your heart away”.
It wasn’t so obvious when he was opposition leader and candidate for the 15th general elections (GE15) when words like “bangang” (idiot) was used often to express his sentiments about politicians from the “other” side or whoever he deemed unworthy.
But then these days as PMX, he has to tread carefully as he is presiding over a “Unity Government” that might threaten to disunite whenever the wind blows strong enough in the opposite direction. He is walking on “eggshells” so to speak.
Perhaps by turning into a sesquipedalian (a person who uses big words) of the Malay language by using archaic, obscure and complex words that normal people don’t throw around while chatting, he can distract from the distastefulness of dissenters.
Words he used when he was in his heyday as deputy prime minister under the administration of PM4 (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad such as marhaen (ordinary folks), seantero dunia (all over the world) has crept into the public psyche and is often used in association with PMX.
But a recent revival of the word “madani” (civilized) has been causing some confusion. According to former Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), Anuar Tahir, PMX has been interested in the madani concept since the 1970s when he was still a student at Universiti Malaya.
As Anuar explained, the now PMX even wrote about a “masyarakat madani” (civilized society) in great detail in the book he authored, The Asian Renaissance, that was published in 1996. If I recall, Anwar was even dubbed the Renaissance Man, once upon a time.
However, PMX recently unveiled what is known as the Malaysia Madani blueprint. Instead using the word as is, madani is used as a forced acronym by using alphabets within the six tentpoles of the “new reformation plan” entitled "Developing a Madani Nation".
Quite a mouthful for a complicated sounding abstract concept that comprises six simple ideas or “tentpoles”, which are sustainability, well-being, creativity, respect, confidence and kindness. I assume, the tentpoles hold up the vague “big tent” of the Unity Government.
An already political weary nation is now confronted with perplexing words that mean nothing until the more important issues such as the high cost of living, unemployment and global economic challenges are dealt with.
But perhaps words are all that PMX has to show for now. It is certainly keeping journalists busy trying to translate words like cerakin (analysis), islah (correction), tataan (order) and kemitraan (partnership).
But it also has got Malaysians poking fun at PMX’s sesquipedalian tendencies, which seem to have gone into overdrive now that he is PM, with hilarious memes. Even writer and former academician Murray Hunter offers a meme; that MADANI means MAD ANwar Ibrahim. Hunter writes: “Mao Zedong had his Red Book, Muammar Gaddafi had his Green Book and Anwar has Malaysia Madani. In Anwar’s mind, there should be some legacy here.”
Would that be a forced legacy perhaps, just like making MADANI an acronym when there clearly isn’t one if you follow the rule of using the initial letter. The English version is SCRIPT which stands for sustainability, care and compassion, respect, innovation, prosperity, and trust.
That makes more sense. But it seems that whatever PMX wants, PMX gets even if it makes no sense at all.
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