The autocratic rule of Umno – Michael Penworth

It’s difficult to take proclamations of democracy from an incumbent government seriously when the leader of its opposition festers in jail on trumped-up charges, or when yellow T-shirts are deemed illegal.

It’s difficult to keep a straight face when a country’s prime minister attempts to show himself as a paragon of integrity, especially when questionable "donations" from vested interests have swollen his personal bank account, so much so that he’s had to give back some of the very generous gifts.

Indeed, it’s difficult not to despair when we look to the likes of Singapore and South Korea – two countries that were less developed than Malaysia 50 years ago – have since raced ahead and are now flourishing.

As an expat living in Malaysia for just over one year now, there is much to love about the country. The warm and welcoming people, the food, the stunning scenery, its rich history, the creativity and talent that exists here, the untapped potential – the list goes on.

But there is a crippling frustration in observing a country from the inside, and seeing just how much the untapped potential is being held back by those politicians who seem to believe it’s their God-given right to do as they please, all the while trying in vain to maintain a facade of moderation and tolerance.

Power corrupts

It’s little wonder such greed and complacency exists within the ruling government. Umno has been at the helm for so long, it’s understandable that its members should think they’re entitled to remain in power indefinitely.

With an opposition that lacks cohesion, and whose prominent members often allow their idealism to get in the way of pragmatic politics, how can we not understand how Umno operates and conducts itself the way that it does?

However, that’s not to say Umno is justified in how it governs, by any means. Where else in the Commonwealth do we hear rumours of political leaders rumoured to be linked to high-profile murders?

Where else do we see high-ranking judiciary officials being so easily and openly replaced when they start asking uncomfortable questions within an unwelcome investigation?

Where else in other democracies do we see such efforts by the government to silence its critics, and refer to opposition members, past and present, as "enemies"?

We must give credit where credit is due: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has rode the tumultuous storm well, but in his attempts to spin his way out of his latest scandal (in a long line of scandals), he underestimates the people of Malaysia and insults their intelligence. If you leave BS to fester long enough, even those with the weakest sense of smell soon become repulsed.

Downward spiral

The autocratic rule of Umno has put Malaysia on a path of regression. Najib may say that such criticism comes from petulant opponents but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Malaysia has an ailing economy, and the country’s international credibility is completely shot. Its middle class is feeling the pinch of incompetent governance while the poor are suffering increasingly, there’s also a worrying dearth of people who are proficient in the English language and – most worrying of all – young graduates are leaving in their droves to enjoy life on greener pastures, while government initiatives to seduce expat Malaysians into coming home fail miserably.

Why should young professionals return home when they can not only receive appropriate earnings in their fields of interest elsewhere, but also enjoy an array of freedoms at a time where many of the freedoms in Malaysia have corroded, and others continue to be reviewed in the interests of national security, of course?

While Najib continues to head the ruling government, it’s important to keep in mind that, while it’s tempting to place all our focus on the individual, the political problems in Malaysia are systemic and can only be remedied through proper reform of the political process, where we might find people of a certain calibre who can govern this rich nation of potential with the truth, integrity and justice it so deserves.

Future struggle

For Najib, the cracks are starting to appear. It’s important, for the sake of the country’s future – for your country’s future – that we continue in our efforts to chip away at the greed, injustice and deceit of the few if we are ever to ensure a fair, just and prosperous tomorrow.

It can seem impossible to swim against the tide – especially when Najib and his Umno PR machine are so adept at playing the people off against each other.

"Problems? If we’re facing problems, it’s because of the Chinese/Indians/Bangladeshis/other foreign workers – we should unite together to ensure Malaysia’s way is maintained… Oh, but don’t forget, we’re all 1Malaysia."

To see the country in such dire straits is disheartening. It is governed by people who claim to love the nation but who are, in reality, hell-bent on squeezing it dry of all its worth, while stripping away the liberties and freedoms of the people.

As I consider my own future and that of my family, I’m fortunate enough to know we have options many others don’t. I wonder about the country’s development, to say nothing of lofty goals of achieving high-income status by 2020, and I think about the children of Malaysia and how their government is crushing the very potential that could otherwise see the nation’s brightest and best creating an optimistic and prosperous future for a country that should already be there now. – March 14, 2016.

* Michael Penworth reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.