Malaysia is hobbled by its governing coalition and opposition, stricken with political arthritis. The years of neglect demand a price neither could afford nor want to pay, and controlled for years by financial, religious, political placebos.

The National Front (BN) government believed its electoral monopoly made it invincible; the opposition believed their disparate political philosophies and a feeble electoral coalition at general election time could sweep it into power.

All it did was to put in place an utter inability to shake out of their respective arthritic political frames and stop the rot, for want of thinking and political statesmanship.

It can only be set right with the help of an external force. Political parties, in government and opposition, disagree. But politics in Malaysia has moved away, in five decades, from principle and ideas, to sycophantic follow-the-leader. Nothing else matters.