COMMENT | The man from Pagoh
COMMENT | In the past couple of weeks, with the slow resurrection of film production, I did a cameo role for a telemovie, and played the lead in a commercial, and I have been booked for a couple of scenes in a potential tele-series in a couple of weeks.
This dabbling in acting for the camera in recent days possibly explains my response to the occasion of International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali and his faction finally and formally confirming their membership in Bersatu.
"With the utmost sincerity, on this auspicious evening, myself and my team, we announce that we are joining Bersatu and supporting the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.”
Azmin declaring his “utmost sincerity” – that’s a laugh.
It’s just my psychological hang-up – if I had to buy a used car or an electrical appliance, businesses with Sincere in the name would elicit a wary avoidance from me, a reflexive distrust, even though they may actually not be out to...
COMMENT | In the past couple of weeks, with the slow resurrection of film production, I did a cameo role for a telemovie, played the lead in a commercial, and have been booked for a couple of scenes in a potential tele-series in a couple of weeks.
This dabbling in acting for the camera in recent days possibly explains my response to the occasion of International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali and his faction finally and formally confirming their membership in Bersatu.
"With the utmost sincerity, on this auspicious evening, myself and my team, we announce that we are joining Bersatu and supporting the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.”
Azmin declaring his “utmost sincerity” – that’s a laugh.
It’s just my psychological hang-up – if I had to buy a used car or an electrical appliance, businesses with 'Sincere' in the name would elicit a wary avoidance from me, a reflexive distrust, even though they may actually not be out to fleece me… not much.
What was inspirational was Azmin’s narrative of how he had arrived at that stage.
He said he and his supporters had longed for credible leadership, and a political platform capable of representing the desires of all Malaysians.
The nation was in dire straits. The nation had to be saved. Something had to be plotted out.
"However, no matter how great our strategy or our team, its success and future victories demand for us to have a charismatic, firm and gracious commander-in-chief… (Yo bro, laying it on a bit thick here, particularly “charismatic”. The lapping tongue doesn’t have to loll out so much.)
“Tan Sri (Muhyiddin), in this hall, so many warriors have been waiting for a leader and a platform for our struggle. (Which begs the question – what were you guys doing in your previous parties, just passing time, waiting to seize the day?)
“Finally, me and my friends in the grassroots sighted a man from Pagoh, someone big-hearted, hard-working and proven as a superior leader."
There you are, Finas – sure box-office blockbuster epic. Catchy title: 'The Man From Pagoh'.
Treatment: A town riven by two political families, showing debilitating signs of incestuous political in-breeding, an unprincipled flighty, flirty indecision as to where they stood on anything.
Meanwhile, a plague is ravaging lives, fearfully driving life away from streets and businesses. Thousands are jobless. Succour comes in the form of a few hundred from the political families, while they help themselves to millions, a necessity because support must be bought.
In the darkest hour of the people - (in apropos, I am finishing Tibor Fisher’s comic novel “Under the Frog,” set in Hungary in the years at the end of World War II, culminating in the 1956 uprising against the Soviets. The title is taken from a Hungarian expression, "a béka segge alatt"; used to describe any situation when things can't seem to get any worse: "under a frog's a***, down a coalmine."), when despondent despair had befogged all hope, in the distance – (Cue music: A pastiche of Morricone-inspired whistling and Jew’s harp twanging, or go truly Asian – relentless, thunderous kompang, pounding hide for prancing lion dancers, staccato fingering of tabla, wailing serunai) – a lone figure, striding resolutely forward.
The town was divided in its loyalties. He will bring them together.
As he gets nearer to the town, looms larger in the frame, he gathers a growing following, 200,000 of the young, more, drawn to his messianic message: he will represent all the people, not just one race.
He may be an avowed 'Malay-first' above all others, but he is prepared to associate with non-Malays. He generously grants that non-Malays can even hold positions. Too much man, too much largesse. (I am sure there will be lots of people in the queue to be associated with him, so flexibly useful in deals.)
Azmin sketched out the geographical stretch of the appeal in his speech, from sea to shining sea: “In this hall there are representatives from north to south, east to west, Perlis to Sabah, not only the Malays, but Iban, Chinese, Indians, Melanaus, Bajau warriors from Semporna, as well as Bugis warriors from Kalabakan.”
How is that for a riposte to Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pejuang, and his restrictive appeal and focus on the Malays?
So now, besides the majority Malays having a wealth of parties championing their cause, defending their rights, the much smaller numbers of Chinese, Indian, and 'Others' voters have another party to draw some of their votes. The country is splintering and getting under many of our skins, and they say 'all is well'.
THOR KAH HOONG is a veteran journalist.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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