LETTER | The recent, much-ballyhooed love-fest between the two exclusively Malay political parties PAS and Umno was not a major realignment of Malaysian politics, as many had interpreted, rather a pitiful demonstration of the despair, dumbness, and most of all, the desperation of their respective leaders. They have failed to address the embarrassing backwardness of the Malays while they were in power for the past 60 years.

Now dislodged from their lofty perches as a consequence of the 14th general election, these leaders are left with thumping their collective chests calling for Malay unity. When pressed, as with unity towards what, their vacuous thinking is exposed. They are devoid of answers. What they are really scheming at is to be back in power so they can once again loot the nation with impunity.

The ugly reality and utter shame of continued Malay backwardness remains and is made intolerable considering that all the major levers of powers – from the sultans, ministers and the civil service - have been in almost exclusive Malay hands during those decades.

Instead of facing up to that failure and doing much-needed soul-searching, these leaders and their followers now resort to scapegoating and wallowing in their victimhood status. With DAP now in the ruling coalition, it has become their favourite whipping boy.

With Dr Mahathir Mohamad bringing in such sterling talents as the new Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, those previously powerful and untouchable leaders now face criminal prosecution that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives. Instead of lauding this brave move, Umno and PAS Malays would prefer instead that their favourite and clueless former AG Apandi Ali to remain in charge. Malays should be ashamed of him and others of his ilk, not proud of them.

Malays must confront the reality that many of our leaders have been corrupt and incompetent. They have also betrayed the rakyat's trust in them. Some top leaders had been in cahoots with foreign elements, both East and West, to rob Malaysia to satisfy their insatiable greed.

Why did we let them? How did these flawed characters rise so high? Does that reflect on our culture? Where is the Koranic wisdom that Allah would not allow His community to be in error? Why have Malays been so wrong in choosing these leaders?

Worst is their lack of shame, much less any sense of remorse or contrition despite the motherlode of foreign currencies stored in used-produce boxes (instead of in banks) found at their residences. Malays still consider these criminals fondly as their bossku (our boss). Look at the perversity of the recent by-elections in Semenyih and Cameron Highlands.

This new Umno-PAS alignment is purported to defend Islam and Malay interests. The first is laughable if not pathetic. This great faith does not need defenders, least of all from these slimy characters. Islam had withstood the hordes of Mongol invaders and survived powerful Western colonialism. It does not need these lebai with their “syariah-compliant lies”. 

I would have far greater confidence – and respect – had these leaders articulated their vision beyond such hackneyed calls for Ketuanan Melayu or making Malaysia Tanah Melayu again. What do they have in mind? A pogrom against the non-Malays? You would have the Chinese navy landing on Malaysian shores in no time. The Japanese took only days to overrun Malaysia despite formidable British defences.

Get real, folks. The sooner these Malay leaders in Umno and PAS accept the present reality, the easier and faster they can make the necessary adjustments and return to power to lead us forward.

If only these leaders had said they wanted Malay unity towards improving our schools and healthcare so as to enhance the quality of our human capital or strengthening our social structures to reduce rampant abandoned babies, underage marriages, and drug addiction. Go beyond, then I and many others would be the first to join forces with them.

Tradition has it that the Prophet was once asked for the signs of the end of time. “When the naked, destitute, and barefooted become your shepherds,” (approximate rendition).

These then are the new Malay leaders, our wira negara dan bangsa – naked of ideas, destitute of imaginative initiatives and barefoot of experience or competence.

Malay leaders and the ulama have it backwards. They are busy looking into ancient texts on how to develop the nation instead of studying the problems and then recruiting the best minds to solve them. These leaders are obsessed only with displaying their ostentatious piety when they should be focusing on formulating sound public policies.

They will continue doing so until we, the rakyat, tell them in no uncertain terms that that is no longer acceptable.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.