Hopeful

I noticed that the front page of a local Chinese newspaper features a picture of Pak Lah, Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, etc smiling towards a photographer in the parliament, on the day of them swearing in as Members of Parliament. Something buzzed.

The much-anticipated “post-tsunami” politics is about to dawn on us. A new chapter, definitely; a new balance of power, for sure; more check and balance, yes; a better tomorrow, we’ll see, hopefully.

Probably, once the parliament sessions start, a few more scandals would be revealed, or a few more misdeeds are going to surface, which would cause a few more “niamah”, or “like that also can-meh”, or "ai-yoh” to be uttered by the public. But whatever is going to happen in this “new-era” of Malaysia politics, I am hopeful.

For now, the rules of our politics have changed. No one would be able to predict what’s going to happen down the road. Hopefully, gone will be the era of blatant corruption or abuse of powers; gone will be the wasteful usage of our blood-and-sweat money; gone will be the day of interests of specific race sacrificed for the benefit of others; gone will be everything that will destroy Malaysia.

Hopefully, the current set of MPs, old and new, will instill within them the fact that their newly empowerment by the people, has a new sense of directives – simply, a better Malaysia for all Malaysian.

The fiery exchanges between the opposing parties will unlikely be ceased. The name-calling will unlikely be stopped. As long as the people’s interests are their ultimate motives, they can even take off their shoes and throw at the other side. The show, would go on. But once the argument is over, they should be able to put their political identity aside, and put on their hats of People’s Servant, and perform their duties for us, the Malaysian. Much like how the opposing political figures stood together and form a “heart-warming” picture in the newspaper.

I probably have too little knowledge and experience to say, “Ah .., wishful thinkings. Things will never change!”; or too simplistic to have such “false” hopes. But hopes they may be, for one day, if I let these hopes wither, I’ll probably start searching for greener pastures in other countries, just as thousands have already done, and thousands more are still doing. For the sake of my children and for the sake of my heart, may that day never arrive. I’m an optimist.