The Malaysian election - the flags game

 



Visitors landing in Malaysia will  know straight away that there is an election coming on. Of course the various party flags are a giveaway.

Funnily, though, in my state of Perak, the red rocket symboled, white flags of the opposition party, DAP, are conspicuously missing. Everywhere you turn your head, there were the ruling coalition’s (Barisan Nasional) bright blue flags, with the symbol of weigh-balance, in the center. It is followed by the green, white-circled flags of the opposition party, PAS. To a lesser extent, there are the Party Keadilan’s sky blue flags, with white split circles in the center, being seen accompanying the other parties’ flags.

DAP seems to have some sort of strategy, in not putting out the flags early, in tandem with the other parties. Maybe, it is going to shock and awe (thank you Mr. Bush, sir!) the awaiting Malaysian voters!

In this election, if the winner was determined today by the design, distribution and display of flags, then the ruling Barisan Nasional party will win hands down. The opposition parties will lose and the DAP party will be caught with its pants down and will also lose its deposit. Ha ha! Just a wanton contemplation!

The Age Old Utterances

“Is that a tear in your shirt?”

“Where?”

“Under the arm”.

“Where? I can’t see any”.

“April fool!”

That was my wife playing the April Fool joke on me. Well, she likes to berate me all right.

Funny, my kids don’t like to play the April Fool joke on me and neither do I like to play it on them. No, I don’t think it is because of shyness on our part. It is just that they don’t like to see their father being deceived or lose his integrity and the same goes for me in relation to my kids. But they would love to play the April Fool joke on their mother, anytime! And laugh their heads off!

Funny isn’t it?

Back to my spouse playing that trick on me. I am a man with some ego. I should have torn the shirt at the arm and showed her indeed she was right all along and so I was no April fool. But then I would have become another sort of fool - a real fool. So I didn't. He! He! Better be the April fool.

******

The present lousy times will one day become ‘those good old days’. Just as those miserable times when money was hard to come by, the same boring foods on the table, daily walking 2 kilometers to school, getting whacked by teachers for forgetting to bring certain stuff, riding your vehicles on the dusty and rough roads are now extolled as ‘those good old days’.

******

Taking you for a ride

I am a patriotic and law abiding driver of the nation. I follow all the rules and regulations of the traffic laws of Malaysia. 

The sign boards on highways and byways are to be adhered to avoid accidents and for the convenience of traveling. I follow them faithfully. If it was a 110km/hr road I would push my old car to its limit so that it could reach the required 110km/hr speed. Yes, we must follow the instructions as best as we could. If it was a 60km/hr road, I was saved! Consider me a slow coach. That would be quite suitable for me.

One signboard that always gets my sympathy is the signboard with two blacked out figures on yellow background, holding hands, crossing the zebra crossing. These type of signboards are almost always found near busy areas in towns and schools. People do not seem to be, actually, following the signs. They are not holding hands as depicted in the pictures! If they were meant for the school children, they are not holding hands either. Come on people, follow the signs! Hold hands!

For the gents, just have a photo of that road sign of the black couples holding hands, ready. You may need it if some dame takes you to court, for forcibly grabbing her hand, when you wanted to cross the road! Ha ha!

Well done Najib!

Now it is clear why Najib, the Malaysian PM kept on postponing the election date, letting the people go on guessing. It has nothing to do with Malaysia or rather, the state of condition or the political situation.

It has all got to do with Philippines - the MILF Agreement. The signing of the deal on regional autonomy was signed on October 15 between the Philippines government and the representatives of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It was brokered by Malaysia and rightly so the PM presented himself at the accord at the Malacanang Palace, together with the Philippines president Benigno S Aquino lll. Najib, being the great statesman he is, wanted to be at a position of strength, a Prime Minister of a nation. Dissolving the parliament for the election, resulting in the nation having a caretaker government would have hugely weakened his position and could have endangered the brokerage of the deal.

The accord resulted in a new autonomous region in Mindanao called Bangsamoro. Over 120,000 people had died in the 40-year conflict between the government forces and MILF. The MILF is actually a breakaway party from the initial MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) which is still in existence, but still, it is indeed a great achievement for Malaysia to be able to bring out such a settlement.

Well done Malaysia! Well done Najib!

(Photo from google images)