For once, put the people first please

There is no need to list down all the silly things that has happened in Parliament, but what is certainly lacking is a genuine will to move beyond petty politics (pic: Bernama)

There have been too many distractions to get us back on the road to mend after a fractious election and we Malaysians want no more of that

THE fact that the 15th General Election has been done and dusted months ago and that our 10th prime minister’s (PM) chair in Putrajaya is well broken-in, we were hoping that the healing between the parties could begin and we could aim our worry beads elsewhere, like making the economy work for instance.

In that spirit, I had already forgiven my cousin for posting all those TikTok sketches made by, let’s just say, uninformed propagandists on SocMed, right where I could see them. I should not have blocked you but some of the messages were so bad they made Goebbels look amateur. Well, I should have blocked you.

I am also sorry for telling your mom that we have made peace with other races a few decades ago and that we should not be overly persuaded by racial and religious political vote-baiting hot air. I did not mean to entice a 90-year-old woman to debate the merits of voting based on the frequency someone’s prayers.

There, I feel much better now. See what we can achieve if we are tolerant with each other?

Also, with the end of the hostilities, I expect to be able to re-enter my neighbourhood WhatsApp group where things had gotten out of hand in the run-up to the election last November.

I hope No 7-A has recovered from his political fever and is now able to have a civil conversation without going ALL CAPS in his text messages, and No 11 can safely profess her views without being doxed.

I must say I have been shocked at how so many otherwise civil people had turned stupid in the run-up to the election, and I hope that they have now had their prefrontal lobe functioning again.

I had hoped that I can go to the curry house down the road without having my Ayam Bawang meal spoiled by people arguing over Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang of Marang.

But oh look, there’s our elected MPs saying stupid things live on television. From what I had the stomach to follow of the “debates” in the Parliament, things have not cooled down at all.

In fact, there’s more mudslinging being done in the august House now than in the previous sessions.

The quality of the debates and questions is not very good. In fact, I’ve heard more intelligent conversations at the barber shop.

I don’t need to list down all the silly things that has happened in Parliament in the last couple of days, but what is certainly lacking is a genuine move or will to move beyond petty politics.

Instead of discussions on matters of importance, like the economy or falling purchasing power of the rakyat, MPs are posturing and getting materials and soundbites for their TikTok and Twitter.

You would think that it is the Opposition who is totally responsible for this unwillingness to move forward, but the government side is also showing signs of looking backwards in its zeal to unpack old baggage out in the open.

Case in point is the new zeal in which the anti-graft Commission is now showing for cases that are lost in the murky past for all we know. Though the intention that it wants to grab back money for the government is outwardly well and good, its expected outcome in terms of monetary grab-back is questionable.

This enthusiasm against graft also rings hollow with a deputy PM who is facing accusations of graft in court.

There have been too many distractions to get us back on the road to mend after a fractious election and we Malaysians want no more of that.

Come on MPs, get your act together and for once, put the people first, front and centre.