Perception and reality. Good or Evil. Right or wrong. Truth and Lies....these are just not only words that can evoke much passion within us all but these are also values that can stir within us all emotions that will drive many of us to make right what is wrong, make good what is evil and expose truth where there are lies.
For most of my adult life politics has been nothing more than a momentary distraction that comes and goes as elections are held and done with and life then goes on as before. From time to time there were other distractions. PAS and DAP were the main culprits, but always Umno emerged triumphant and all was back to normal.
Rule of law prevailed. The Police kept the peace and left us feeling safe and secured. The Judiciary was just. The Civil Service was...well the Civil Service - slow, plodding and pedantic but functioning without political undertones - its neutrality a given.
And then came Anwar Ibrahim and everything changed.
You and I became aware that what was good in Umno was in reality evil. Corruption, arrogance and nepotism was rampant.
What was right was wrong - Ketuana Melayu was being abused by politicians for personal gain.
And the truth were really lies - Umno was not the champions of the Malays nor MCA and MIC the champions for their respective race.
And since you and I took more than a passing interest in politics things have happened. Pakatan Rakyat came into being, the loss of BN's majority in Parliament, State governments changing hands, the emergence of a credible two party system in Malaysia, the loss by BN of the popular mandate to govern, the passing of Karpal Singh and Tok Guru Nik Aziz and the incarceration of Anwar Ibrahim.
We each, in our own personal way, did what we thought needed to be done to adjust to these new realities. Good or bad we had to live with the choices we made. For me personally, at age 60 I started blogging.
Now fast forward to today : April 2015.
Why has there been an outpouring of support bordering on hysteria and adulation for what Tun Mahathir is today trying to do - the removal of Najib Razak as Prime Minister of Malaysia?
The same Mahathir that has been reviled and the object of much odium and scorn by many for the things he did while in office? The same Mahathir whose creed was the ends justify the means - even if that meant interfering with the Judiciary and using the ISA to manage his political opponents?
Two words : Najib and Rosmah.
Impossible as it may seems, these two attracts more odium, disgust and contempt than Mahathir ever did. The outpouring of support for Mahathir is in direct proportion to the angst people have over the antics of Najib and Rosmah. Like water finding its own level the people of Malaysia too are finding their own level in their support for Mahathir and against Najib and Rosmah.
As of this week that balance is poised to tilt. Tilt Tun Mahthir's way!
Whether real or perceived Najib increasingly fells isolated. A desperate Najib begins to feel that the walls are closing in around him. The office of Prime Minister can no longer shield him from the demands of Tun Mahathir and the people of Malaysia for him to explain why his six years in office has come to this : 1MDB, Rosmah and a Prime Minister explaining perception and reality to his people!
But it will only start to matter when those within Umno begin the process of realigning their loyalties with whatever side they think will remain standing after Najib Razak and Tun Mahathir have fought the last battle.
Already Muhyiddin and two of Umno's three vice president have publicly distanced themselves from Najib. The first Ketua Bahagian to break rank and come out in support of Tun Mahathir will herald the beginning of the end for Najib.
For now we can only wait.
We live in interesting times. Let the games begin!
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