For a government used to doing its way no matter what people say, I sense a slight U-turn in how it works. Rather, how it wants to work from now on.
Led by parti gebede Umno, this was a government that did not care much about how people feel.
It didn't care much how people on the street reacted, as long as its warlords were kept fat and happy.
Forests of Shah Alam raped? Semuanya okay.
Istana Zakaria looked kinda shady? Other people also made same mistake.
Masjid Kristal and the Monsoon Cup a huge waste of public money? So what?
Or take the street protests: Remember Reformasi of 1998-99?
And just look at how it reacted to the now in/famous Hindraf demo in front of KLCC, and the Bersih protest.
There was always the standard reaction by the politicians, even as the cops were used to keep the peace.
Umno politicians made threatening noises. The poor abang polis were told to mount roadblocks and then dispense teargas and chemical-laced water.
Errr, but why all the use of past tense by me?
- Because, after the initial SOP (standard operating procedure) with regards to the protest by stupid Shah Alam cows using a cow-head, 12 people have been charged in court.
- After a longgggg period of hesitation, the man with the famous Bali Mansion has now been called in to explain how he could afford such extravagance.
And he was asked about the in/famous Disney trips also. You know, the high-end hotels and the rentals of limos, allegedly using money that taxpayers paid.
There will be a lot of sceptics. People who are saying 'this is all for show'.
But if the government didn't do nothing at all, then they will be accused of not listening to the rakyat (though truth be told, often times, the people who call themselves rakyat all belong to Pakatan).
- So, these events, plus the fact that the government bent over backwards recently on the Teoh Beng Hock inquest to listen to this fabled 'rakyat', is a good sign.
We shall see if this is carried through religiously in coming months and years to show that in issues that disgust people. act fast. Even if warlords are rattled.
Then Pakatan will be worried that the Najib administration wants to change the game.
- The next thing to look out for in the turning over of a new leaf for Umno (if that is what it is!), is of course coming very soon: whether it will retain a tainted old warlord in Negeri Sembilan, or pick someone else. Like Isa Samad's untainted son, Najib Isa.
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