Of Optimism and Pessimism

Some people say that the entertainment industry in Malaysia is withering to death. Academic Fantasia and Malaysian Idol are pretty crappy too, apparently. Well I guess people who made those claims should go and eat their words. Malaysian government proved that they are the biggest drama producer. After coming back from an 8-day break, I was totally surprised by the amount and the quality of the newly-released dramas. It took me hours to digest all the latest news.

Some of the HINDRAF people got arrested and prosecuted for "attempted murder", some are released on bail; some and some people got arrested in the Parliamental precinct (the police / BN is getting creative this time, aren't they) for... drum roll ... submitting a memorandum, lobbying against the obscene tainting of constitution. In case you don't know about it, in response to the BERSIH rally, our MPs decided to change the constitution for the retiring age for the election committee - so that they can keep the chairman who's retiring in a few months.

And every single BN MP unanimously supported the bill.

MCA, MIC, UMNO, you name it, the 189 people chosen and trusted by people, decided that constitution is a play script, editable by BN's whims and fancies to suit themselves in a single election. All opposition members walked out of the Parliament before the ballot. They knew that they were going to change nothing.

The saddest thing about all those dramas is, in the next election, the same people are going to win. And in the next next election. And in the next, next and next election.

So, it kinda makes us wonder: at this darkest time of our parliament history, what is the use of optimism in us? Are we, or in this matter, am I, being foolishly optimistic that change is going to come? That, despite the Burmish and Soviet Union-inspired dictatorship, things are going to make a U-turn and one our country might actually meet its own salvation?

The other day I was chatting with one of my friends about optimism and pessimism. It was actually about another issue highlighted by the leng-lui blogger pinkpau (original post) regarding the corruption and racism in our police force. But then I thought the same discussion applies to the country on a whole, so I might just share it with you here. The sentences might be a bit incoherent and disjointed because it's kind of a chat transcript.

I have always wondered about this: It's funny how every time we see so many people who are against the BN and during election campaigns we see throngs of people turning out to the opposition speeches and how everyone online seems to be adamantly voting no to BN; but during election, when the TV reveals the result, we still see seats after seats swept under the BN flag. Funny how representative the voices we hear are of the general population. And it makes me wonder, who are the people who vote for BN every time? What's going on in their mind?

I kind of postulated that those votes mainly come from a lot of kampung people whose source of knowledge are from Utusan Melayu, and Chinese who mostly vote BN because of their fear for the Islamic state as touted by PAS. For as long as the politicians could, they would still want those people to live in fantasy so that they can stay in power longer.

But then this is going to change I am sure. I can't imagine what kind of changes there will be, to be honest. Things will not change in a single election and I can't tell you how many years it will take to change the situations and what kind of change will happen and whether the change is for the good or just another dead-end like fanatic religious fundamentalism. But the thing is, change is definitely possible and it's already begun.

For example, many people look at the recent demonstrations and lament, "See, what can they change? Aren't they going to be dispersed every single time, and aren't the foolish people going to hold the power years after years?" While technically it's true that the corruption will not be changed on a single day and BN is definitely still going to win the next election but with more and more disquiet and more exposure and with more better-exposed people coming in, and to be blunt but honest, with more older people no longer voting, the same old tricks of the current government will not work for long.

Many people are tired with the same thing and most people have the fatigue of things not changing especially the older generations like our parents or grandparents. It's because things have been going from bad to worse in their time. But then we should never forget that when the British empire were still colonizing us everyone also thought they were invincible; but after Japan invaded Malaya people realized that British were not exactly invincible and that's how we got our independence in the first place. (A very good comment about this sentiment by __earth in ReCom)

Speaking of reality, change is definitely going to happen, the only question is how long. It could be ten years (the best, near impossible estimate). It could be fifty years. The question is, will you gamble your own life with this unknown future?

Some people choose to be positive and to stay in the country to actually help improve it - by their votes or by participating in politics. For a moving example, consider this guy, Tony Pua (the author of that Space Judiciary article), he's a CEO of a public-listed company, an Oxford graduate, and he could have decided to join the corruption fleet or flee to other country. But he chose to stay and enter the opposition - the worst career possible, some might say. (Read this moving speech about why he's staying despite his bright future. It's in Chinese, unfortunately.)

Some people with more money / resource take the easier way to seek what they think is definitely a better future - go overseas.

To be honest I don't know the best answer to that myself. Of course I have an ethical obligation to stay in Malaysia; but if I don't have that obligation, I don't know what decision I would make.

What's your plan for your own future? Or, what do your parents tell you to plan?