Sin Chew Daily

The coronavirus is spreading like wildfire in this country, and the authorities blame the people for not complying with the SOPs.

Well, we have no way to argue the government's accusation and just have to swallow it. But what about those big shots in the government? Are they complying with the SOPs and are morally unblemished, to say the least?

Almost a year now, and individual political parties are still fighting their own wars against one another. If we have to follow the rules, can these YBs and senior government officials be exempted? Little wonder we have failed to fix our politics, the pandemic, as well as our economy.

While many have pinned their hopes on a new year, barely a week has passed since the start of 2021 and we are already witnessing ridiculous fracas in politics.

Simply put, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stripped federal territories minister Annuar Musa of BN sec-gen and Muafakat sec-gen posts after a meeting with the party's divisional chiefs nationwide.

The reason? Annuar is leaning much more to PN/PPBM than his own party Umno, much to the frustration of his party boss.

Is the sacking legitimate? By right such a decision should only be made after consulting other BN and MN partners such as MCA and PAS. But given the political climate in the country at this moment, this is no longer of any importance.

Annuar's removal could just be hors d'oeuvre of more chaos to come.

Obviously Umno's move is to declare to PPBM that if both parties are to continue working together, I'm the big boss, PAS my little brother and you are only third in line!

If a general election is to be held this year, of the 222 seats up for grabs, the best have to be reserved for Umno and PAS, and you'll only get the leftovers.

Sure enough BN and PN will fight tooth and nail over seat allocation, although PH and Pejuang may not get along well in this matter, too. So, whether GE15 is to be held this year or not, we the rakyat will continue to live our undisciplined pandemic lives under the leadership of our equally undisciplined leaders.

Thanks to political instability, we may see government change every a year or so, rendering short-term government policies inexecutable and long-term plans simply inconceivable.

Take for example, with a new commander in Putrajaya, do you expect Muhyiddin to take the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 seriously? Projects that last more than a couple of years could be halted any time!

Short-term plans are even worse. With the change of government comes the new cabinet.

First and foremost, the new PM will invariably reward his loyalists and put his own people in important offices so as to keep his administration stable. Meritocracy? That's the last thing on his mind.

Secondly, even if a truly competent guy is put at work, he may have to bow out before he even gets anything done yet. Those with slightly lower IQ may not even get to understand their job duties properly before they are shown the door out.

Given the political turmoil, investors, domestic and international alike, will lose their faith in the country. Without new projects, development will be at a standstill as the economy slumps into a recession.

As a matter of fact, politics, economy, education and the people's day-to-day living are very much intertwined. If our politicians continue to behave like goons, the rakyat will have to take the brunt of their misdemeanors.

Politicians should place the interest of the people in utmost priority, not their own, and take care of the people as if they are their children. Sadly, few among Malaysia's politicians can do just that!

Take science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin for example, he said he would quit his ministerial post if Umno decides to withdraw its support for the PN government.

I thought he's responsible for the acquisition of coronavirus vaccines? How could he ever mention anything like quitting his job?

To be honest, there are few in our cabinet today that actually serve the rakyat dutifully; more are banking on their posts to bag handsome profits for themselves.

Malaysians have grown utterly disgruntled with the situation of the country's politics right now. Could the few parties vying for the PM office please sign a truce agreement and stop fighting among yourselves. It's disgusting, OK?

We can only win this war against the virus and see our economy grow again if you would learn to discipline yourselves a little more, while we do our part to faithfully abide by all the SOPs.