To Snap or not to Snap.

Thanos wouldn’t ask this question, he would just snapped and be done with it. However, we need to think about it. Or the Avengers will come and kick our collective asses.

Based on what our Interim PM said yesterday, “The King has asked all MPs to make a statement… in front of him. The result is that he can’t find anyone with a distinct majority. Since there isn’t a distinct majority, he says the right forum would be the Dewan Rakyat”.

This is very astute of our King. He understands that the power belongs to the people. This is one of the many reasons why I love our current King. He’s a people person who doesn’t think he’s a know-it-all, clairvoyant and above the people like some other royalties. He believes that the people have elected these representatives to represent them, and that they are the best group people to decide on the next step. A true example of the saying “Raja dan Rakyat berpisah tiada”. Meaning the ruler and the subjects are inseparable. The King knows that we the people have chosen our representative for each of our constituency. So he let these representative decides.

Unfortunately, our representatives are at an impasse. Who should be PM and lead them. One minute it was Dr. Mahathir, then it wasn’t, then it was Anwar. Then we hear Hishamuddin Tun Hussin, and now we hear it’s may be Muhyiddin though I think that is just Mahathir saying it as an example. I don’t believe that is what he wants. Why would he want’s someone who betrayed him? Knowing Dr. Mahathir, he probably wanted it for himself. Whoever it is, the impasse is, who should be PM?

You hear these politicians talks about, this is what the rakyat wants lah, they want this PM lah, and that PM lah, this mandate lah, and that mandate, this manifesto and that manifesto lah, this party lah and that party lah. This is all what they, the politicians want.

In actual fact, many of the manifestos and promises have now become secondary. We are now facing a much more immediate problem that needs fixing. It may have overtaken many other promises that was made more than 2 years ago.

Our economy is tanking

We now have a tanking economy, Stock market is at a 10-year low. Our 2019 GDP growth was at 10-year low. BNM even had to unexpectedly announce a cut in interest rate recently. Crude oil prices are at a one year low. The list go on and on. When this happens, everybody loses and we the rakyat lose more the the politicians and the rich people. Jobs creation halted, people loses jobs, purchasing power weakened, more shops will lose sales, means more jobs lost. The cycle is vicious.

The tanking economy is now made worse with the impending epidemic of Covid-19. It’s not yet an epidemic, just at pandemic level now. However, with Japan closing their school through March, North Korean is following suit by extending school break, and the latest even Saudi have halts pilgramage over Covid-19. What all these point to is a bigger negative impact on our economy. IMF will downgrade global growth. This is like a double whammy for our economy, or as the saying goes, “it never rains but it pours”. I like it more in Malay, “Dah jatuh ditimpa tangga, dan terpalit tahi ayam”, the “terpalit tahi ayam” is me adding on to it.

We will need the best people to steer the ship through these dark waters. We will need to be working together in getting through these dry spell. This is above party politics, this should be a bi-partisan issue that everybody agrees above anything else. Yes, even above who should be PM. If the person can’t steer us through this, then he better not be PM. Let the leaders think who is the person. Use this one thing that we all can agree upon to decide who’s the best person.

What if we can’t decide and we go for snap election?

What if Thanos snaps and we have a snap election? Let’s hypothetically entertain this idea. First of all, it will probably cost upwards of 800 million ringgit. That’s almost a billion. These are money that our government doesn’t have. Heck, even the recently announced Covid-19 stimulus package have already put a dent to the projected fiscal deficit from 3.2% to 3.4%. This isn’t even including political parties spending several hundred millions to fund the snap elections. More money down the drain. Do you really want this my dear leaders and readers?

How fast can the EC organise the snap election? I reckon between 1.5 to 2 months including a 1-2 weeks campaign period. This means the country will be without a fully functioning government for another 2-3 months throughout this dangerous waters that we are going through. You really want this my dear leaders and readers?

And assuming we have this snap election, this effectively means we will have two full months of campaigning. The politicians are desperate for power, things will get ugly. Race relation in Malaysia is worsening. Think of what 2-month long of desperate campaigning will do to us? Think of just how much race and religion fanning sentiments will be thrown all over the place. Do we really want this my dear leaders and readers?

People are also fed up will all these politicking, back-door government, power tussle and the likes. A snap election may very well have the lowest turnout ever. Politicians will display their worst due to desperation, people will get more fed up, and may ended up not voting. Do we really want this my dear readers and leaders?

What I’m proposing is, all parties must work out theirdifferences. Put the immediate and real problems ahead of your ego, your vengeance, you hatred and whatever it is that is clouding your better judgment. Put the well being of the people going through the dark waters first.

Use these few days before the parliament sitting on March 2, and work out your differences. Present to the King a workable solution that will not end up in a snap election. Show to the people that you, the elected representative, knows better. That you will put the country and the people well being ahead of your own self.

This is what I implore you the readers, to tell your representative. This is what I implore you the leaders to do. This is what I, the rakyat wants.

Peace be unto all.