BOOKED

sometimes i wonder... why can't we be like the singaporeans or the chinese ( in china ) or the vietnamese. these people's philosophy is simple: why give a fuck about politics? whoever rule the country is no concern of mine. if we can live reasonably well and have enough 'space' and lee ways to do whatever we like, then why worry? we're fine!. who gives a fuck what those criminals do in their parliaments or whatever they call the monkey house where they preside.

but i think i know the answer why we care about politics so much and why those people don't. it's simply because malaysia is - to use a singapore expression- a kiasu country. we think we are the best and comparable to the best in the world in everything. when the US admitted that they are screwed because of the financial blow-out, we say we are ok because we can manage our economy well.when other countries are in turmoil and their people are at each other's throats we looked smugly and say, look at us. we're multiracial like no other country in the world but look how we live peacefully with each other (and forgetting places like switzerland etc). when our neighbours are demonstrating and rioting all over the place we shake our heads and say, what kind of democracy is that? we malaysians practise real democracy. and there actually lies the answer why we're obsessed with politics.

the real problem with malaysia is this. since we are kiasu and want to beat the shit out of everybody we try to ape everybody that we think are good. we think the brits and the americans are good. they practise democracy. so we must too. so we practise democracy. a better way than the brit and the american version. but this version is like opening a door a little and allowing us to glimpse what is inside. and so we peeked in and we glimpse what freedom of expression is like. and we know it's good and so we ask for the door to be wide open . and here lies the problem. the door remains open just a little and our political masters say that's it . no more! and so we holler and shout and become obsessed with politics. we see that our masters are bastards but because the door isn't wide open we are quite powerless apart from shouting and hollering and becoming obsessed with politics.

but china or vietnam are diferent. they don't give a fuck. politics isn't the common people's concern. just go forth, multiply, make money , have fun. leave the governing to us. that's not your affairs. do this long enough and if you govern well (like singapore) , people will soon forget about politics and they will sleep well without getting their blood boiling about the affairs of the state. but we malaysians are too far gone. too late to go back to china model. we've tasted the best thing in life. full democracy and freedom of expression. and we want the max. but we aren't getting this anytime soon. and so we shout and holler and become onbsessed with politics.