Selamat Hariraya Aidilfitri.

In wishing all Malaysians in Penunsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak a very happy Hariraya or a very happy Hariraya holidays, I like to ask a question: What's eating up most Malaysians today if we're not as happy, friendly and hospitable to each other as we used to be in the past? ( If you're as happy as before or even happier, please tell us your secret!). I gather from reading the blogs and comments made, that many of us have something to blow up on. Even the newspapers are full of angry views between people, parties and between communities...

There can only be a few general reasons, often held back inside, for when we see the crowd of people shopping, dining, yakking by the roadside and shop corridors, they are still a happy and friendly lot. You don't really see them quarelling with each other.
Arguing maybe, but not quarelling. In housing areas we still see people smiling and greeting each other amicably although of different racial origin.

The most likely cause of unhappiness, discontentment, anger or general uneasiness is not so much the economic problem of the nation, the rising costs, the increase in crimes and not even the traffic jams but the POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT in the nation. There's so much bickering and animosity spewed out between the BN and the PR. between component parties within the ruling coalition and also the PR, between the leadership in the parties, and worst between contenders for top poltical positions in the parties. There's so much of bitterness and hatred, backstabbing, allegations and counter-allegations, charges on corruption and missuse of power levelled at each other until the MCCC and the Police are totally confused until their own integrity is challenged doubted.

The rakyat, reading and listening to them all through the various English and vernacular newspapers, the many radio and TV channels broadcasting news in various languages through various stations both governemnt and private, also get thoroughly agitated and confused until the credibility of the newspapers and the radio and TV stations is also doubted. Added to that will be the endless stream of views, comments and news rendered in the no-hold-barred reporting style of the informal and alternative media - the internet and bloggers' website. And don't forget the oft propoganda-loaded news from foreign countries giving their own judgement and cticisms of what is happening in the nation.

It's politics that's making us all so sensitive and suspicious of each other, spreading misgivings, misunderstanding and illwill, capabale of making us all go for each other's throat. Soimething has gone wrong in our political development which turns the multiracial nature of our society into a liability rather than an asset, as it used to be. The political leadership seemed to be breaking up in all the parties and at various levels and the Prime Minister is not allowed to step in by the component parties in Barisan itself to help restore some sanity in the chaos. The Pakatan is also undergoing the same leadership break-up without any promise of an effective consolidation.

Yes, I think most Malaysians are quite sick of the political quarrels that we see around us - quarrels between leaders who are supposed to consolidate us all into a nation of progressive and sophisticated people. Isn't there a way of reducing the political squabbles that we see around us? Cannot the rakyat of Malaysia as a whole take a critical view of all leaders who are now causing more trouble than helping to lead the nation and the people to progress and prosperity, and ask them to cease quarrelling or face a public sanction irrespective of the parties they belong to? The rakyat can actually show their disapproval towards undesireable leaders by just snubbing them!

I suggest that Malaysians should put a smile on their faces again and smile and each other while denying the quarrelsome and
offensive leaders those smile. We, the common men (and women) on the street, have no reason to frown and sneer at each other for whatever happens in the country we suffer or enjoy together. We work and earn our living no matter what political wars and subterfuges are going on. I think we should free ourseselves from all the political talks and concern in this country during the hariraya holidays and enjoy ourselves. So, happy hariraya and holidays to everyone, maaf zahir dan batin.