BY the time you read this, that momentous event, the Sarawak elections, would have been done and dusted. Of course there were tears, and I dare say, quite a few quiet sniggers as well. Naturally, for the losers there were tears of sorrow. However, I am sure many of them, once they have gotten over the initial disappointment, would have muttered defiantly something about being “bloodied but unbowed” and vowed to fight another day.
For the winners there would have been tears as well. It might be tears of relief in the mould of “Phew! I’ve manage to hang on” or the “Yes! At last I made it” tears of joy. Finally, if some of the rumours are to be believed, there could be a number people who would be slinking quietly, grinning all the way to the bank.
It has been a momentous and indeed a landmark event. It was the first time that the perennial power-that-is (or was?) actually showed concern (some would say panic) about their position at the top of the tree. So, we witnessed in action the saying “they threw everything at their opponents, including the kitchen sink”.
This was in stark contrast to the past when the election battle was just a walk in the park. No, this time it was different. For the 10 days, Sarawak was transformed from a gentle flowing stream into a raging river. Anybody who is anybody in politics was here in Sarawak. That applied to both sides of the political divide. Yes, we were swarmed by political bigwigs from the peninsula who gave us dire warnings and sweet promises in equal measure, and with varying degree of eloquence. And if the news reports from the alternative media were to be believed, there would have been many more had a number of people flying the opposition flags not been denied entry to Sarawak. It is said that “all is fair in love and war”. I suppose politics is war. Thus, we cannot blame the mighty for using its might.
Anyway, it was a heady time. When it was announced that the campaign period was to be limited to 10 days, many complained that it was too short. I thought so too. However, a week into the period we were punched drunk from the incessant rhetoric, thinly disguised threats, outlandish promises, innuendos and outright slander. It seemed that the carpet under which dirt has been swept was lifted; activities kept in dark corners and hidden from the public were brought out into the open; and rather disgustingly, antics that should have been confined to the privacy of the bedroom were aired to the world. By Friday, many were posting on the Internet “I cannot wait for tomorrow”. On the evening before the big day, many of us were like frisky racehorses railing against the barrier.
So it came to pass that the people of Sarawak witnessed the almost endless rounds of chest thumping and finger-pointing. They would have us believe that there are superheroes and super villains in our midst — some already residing in the corridors of power, while others banging at the door demanding to be admitted.
Had the period of campaign been extended further, we would be suffering from information (some would say, misinformation) overload. The weird thing was that there seemed to be two realities existing side by side – like the parallel worlds as featured in sci-fi movies. The mainstream papers were saying one thing and the alternative press another. Even simple things like the number of people present at a rally was subject to variations in report. One would put the figure at, say, less than 2,000 while the other claimed to have over 5,000 present. I just hope whoever did the counting was not involved in the counting of the votes. Someone was lying, but I am not prepared to say who.
This was also the period of sugar and salt. There were so many sweet promises made that if we were to swallow them all we would have diabetes. On the other hand, the more sceptical among us would recommend that we should take everything with a pinch of salt. If that is the case, we would have swallowed a whole bagful and rendered ourselves liable to high blood pressure.
Now that we have marked our crosses and made our beds for the next five years, what else is there to say? First of all, it is proper that we congratulate the winners, even though for some we may do it grudgingly and with gritted teeth. I know it is a bit of a cliche but I still want to say it, “the winner is democracy”. Yes, there were some scuffles, a bit of push and shove here and there; a few cans of red paint being splashed about; some bullying and also enticement; a lot of shouting but by and large the democratic process survived relatively unscathed. No gun was fired, no bomb was let off and no arrest was made. Hurray! We have to be grateful for small mercies and be thankful for our blessings.
For me, I just what to sing three songs. The first is a song from the 70s, made famous by the Carpenters, ‘We’ve Only Just Begun’. Well, I am giving it my own spin and calling it ‘It Has Only Just Begun’. I want to say to the Yang Berhormats (elected representatives) of whatever political hue that this is just the beginning of the journey not the end. Some may be tempted to think that their election into office is a mandate from the people to do what they want. Those being put in charge of the cookie jar may want to think that they can dispense the goodies according to their whim and fancy. We would like to remind all those who are going to sit in our august house – the Dewan Negeri – that we require from them to perform their duties as custodians of our wealth and as the crew of our ship of destiny to the best of their abilities, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.
I am going to sing too that song by the Bee Gees: “It’s only words and words are all I have …” and I want to add “I hope not”. During the run up to the election so many sweet words were uttered. In the next five years we want to see the “walk” of the “talk”. For the parties in the opposition, we do want “words”, not just words of accusation but constructive words too. I pray that those in power will allow those words to be heard.
Finally, I want to sing choice parts of that 1983 song by the pop group The Police.
Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I’ll be watching you
Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
I’ll be watching you
As I said this 2011 state election has been a momentous and, I believe, a landmark event. I sense that the people are no longer satisfied with the traditional paternalist and patronising style of government. It seems the giant has woken up from its slumber. In five years’ time, the god of democracy will descend again to this earth and equip the people with magic pencils. So …
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