Empathical Politics.

I have lost count of the number of times I have heard about political (and parliamentary) debates, discussions and speeches. Whether it is BN or Pakatan, most of the times the politicians have no clue how and what their precise role is. They bow meekly to a powerful executive. All they know (from smses or emails) the whips want them to do this or that; and so they shuffle obediently, with a factuous sense of a job done and a public served. In short these wakil rakyats or ministers/deputies have vaguest understanding why they are elected and appointed. All they know is to influence and maintain voters and party support.

A serious flaw in our constitutions; state and federal, fails to take into account that democracy can only exist on a two-way basis. Inordinate faith is placed that the ears of elected officials are tuned to the voices of the voters. They aren’t. There is a semblance of listening at campaign time but it fades quickly. As individuals, voters have no power over candidates after they are elected. That power is gone, replaced by huge campaign contributions and the votes won through media. No comprehensive programs are required, only local, frequently empty, promises and clichés.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it require that officeholders do what their constituents ask. Worse, there is no requirement that promises be honored, that high-sounding pledges be kept nor long-standing principles be continued. If election and by-election is the only measure of an officeholder’s success then that fact supersedes responsiveness to any but the most egregious failings in areas of direct responsibility. Only then do voters notice.

Deals were struck with these and hundreds of other groups and individuals who might have a specific goal of their own or just liked the whiff of the general package. These deals were formalized in what became known as party platforms; very different instruments than the vain papers pumped out today. You vote for me, they said, and I’ll do that. Or to the reformist and pro-oppostion activists, the only way for Malaysia to change is to vote BN out. To me, such politics is outdated. Parties are only an entity in our society’s structure. Different people, different interpretation of a case. Lawyers are fond of doing that. Do not be too emotional and irrational. Have an open heart and mind. The rakyats of all walks of life must be able to judge and evaluate, not merely influenced by the media and cyberworld.