Yoursay: Alas, it’s much easier to be in the opposition than to govern

YOURSAY | ‘Many do not come with a ready mindset and capabilities.’

Ambiga: I don't recognise some in gov't who were so fearless before

Mazilamani: Former Bersih coordinator Ambiga Sreenevasan, even you have lost your voice and presence. We don't hear you much as before.

In the past, you protested and objected to the weaknesses seen in the previous BN-led government. You were also one of those who ran with the pack promising changes and brighter days.

What we are now seeing are gloomy days but still accept them as relatively better days than under the BN government. I, for one, knew that things will not change much since all of our politicians seem to have attended the same school of broken promises.

Indeed, why should they lend their voice when they have already secured or place themselves in desired positions? Politicians will forever remain politicians.

JW: It is exactly right, Ambiga, about some of these people who were fearless turning into cowards now. I think, for whatever reason, they are mainly afraid of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. But why? I just don't get this.

These once fearless parliamentarians appear to be happy to serve only one term. Perhaps this experience is enough for them to pad their CVs in order to get more lucrative positions and financial rewards in the private sector.

Dswami: Yes, DAP leaders Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang, Gobind Singh Deo, Hannah Yeoh, Teoh Nie Ching, Yeoh Bee Yin and Ong Kian Meng all excused away the appointment of former education minister Maszlee Malik by saying "give him a chance".

I bumped into Kit Siang in the 80s at a food court, approached him and told him: “Sir, keep up the good work for all of us, whilst we serve in the armed forces, in the infantry, rangers, for all of you, so that no one can call you disloyal; we in a group comprising Ibans, Indians and Chinese and a Malay.

“We have placed our lives on the line so that you can fight for equality for all of our brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers and our friends.”

All I want is to ask you, now that we have placed you in a position of power with our blood, sweat and tears, what happened? I expect an answer.

I doubt you will give us one. That’s my assessment of you. You have deviated from your struggle.

Clever Voter: It's easy for Ambiga to criticise but she, unlike others, had the opportunity to make a difference but she chose to stand at the side. Many before her were only noisy politicians who would shoot from the hip, had no accountability and more so, they had no direct stakes.

Today, a few of her friends had taken office and probably even shocked at the sort of entitlements and benefits they were given. Let's face it, they are only human.

But more importantly, translating their wish list into practicalities isn't going to be easy. These elected representatives do not work alone.

The frustration of not seeing the new government implementing what they promised is understandable. Many do not come with a ready mindset and capabilities.

It is true that many do not have experience of public speaking, chairing meetings and problem-solving. Even the size of the new offices is a cultural shock. Imagine having people used to coffee shops and now have a taste of five-star hotels.

The bureaucracy is mind-boggling. The amount of paperwork is discouraging. Easily, more than half do not deserve to be where they are. It's unfortunate this is how a democratic system works, and one can assume they may not even be there sooner than one thinks.

The country is experiencing a massive paradigm shift. There will always be a temptation to stay or retain, and that's what many do to be on the safe side. One lesson for all, a conqueror is not necessarily an ideal administrator. It's something completely different.

Evin K: Fearlessness doesn't always mean shouting on rooftops and staging street demonstrations. Sometimes, the brave thing to do is to take a back seat and instead, and do the work needed for effective reforms to take place.

Many of the who's who from former opposition parties are now part of the government of the day. This doesn't help the stability and the economy of the country if they are expected to continue pandering to certain crowds and openly oppose the very government they're in.

Let us not forget that it is their very open opposition in the past that brought down the mighty Umno/BN regime in the first place.

If they're expected to continue opposing the very government that they are part of today as well, then this new government will be a short-lived one and fall in the next general election.

True institutional reforms take time, it's not an overnight feat or something that is to be achieved in only two years - Rome wasn't built in a day.

It is easy to stay on the sidelines and criticise everything that doesn't bode well to our whims, but toiling away in the background in getting the work done takes more guts than it is being given credit for.

Annon: You are right, Evin K, Rome wasn’t built in a day but it has been two years now. Two long years and time is not on our side, get it?

All those DAP men and women are suddenly dumb, deaf and blind, except for Charles Santiago, Ronnie Liu and P Ramasamy. What about the rest? Are they high tripping on power?

Hang Babeuf: People don't like this government? Well, neither do I and I also despair these days. On my part, I pity rather than hate the government.

You dislike them? Okay, that is your right. But why attack Ambiga and lay the blame at her doorstep? That’s ridiculous.

The blame is theirs, the members of this so-called government and ours. We elected a coalition that was nicely positioned at the time to defeat the Najib Abdul Razak and Umno - which was something that needed to be done.

But we elected a government that was not ready to govern, that was ill-prepared for office, that had barely begun to think about the task and the major challenges that they would surely face.

It's their fault and ours. Not Ambiga's. Grow up, everyone!

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