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For decades, the once-wealthy state of Perak has been stagnant, as the state has been squeezed of its riches with politicians supposedly lining the pockets of their cronies.
The ex-menteris kissing has driven away young creatives and hardworking professionals who would otherwise have voluntarily stayed in Perak to help develop it. Instead, they went to greener pastures in Selangor, Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and abroad. Perak’s loss is his gain.
There are a multitude of reasons for the lack of real progress in Perak. Among the reasons is the lack of vision among the menteris besar and their dependence on advisers who only thought about promoting themselves and their party.
Corruption abounds, but few cared to do anything about it. The state has many white elephants, failed Umno-Baru projects.
Retired officials, like those from the Department of Lands and Mines, will have many stories to tell about how their cronies were awarded state land for a song, which they resell to third parties. The cronies became millionaires overnight. None of this could have been authorized without orders from above.
Perak has a long history of cooperation between the three main races. His fortunes changed in the 1980s, when former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s plan crippled the tin mining industry with his Maminco Move.
It tried to corner the international tin market. Overnight, the industry suffered a severe blow that forced the closure of the mines and their associated industries. Since the 1980s, Perak has seen little progress.
Last week, Nazri Aziz de Umno-Baru, MP for Padang Rengas, said that Perak’s ex-mentor Ahmad Faizal Azumu had been removed for the benefit of the people.
Nazri is being cheap with the truth. Faizal’s elimination was a flexing exercise for Umno-Baru’s muscles and a warning to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that he must recognize his demands.
The new mentor kissing is Saarani Mohamad, the Assemblyman from Kota Tampan. How will Perak improve the well-being of the people? He seemed more interested in maintaining his party’s relationship with PPBM and PAS in the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
February’s Sheraton Move showed that the once powerful and arrogant Umno, who had ruled the nation for decades under various names, from Alliance, Umno, Umno-Baru, would be forced to his knees.
Umno politicians were further angered when PPBM deemed PAS a more worthy coalition partner. Not because PAS was more capable, but probably because it was more compatible and easier to manipulate.
Umno has had decades of training in the art of deception. He used this to great effect when he conspired with the opposition to overthrow Faizal from PPBM.
Umno wanted to scare Muhyiddin into acceding to his demands, pretending that he was willing to work with the opposition (in Perak) to form the next government.
The few DAP politicians who fell into this trap seem foolish to believe the twist. Fortunately, the sensible leaders of the Pakatan Harapan coalition stood their ground. To do otherwise would signal to the rakyat that DAP, Amanah, and PKR were willing to sacrifice their principles by working with a party of corrupt kleptocrats and politicians.
The bottom line is that Umno was willing to make deals with the opposition to get what he wants, which is to regain control and power, which he lost in 2018.
As the Peracians have seen, Umno was happy to stab his own PN coalition partner, PPBM, in the back. Perhaps the removal of Perak’s ex-menteri kissing is a dress rehearsal for what could happen in Sabah, and eventually Putrajaya.
A long list of high-ranking Umno politicians are awaiting trial on charges of corruption, CBT and abuse of power. Once the party takes control of Putrajaya, these suspected criminals can be granted conditional release. Former high-level politicians could regain power and act as if nothing has changed since 2018.
Saarani will have to look over his shoulder, because he could easily be betrayed by power-hungry members of his own coalition.
When will any Perak kissing mentions consider the interests of his people, instead of playing politics with their lives?
The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
