Anything Considered

I've been following the ongoing political situation in Malaysia through the papers, and it does seem to be getting a little out of hand. Foremost in my mind would be Mahathir's resignation from ruling party UMNO.

It's often been said that Mahathir overestimates his significance to present-day Malaysia. Unlike in Singapore, where MM Lee is widely respected and almost revered, Mahathir is merely another voice - albeit a loud one - in a sea of alternative voices. Power speaks, and people are interested only in those with power to effect change. Sadly, Mahathir is no longer a power-broker in the grand scheme of things, and thus his actions are futile.

For all the good work of UMNO, the biggest stain on their record is still the perception of corruption. Profiteering might be a sideline for party members, or, if not for themselves, then for the people related to them. It would then seem absurd for the politicians of UMNO to leave the party that grants them opportunity and power, merely to express their dissatisfaction with the government. Strong as the opposition may be, the situation is not yet at a point where UMNO members have to weigh the possibility of a declining UMNO affecting their personal status and position to influence. How would they then leave the party, and lose everything it has given them, merely to make a stand?

It is one thing to be a voice of wisdom and sound advice worth listening to, and another to be a voice that is annoying. With his antagonistic actions, Mahathir is fast declining into the latter category.