1. Wikileaks identified that there were engagement issues, ie
2. So, what are the real learnings once the foreign conspiracy angle is eliminated? Educated and civilised people fed up with corruption, bureaucratic incompetence spontaneously showed courage to stand up against brutality and bullets to protest and show displeasure at the administration. (78 died, so far)
3. Shades of the Reformasi in 98, when people got really fed up with Mahathir’s removal of Anwar with trumped-up charges. Most of the anger has been skillfully dissipated in the intervening years, but there’s an underlying dissatisfaction just below the surface. Najib will do well to heed the lessons.
4. In the meantime, the governance model really needs to be tweaked – Rakyat Didahulukan must be more than a slogan. Sultans, PMs don’t come into it as know-it-all governance. Najib can use the Tunisian experience for his benefit and sidestep the right-wing elements within his party. There needs to be strong and decisive leadership now.
Note to Islamists: Looking at the Tunisian experience, I thot of adding how the Reformasi movement was thwarted not just by Dr M's political survival skills, but abetted by the selfish attitudes of mainly businessmen, may I mention that the Chinese were primarily fully in support of Dr M at that point in time.
ReplyDeleteLater in 2008, when all the 'racial / racist' events were highlighted and the failures of effective economic stewardship of Pak Lah came to the fore, the Chinese decided their votes were better served when aligned with the PKR, PAS and PAS coalition. These are sophisticated voters, and let's not be naive, support wasn't due to a primary principled stand. If PR can fully gain the support of these kingmakers, they can continue and sustain some of the resurgence.
Whereto Islamists? A more broad-based support modelled after Rashid Ghannoushi is an option, while not entirely dependent on the support of the uber-liberals.