Unwise

Last Thursday, the PM revealed his new Cabinet to the public and there were perhaps one or two surprises. The choice of Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim as the new Information Minister could be regarded as unwise or even ominous. One could say that it is a bit perplexing for the PM to choose him for the job. After all, this man does not really fit in with the brand new 1Malaysia agenda. Rais is a person who has never been know for having moderate views and picking him for the post of Information, Communications, Culture and Arts is rather a bit like hiring the Orang Kucing or Catman to head the police in Selangor. When Rais was selected, he was opining to the media how he regarded himself as being very suitable for the post, due to his 'past years of service in the same ministry many years ago'. There was just no mention of the expectations the new job required of him in this new era. Rais is not of the same mould as those who could be regarded as UMNO moderates. He has in the past tried to portray himself not only as a racial champion but also as a man who is superior to his contemporaries. The information ministry has always been known for practising double standards and presenting biased and unfair reporting and news coverage for a very long, long time. During the campaigning for the 12th general elections, the ministry was literally going or doing overtime in its frenzied job of frying the opposition and skinning them to the bone. Old videos or photos of many politicians who opposed the ruling BN were repeatedly shown on national TV accompanied by noxious commentaries. It was truly overkill but the voting public refused to be swayed. Even during the recent by-elections on 7 April, the TV stations were seen broadcasting similar programs and parroting the same oral vomit and doing it during prime time too. The PM recently asked the media to pull itself to world-class standards and stop filing pro-government reports or producing reports that portray an artificial representation of actual situations. Perhaps the people inside the information ministry are still thinking that they are currently exempted. The PM has also stated that he preferred to face criticism from the media rather than face rejection from the public. The information ministry is perhaps not getting the latest update on government policies. Rais is not really suitable for this post. A leopard cannot change its spots overnight. He should have been slotted for the post of either the foreign minister or the defence minister. That way, the local people would be largely out of the way of his personal convictions. Perhaps at the next cabinet reshuffle there could be better arrangements.

Today, people get their news and information not just from the national TV, but through a lot of varied sources. People are not as gullible or as dim-witted as previously thought by the ruling BN politicians. The political tsunamis of March 2008 must not be lightly dismissed by the BN as a one-off thing. The recent defeats at Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang should be seen as a wake-up call that support for the ruling class is no longer guaranteed. No amount of bad videos portraying the opposition candidates in a bad light can convince the public to change their views. Emphasise what the government can do and what the government has done and what the government wants to do and stop badmouthing the oppostion politicians. To continue to have Rais in the information ministry is almost certainly to guarantee that the 13th general elections would yet in the end mirror (the outcome obtained in) Bukit Gantang. It is however, not too late yet. For now.