A Pro-Active Government

I took a moment to reflect on the state of our economy and how it arrived at such miserable depths.

And I came to this conclusion: we have a pro-active government in Malaysia.

Take for example, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti), which is planning to take pro-active steps to attract the companies that are thinking of shifting their operations out of China.

That's according to its minister, Muhyiddin Yassin. More on him later, I promise - this toadstool is too spectacular to pass up for comment.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia has a lot of advantages to attract these companies given the country’s political stability, good infrastructure and clear government policy.

Political stability? You mean a system where mistresses are blown up using C4 explosives? Where opponents are assaulted with sodomy charges? Where the judiciary is fixed? Where citizens are doused in chemical laced water and tear-gas?

I tremble to think what instability might be.

I won't argue with the claim of good infrastructure. Apart from our lousy public transportation, high toll charges, roads jammed with traffic, unstable internet connection, and other miscellaneous but insignificant drawbacks, we have good infrastructure.

It all goes downhill from here. Clear government policy?? Pro-active, you mean?


Read on to gauge what his pro-active measures consist of:

He also said the ministry was looking to set up a special task force to study the proposed implementation of Malaysia-China business flagship projects.

"The special taskforce will comprise members from MITI, Malaysia-China Business Council and government agencies to see what projects to consider," he said.

Task force? You and I know, what this will comprise of. A couple of overseas trips. Elaborate buffet hi-teas. Extensive rounds at the golf course.

Perhaps, one solitary dude will be tasked with pushing paper, and the obligatory memo or two will be sent out.

In other words, nothing will be done.

These guys have no clue about government policy except for lavish spending, and with the murky dealings this involves, there's nothing remotely "clear" about this. Stuff clear government policy, if you may.

Seriously. What do you expect with someone like Muhyiddin Yassin at the helm?

This is the dude who claimed that the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election was a golden opportunity for Barisan Nasional to wrest the parliamentary seat from PKR.

I'm very curious to know what he's smoking. And if he'd be willing to share some. Because I'd really love to have a bit of whatever propels Muhyiddin to such heights of optimism, asinine as it may be.

Personally, I'm unhappy and disappointed that Wan Azizah gave up her seat. I can expect a few others would be, too. But to expect a BN candidate to beat Anwar Ibrahim, the homeboy in his locality - a safe seat - would be pushing it.

Like all BN politicians, Muhyiddin is all talk. A show of bravado followed by cowardly compliance when the whip is cracked.

He badly wants the role of party president of UMNO. But it's a tight fraternity, with lots of candidates vying for the role, regardless of whether they have blown up their quota of Mongolian models or not.

So in spite of unanimous backing from Johor UMNO, he will only defend his Umno vice-president post at the party elections in December. So much for "democratic principles" and "expression of opinions in decisions".

It's almost hysterical. But very pro-active.

Jack Parlabane, the main character of Christopher Brookmyre's novels has this to say about pro-activeness:


This description was made with the Barisan Nasional government in mind.