The majority of people say new things are better than old things, because old faults an mistakes have been rectified. But oftentimes, this works in reverse and the new features or things that have been corrected cause a whole new set of problems. For example in Malaysia, almost everyone thought Pakatan Harapan's victory in the last General Elections would bring for all in the country. But within a few short months of rules, their weaknesses and ineptitude in solving problems was brought clearly to the fore. It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole nation was shocked that they could be so inexperienced in their daily work and often caused countless problems and headaches for the citizens of the country. It was clear they were not up to the job the people had elected them for.
The most glaring weakness of politicians is that they think their goals are what the people want. On the contrary, this is the gravest mistake one can make. Rather they need to think what the "rakjat" want rather what they think will "mengilap" their image in the eyes of the public and media further. To be honest I have never in my 68 years of life ever met my state assemblyman or member of parliament for as long as I can remember. He or she must think that once they have secured their seats in the DPR or DPRD, they can effort to let their hair down and indulge in the intrigues which politicians are well known for, e.g. back-stabbing and bad mouthing the opposition and even their own colleagues. And they are so visceral, they can do this all with a compelling charm and smile.
While I was in Malaysia, covertly the most hated enemy of Indonesia, I cannot help feeling that my country has substantiated grounds for this hatred. Perhaps it is sibling rivalry but I think not, our cultures and way of life are so vastly different, so much so that the word sibling is a joke. We were so far from the saying "Serumpun Sebangsa". As it eventually proved to be true looking at the conditions now with almost 2,000,000 migrant workers in Malaysia today. The hatred has rekindled rather than abated after so many "dasawarsa" decades. The Indonesians here are only here for one thing, to get as much money by working here and then scrambling back to Indonesia. They are not here on a "libur" or vacation but to work their guts and souls out so that their loved ones back home can have a decent chance at life, Life is usually not a pretty story. Many have died here either due to accidents, murder or unexplained causes.
