The Grip Of Infamy. Episode 21. By R. Sittamparam

Episode 21 (Scroll down the Literature section to read earlier episodes of this serialised Malaysian novel)

Our people must realise the Government is not the The Alliance, the ruling political coalition here since our Independance 60 years ago.

Especially now with the dissolution of Parliament, The Alliance is definitely not the government of the day.

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet are now only the caretaker Government with no right to even use its agencies including the National Radio/Television/Multimedia of Merekasia or any other government apparatus for their political campaign.

All these should be enforced by the Election Administrator but in Merekasia the EA and its officers now appear to be answerable only to the incumbent ruling party.

And it’s absurd and laughable that the international election observers invited to observe and report about our GE to the World Justice Organisation, are representatives from nations with poor human rights records.

In all, the EA seems hell-bent to abolish any attempt by Opposition parties to topple The Alliance and end its hegemony.

So where’s the fairness of the Democratic process if the EA curtails the efforts of other political parties that offer a better alternative, to reach out to the people.

So how are the people ever going to kick out a ruling party led by tyrants who abuse power and cause hardship?

Common People’s Party of Merekasia president and Angkatan Penyelamat deputy president, Viswanathan Ramamoorthi paused awhile as if to catch his breath.   

The youthful looking politician with his trademark goatee, uncombed curly hair, a few locks of which dangled down his prominent bulging forehead marked with a dash of vibuthi ash and kumkum and sandal dot, continued his speech.

He was at Angkatan Penyelamat’s first campaign gathering in his homeground at the Mereka City Council cleaning services workers’  living quarters in the constituency of Chowlay, 3km from the city.

As you must have heard in your YourgroupAp, the EA has now introduced some unreasonable regulations preventing our top Opposition leaders’ photographs to be printed together on campaign posters.

It says the Organisation Registrar which also acts as a wing of The Alliance, has not approved the Angkatan Penyelamat coalition so Opposition parties cannot campaign as a united whole under this coalition.

Just see all the dirty tricks, The Alliance which would like to consider itself as Merekasia’s permanent government, plays to hold on to power.

This time around we have a very good chance to topple The Alliance and they know it only too well.

We have on our side a former prime minister and deputy prime minister together with several of The Alliance’s disillusioned veteran leaders.

They also know the people are now finally ready and are openly coming out demanding for change. All my brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, uncles and friends here. You are proof of that.

A roar of approval rang across the crowd of about 5,000 people spread out in front of the stage.

The spectators were seated on mats or chairs with some just standing along the 100 metre stretch dotted with playfield strips beside each of the three storey blocks and road stretches right up to the T-junction  in front of the row of three shops to the left and Tamil school on the right.

The collapse of The Alliance’s empire is imminent. They are getting really desperate and that’s to our advantage.

The time is right for us to strike the death knell for this demoniac regime. The crowd erupted with clapping and shouts of `Inilah masanya’.

The people have suffered enough with rising costs of food, services and living spaces; mess-up of children’s education; corruption of government institutions including the judiciary,  and general chaos of the nation’s socio-economic structure; and continuing destruction of the natural environment.

Our human rights record is also dismal and Merekasia’s good name in the international arena is badly tarnished by the infamy of this corrupt The Alliance run government.

Angkatan Penyelamat president, Tun Besar Jaliluddin Hamid then took the podium to thunderous applause.

The 88-year-old former prime minister of Merekasia raised both his arms and in a soft voice proclaimed: `Mari Selamatkan Merekasia!’

The slogan echoed in the crowd as spectators near the stage responded and the battlecry was carried in wave upon wave right up to those furthest from the stage.

Smiling, the thick lipped, grey haired and bespectacled old leader with his prominent high arched nose, began speaking once the echo of the slogan died down.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It is my great pleasure to address all of you in this most significant moment of my life.

I am an old man who until a few months ago thought I could gracefully retire, spending the remaining years of my life in the company of my wonderful grandchildren.

But I am forced to return to politics seeing the present sad situation of this beloved nation which I spent the best years of my life helping develop into one of the region’s, indeed the world’s, most peaceful, progressive and respected countries.

Until five years ago, everything was going fine in this resource rich nation which was a model of how a multi-racial country should be. … To be continued tomorrow.

All the events and characters portrayed in this serialised novel are fictional and any parallel with real life events or persons is purely coincidental.