Changes

This time last month, the PM was on the defensive and there were calls from various quarters for him to hand over his resignation in a gentlemanly manner. Fast forward to today, and the calls are still there but there are a few key differences.

The 2 presumptive replacements for the PM have been linked with criminal activities, and will have to devote a fair amount of time to defending themselves. The opposition, who was confidently predicting the crossover of government MPs into their ranks, is suddenly finding themselves having to deny a rift within their own ranks. And the post-election sense of unity is being gradually eroded as the ugly head of ethnic-based politics begins to rear its head.

As I mentioned previously, the individuals from PAS are more devious than they let on and the insistence on their theocratic ideology is something we should keep an eye on. The end probably justifies the means in their case.

But if nothing else, you have to admire the PM for his survival skills. Either his political acumen is being severely underestimated, or his advisers have bucked up. Of course, the little issue of the global economic meltdown seems to be neglected (purposely, I would think). Might prove to be a little bit more difficult to do so as our wallets are hit, especially with inflation in Malaysia reaching its highest levels in a quarter of a century.

I have a feeling that for better or for worse, the rakyat will soon ignore the finer details of democracy and who sodomised what, and would just throw their support behind the team that appears most adept at handling the economy.