Politicians, habitually, either have short or selective memory is a saying to describe how unreliable and untrustworthy they are. This does not reduce the effect of another saying which is, politicians are good at promising and are equally good in forgetting it in the same breath.

A caveat is essential, because not all politicians are like that. There are, amazingly, some who do not have the hypocritical traits; but unfortunately they cannot last long in this Machiavellian treachery contaminated political world. Sadly, Malaysia has reached a stage where we cannot safely say that a politician of a certain party will remain loyal forever to that party or to the cause he had vowed to follow.

The biblical Satan-like-politicians are lurking everywhere with political gifts to sway them away from their loyalty and promises made to the party one belongs. The political gifts come in the form of governmental-power-laden positions, money, business opportunities and other rewards so long the position of the leadership is not challenged. Once a person express disagreement with the powers that be or challenge them, expose their unscrupulous means of governance, they use the government machinery to bully and silence their opponents. Well, that is the political culture of today.

There are so many unhappy, sad, cruel and disgusting things happening in this country. The people are tired, confused, frustrated as to what is actually going on and they are helpless.

True, the people wanted a change as they were democratically and rightly entitled to but there were elements dissatisfied with the people’s decision plotted, conspired and brutally murdered the people’s will. And they unashamedly label it as inevitable consequence towards good governance.

It is true that the people lost not because they were wrong, but, because they believed just as the Trojans mistook the Trojan Horse as an offering to Athena, the Athenian God. Perfidy won. It is not the fault of the people that they lost to shrewd, cunning traitors, who were actually the discredited lot from their old political den.

In between all the frightening information that is being circulated about the dangers, destruction and uncertainty unleashed by Covid-19 the present Prime Minister Tan Sri Mahiaddin Yassin has called all Malaysians to proudly fly the Jalur Gemilang as a sign of solidarity in the nation’s fight against Covid-19. (See The Star, Muhyiddin: Fly the Jalur Gemilang in a show of solidarity in fight against Covid-19, August 7, 2021).

It must be admitted that the call is timely, pragmatic, wonderful and meaningful. It is true that the country should marshal all its resources in the war against the dreadful enemy – Covid-19; because it is not attacking one community or one race, or people belonging to a particular religion. It does not care whether the targeted people are rich or poor. Every human being is vulnerable to Covid-19’s attack.

It would be correct to say that all Malaysians will wholeheartedly endorse Muhyiddin’s call. But there is a very pertinent question on the lips of every reasonable and rational minded Malaysian.

When a leader makes a call, especially the present Prime Minister makes a call to Malaysians to show the sign of solidarity we are entitled to evaluate his sincerity and determine whether the emphatic call to all Malaysians is a call to all Malaysians to think they are Malaysians first.

Muhyiddin himself must make his stand clear whether he is Malaysian first, or something else first. He is on record of having said that, “I’m Malay first”. (see Terence Netto, Free Malaysia Today, ‘Malay first’ Muhyiddin is hoist with his own petard, August 1, 2021).

So, we have a man who identifies his primary loyalty not to Malaysia, not to Malaysians but to his own race. Is he competent to talk about Malaysian solidarity? There is nothing wrong in loving one’s own race or religion; but in a multi-racial country, a leader must love all, and be loyal to all.

He must search his own conscience, whether his call is sincere or not. The Malaysians will always, continue, as they had always done, proudly fly the Jalur Gemilang. They are sincere and they are proud of the Malaysian flag, unlike those whose heart is filled with narrow-mindedness and the lips represent false broad-mindedness.

It is only fair that those, especially Muhyiddin, who made the call to Malaysians to  proudly fly the Jalur Gemilang to show solidarity in the fight against Covid-19 must himself show, prove that he is proud as a Malaysian. And will join with all Malaysians disregarding ethnic, religious and creed differences to fight against Covid-19.

Not only the fight against Covid-19 but in the fight against racism, religious bigotry, maladministration, and corruption and many other social diseases that are threatening our nation.

Every Malaysian will proudly fly the Jalur Gemilang, and will always be loyal to Malaysia and nurture civil mindedness towards all Malaysians. And their fight is not confined against Covid-19 but against all contagious social diseases, and rotten political decisions.