Harapan-led unity govt needs more propaganda

Harapan-led unity govt needs more propaganda

S Thayaparan


"These types of propaganda are like the mechanisms of a communist or dictatorial government out to brainwash the people or force them into accepting the government's narrative"

- Bersatu supreme council leader Muhammad Faiz Na'aman

COMMENT | Contrary to what this Bersatu supreme council leader says, the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government needs more propaganda channelled through official channels to counter the fascist religious and racial narratives of the opposition.

Now of course some people may claim it is hypocritical of Harapan to do this and indeed me for advocating such use or is that abuse of official government instruments? Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Mind you, the vast religious bureaucracy uses official channels to push narratives that are anathema to secular and democratic values every single day of the week, but somehow, Perikatan Nasional does not have a problem with this.

Why? Because they understand that the propaganda works for them. What they do not want is propaganda that does not work for them. If more people believe that a unity government is more stable than a theocracy, perception becomes reality and this is what PN fears.

Indeed, what PN does not want people who voted for them to understand, is that this unity government was sanctioned by the establishment because they understood that the racial and religious agenda of PN was not only detrimental to the country but also to institutions that for so long, Umno propagandists pummeled into the heads of the majority polity, needed to be defended at all costs.

Think of this unity government as” defending at all costs”, the tethering democracy of this country not to mention scared institutions who are now discovering what decades of racial and religious malfeasances have wrought.

Indeed, there is not only not enough propaganda but also so far (and remember time is not on Harapan’s side) Harapan has not leveraged its official channels to demonstrate how they will benefit the disenfranchised of the majority polity in this country, who are suffering because they continue to vote for incompetent leaders who narcotise them with race and religion.

In a recent piece demanding equal allocation for opposition MPs, G Vinod argued: “Denying any MP or assemblyperson equal allocation just because they come from the other side is undemocratic and, in my opinion, illegal as well. In a democracy, like it or not, we must respect the decision made by the electorate. We must put our prejudices and personal bias aside and do what’s right for voters.”

Ok, here is the problem. We have one side (Harapan) which is a “kinda sort of” democratic alliance and the other side (PN) which is a fascist theocratic alliance.

Indeed voters who voted for PN are more than happy that the religious and fascist agenda of PN be applied to all and would most probably think that it is haram to provide equal allocation for infidelic opposition leaders if their leaders were in the government.

Don’t give the fascists money

And here is what former Umno MP Nazri Abdul Aziz said. By the way, Nazri is that politician who makes it very difficult to gauge which side his bread is buttered on, but he did say something which could be used by Harapan.

He said: “If the government gives RM1 million, they will still get RM1 million, but we must ensure how they spend it would not give them any political advantage, to the extent that we do not know where the money allocated goes. Because we have to be careful, they might use the money for political purposes.”

Now, this is a good strategy. Don’t give the fascists money but rather see that it goes to projects and people in opposition states that need it and then use official channels to propagandise the fact that the federal government is responding to their needs.

This way the fascists cannot take advantage of the democratic idealism of Harapan and use taxpayers' ringgit to their advantage.

Keep in mind that this is the same Nazri who said this two years ago: “We should not discriminate between government MPs or opposition MPs because it (the allocation) will all go to the rakyat. This aid must be given to the rakyat who have not committed any wrongdoings in choosing their representatives because we practice democracy.”

Former Umno MP Nazri Abdul Aziz


So yes, this is all Alice in Wonderland politics but this is what happens when you do not nurture democracy in this country and are left with a compromised electoral map, which could destroy the democracy in this country.

And if we want to keep practicing democracy, we must ensure that the fascists who are already profiting from electoral legerdemain and institutions within the state who are sympathetic to their aims are deprived of resources that would further their agendas which are anathema to democracy.

Indeed I would use official channels to launch attacks against the lifestyles of the purveyors of religious values and demonstrate how their inflated salaries and other revenue streams are in stark contrast to what they preach and how the people who voted for them live.

Keep in mind that Harapan is not better than PN. It is just that the choice is between religious fascism and a compromised democratic alliance, and I know which side I would choose.

Furthermore, each state is different. The propaganda should be tailored to reflect local sensibilities. All politics is local and is a truism for a reason.

As long as Umno is playing well with others, the accusation of hypocrisy is water off a duck's back for me.

My agenda is to forestall a theocratic takeover of this country and people who do not want this are hampered by electoral legerdemain and an already compromised democratic alliance. So really, we have very little to work with.

This does not mean that I think that Harapan should not be held accountable.

This does not mean that I think honest citizens should not voice out their concerns when it comes to a whole range of issues, which Harapan should address.

I also do not want people to believe that Harapan has a blank cheque to do whatever they want because the base will not hold them accountable.

I’m just arguing that democratic values and principles are not a suicide pact.

When it comes to issues like propaganda and allocation of funds, strategic decisions which can be used against the theocrats, I am not going to play boy scouts and argue to give the fascists ammunition.

This is a dirty political brawl and if Harapan loses, it would be cold comfort to argue that they played by the Marquess of Queensberry rules.

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”