Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
COMMENT - Dear Harapan, can you hear the song of angry men? By Yiswaree Palansamy
Sunday, July 12, 2026
Malaysiakini : Harapan took its loyal supporters for fools, believing its tired and
increasingly irrelevant battle cry and Nga's childish attempts to use Rosmah Mansor as a political diversion would still resonate.
It
threw every trick in the book at the campaign, yet kept pulling the
same rabbit out of the hat, an appeal that has long since lost its
potency with voters.
Even so, it seemed to believe that a token
effort would somehow deliver a landslide victory. Again, it took the
people of Johor for fools, only to face their seething wrath.
Unpacking the sentiments
As
a Johorean, I will attempt to unpack the sentiments that appear to have
shaped the state’s political mood. It is really not rocket science.
Voters are often far more practical than politicians give them credit
for.
The 1MDB narrative has lost much of its political mileage.
For years, the issue was the centrepiece of the opposition’s campaign
against BN, but the Johor results suggest that the issue no longer carries the same weight among many voters as it once did.
The
political silver bullet that was expected to end BN’s appeal appears to
have lost its impact. The old script is no longer producing the same
reaction.
Rosmah is no longer the figure that keeps voters awake
at night; instead, concerns have shifted towards what they perceive as
the arrogance of power.
Rosmah Mansor
The
fear factor has changed. The issue is less about past personalities and
more about whether those currently in power are seen as overconfident,
disconnected or taking voters for granted.
For many Johoreans,
bread-and-butter issues remain far more immediate than political
narratives. Jobs, wages, economic opportunities and the future prospects
of their children are concerns that cannot be solved through slogans or
campaign rhetoric.
A voter may tolerate political differences, but uncertainty about employment and livelihoods is a far more pressing matter.
Livid Indian voters
The Indian community’s support for Harapan appears to have also weakened very, very significantly.
The
fact that MIC, a party often written off as politically irrelevant
within the community, managed to retain or win seats, including in
contests against DAP, should serve as a wake-up call.
The message from some voters appears simple. It is not because they love BN, but it was “asalkan bukan Harapan”
(as long as it is not Harapan). When a party once considered
politically marginal can outperform expectations, it suggests a deeper
dissatisfaction that cannot be dismissed so simply.
Beyond
politics, voters also judge the government based on everyday realities,
particularly the state of public education and healthcare.
I have
received numerous complaints from government doctors and teachers
voicing frustrations with the government's problem-solving approach in
these matters.
They
requested anonymity, of course, because the government would rather
conduct a witch-hunt than actually address the problems mentioned.
These
are not abstract policy discussions; they are services that directly
affect families. When schools struggle and healthcare facilities remain
under pressure, voters naturally question whether political promises
have translated into meaningful improvements.
In the end, the
Johor election may have reflected a familiar political instinct. Voters
sometimes choose the villain they know over the friend they feel has
quietly betrayed their trust.
It is not necessarily an endorsement
of everything the old order represents, but rather a rejection of what
some voters perceive as disappointment, overpromising or a lack of
delivery from the alternative.
Lack of action on anti-corruption pledge
In
fact, there have been quiet conversations within some quarters of the
Indian community for a while now: yes, Najib "stole" money, but at least
he provided livelihoods.
When this sentiment starts translating into voter apathy, it signals that Harapan is in deep trouble.
The
fact that voters are willing to look past corruption of this scale
suggests that Harapan has not done itself any favours on the
anti-corruption front.
It
also implies that whatever gains people expected from a cleaner
government have failed to materialise in ways they can feel in their
daily lives.
This
is a telling admission. It suggests that, for a segment of voters,
corruption is not judged in the abstract but weighed against tangible
outcomes such as jobs, income, and opportunity.
If a leader seen
as corrupt is remembered as someone who delivered on that front, while a
government elected on a reform platform is seen as falling short
economically, then the anti-corruption argument alone loses its
persuasive power.
Disillusionment
of this kind rarely stays confined to one community; it tends to be a
warning sign of a broader erosion of trust that could shape voting
behaviour well beyond the immediate group where it first takes root.
The
lesson from Johor is perhaps uncomfortable for all sides. Voters may
forgive old mistakes, but they are far less forgiving when they feel
ignored.
The next litmus test in this? Negeri Sembilan state polls. All the best, Harapan.
Yiswaree Palansamy is a member of the Malaysiakini team.
