FOR better or worse, the 10th prime minister who will be sworn in by the palace will ultimately be responsible for this struggling nation's future destiny.
Between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), PH’s Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with 82 parliamentary seats is by numbers the rightful leader versus PN’s Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s 73 count.
But the alliances that are being brokered currently will determine who will be our 10th prime minister.
Truth is, a brokered government because of a seemingly hung Parliament in itself is a weak start to the future.
Come November 22, (22.11.22 – surely by now, a hot number for lottery pundits), Malaysia will have a leader to take the country through the next five years – provided another Sheraton Move-fashioned coup does not strike.
For better or worse, the 10th prime minister has a treacherous path ahead to navigate 32 million people out of the woods and the toxic race and religious divisiveness that have been treacherously sowed by certain party leaders.
Looking at the uncharted, future geopolitical, global economic and social and environmental challenges mounting at an unprecedented pace, we need a leader who has all the proven as well as the categorical qualities of leadership to strengthen and reposition the nation.
The GE15’s results clearly display that PN’s thrust is largely from the suburban and rural constituencies. Conversely, PH’s score of majority votes is predominantly from the urban segments of the population.
Given this reality, in a nutshell, the going concern is will the country’s future be driven by the well-informed, progressive, vibrant sectors of society, or will it be the rural citizenry, poorer states, and religious pundits determining the future of 32 million people?
Either way, the head that wears the crown will bear that sole, pivotal responsibility for the direction Malaysia will head into for the next five years and beyond.
Any mistake in who will be the next prime minister is reversible at a huge price given the perils confronting the world and especially third-world nations.
And the trillions of debt hanging on the nation’s neck is no mean task either for the head that wears the crown come November 22. – The Vibes, November 20, 2022
J. D. Lovrenciear reads The Vibes
