The royals are quick learners

BEFORE polling day on May 9, there was a concern that the Malay sultans would either campaign openly for Barisan Nasional or at least indicate a preference for the status quo.

After all, all of them have vested interest in a stable political system, where business opportunities for the elite were bountiful. In addition, many of the royal households enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with Umno, a relationship spanning decades.

So, there was a genuine concern over whether the Malay rulers – who continue to enjoy influence among Malays – would accept a change in government.

In the days leading to polling day, many of the rulers proved to be quick learners. After the ill-advised intervention by the Crown Prince of Johor to promote Barisan Nasional and smack down Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the royals understood that the mood of Malaysians had shifted.

Several sultans reached out to their friends in different circles in Malaysian society to find out if the huge crowds at Pakatan Harapan ceramah were a real groundswell of support for change or just a gathering of the curious.

A couple of the rulers also obtained their own intelligence reports during the campaign period. 

Against this backdrop, the royal households stayed neutral.

Make no mistake, there is no love lost between many of the sultans and Dr Mahathir. They can’t forget that in his first stint as prime minister, he took on the monarchy and won.

In the process, he humiliated them. They remember the humiliation. They remember the whittling away of the powers. 

But they also know that Dr Mahathir and PH represent the will of many Malaysians – a powerful constituency that will not accept any attempt to undermine or dilute the victory achieved on polling day.

Despite their antipathy toward Dr Mahathir and perhaps even their personal preference in dealing with familiar faces in Umno, the royals know that tide has turned.

Malaysia has spoken.

Between a rock and a hard place

LIM Kang Ho should be worried.

He played a role in the narrow defeat of one of DAP’s most respected politicians, Liew Chin Tong, and the party bigwigs are not in a forgiving mood. 

Widely known as the man who turned swamp land in Johor into what is now Iskandar and the face of listed-vehicle Ekovest, Lim has enjoyed a close relationship with powerful BN leaders over decades, including Hishammuddin Hussein, Ghani Othman and MCA politicians.

Like most astute businessmen, he hedged his bets by financially contributing to both sides of the political divide.

But DAP politicians are blaming him for helping MCA’s Dr Wee Ka Siong retain the Ayer Itam seat in Johor by 303 votes. While they accept that as a businessman, Lim was entitled to fund whichever political party he desired, DAP politicians said he campaigned actively for Wee.

By doing so, he abetted the defeat of Liew, the key person behind the strategy of fielding political heavyweights in Johor‎ and taking the fight to BN in its traditional stronghold.

At the moment, it is just raw anger and angry words against Lim. In the days ahead, it could translate into revisiting many of his government contracts. 

To be sure, every corporate figure who funded and campaigned openly for Najib Razak and BN should be looking over their shoulders.

No immediate redemption for Tony Fernandes

OH, how Tony Fernandes wished that he could go back in time. 

How he craves for a return to that time when he bathed in the adulation of ordinary Malaysians.

He has lost much since that infamous video clip in which he endorsed Najib Razak and presumed to lecture the rest of us to cast our votes on fact and not hearsay. 

He has lost much since he draped one of his aircraft in BN colours.

Air Asia’s share price has taken a beating. His future plans of operating budget air terminals around the country seems more tricky than before. 

But the share price will recover and business plans can be resurrected at some point.

What is making Fernandes suffer most is the loss of love, admiration and affection of his countrymen. He ‎absolutely loved receiving the praise and kudos for putting Air Asia and Malaysia on the world map.

Becoming a reviled figure is an entirely new and humbling experience for him. 

In the last few days, he has been working the back channels to gain favour with the powerful in the new administration.

That will happen in due time.

But his redemption in the eyes of the Malaysian public will take much longer. No amount of words or letters of endorsement can make Malaysians forget the hurt they felt when their icon deserted them for a lesser person.

Redemption will take some time, Tony Fernandes. – May 12, 2018.