ONE of the things I look forward to on a long-haul flight is catching a new movie, given that I hardly have time to go to the cinema. On a recent flight, after flipping through the in-flight magazine, the movie Dumbo caught my eye. Though the film is intended for a younger audience, I wasn’t in the mood to watch a mind-boggling thriller.

Dumbo is set within the context of a travelling circus, and watching it reminded me of my years growing up in a small town outside Kuala Lumpur. Every now and then, a local travelling circus would come by, entertaining children and adults alike. Though it was not of the same standard of the Indian and Russian circuses that would perform in large cities from time to time, the local version was enough to charm us with its ageing, tired-looking tigers, lions and elephants. Once we saw the convoy of vehicles pass through the quiet streets, we knew that the circus was in town.

These past couple of months, the goings-on in Malaysia’s political landscape have appeared to me like the circus is back in town. Juicy sex scandals, an unreasonable unilateral conversion bill, a radical itinerant preacher, a directionless education system… the list goes on. It has been slightly more than a year since Malaysians voted Pakatan Harapan into power, and the coalition is slowly becoming more and more like the one we booted out.

It looks like PH, the “coalition of hope”, is beginning to turn into a pact of despair, desperate to hold on to power, even to the point of its members openly fighting each other. It is interesting to hear what the man on the street has to say about this “hope” that dawned in the early hours of May 10 last year. The people have become not only more critical, but cynical. The loss of hope leads to cynicism.

Some continue to hold the position that PH did not win the 14th general election, but rather, Barisan Nasional lost the polls. Whichever position one takes, this “hope” is quickly riding into the sunset, with no sign of a sunrise on the horizon.

Coming back to the circus – the clowns, with their ludicrous antics and buffoonery, were one of the major attractions. They did most of their act through pantomime, without uttering a single word.

These days, listening to politicians and persons of authority speak about issues that have made Malaysians unhappy reminds me of the clowns. The only difference is that they are better dressed. Some are more articulate, but still with a degree of ludicrousness and buffoonery. When questioned, the response is always “I have been misquoted” or “People have misunderstood”.

I realised that as I got on in years, the excitement of the circus began to wane for me. But for a child, the thrill is always there. The older I get, the more Malaysia’s political circus comes across as a bore. Perhaps, it is time that the current bunch of politicians – on both sides of the divide – take down their tents, for their circus has lost its attraction. Unless they are able to pull out a Dumbo, a flying elephant that can get us all excited again, the future of most Malaysians is bleak.

Till then, the circus is certainly back in town, after a brief hiatus. And, so are the clowns. – August 19, 2019.

* Dr Clarence Devadass is a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart. He focuses on paving resourceful ways to promote virtues for living in a multireligious society, for a significant life together.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.