I WOULD like to refer to my letter “A response to 115 ilmuwan’s support to Muhyiddin” published on June 23 last year in this column.

About 13 months ago when the rakyat were still in a daze and reeling in pain after having been suddenly stabbed in the back by the “Sheraton move”, we were amazed by a declaration made by a group of academics, who flaunted their doctorates and declared themselves as “115 ilmuwan”.

The group explicitly declared their unconditional support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s back-door government while the rest of us are still mired in confusion, trying to figure out the sensibility and morality of such a move.  

They chose the term “ilmuwan” without any modicum of modesty to portray themselves as an elite breed of scholars of enviable intellectual superiority. The idea behind this was to convince the rakyat that theirs is a well considered collective intellectual decision that the lay-public should take note of, respect and follow.

The group’s declaration was tantamount to a stamp of approval and indirect call for support. For those who are familiar with the working of the minds of this breed of academics, their motives are well understood.

One thing is for sure, the declaration was not based on the finding acquired through the rigours of weighing all the facts, proper academic examination and logical consideration. It was just an opportunistic spur of the moment decision. A timely opportunity to score quick brownie points from the new government.

Eighteen months down the road, the very government that were so highly acclaimed by these ilmuwan is struggling to cope with the rising Covid-19 pandemic and the plunging economy.

The PM and his bloated and incompetent cabinet are bearing the brunt of the wrath of the rakyat. Daily, the social media is replete with postings that demonstrate the peoples’ anger and frustration.

They gripe over the loss of their jobs, their inability to put food on their tables, the government’s lack of planning and incompetent handling of the pandemic and economy, unjustified imposition of the emergency and irresponsible behaviour of the privileged VIPs that appears to be so far removed from the sufferings of the people.

The situation we are facing now is akin to being in a ship with a clueless captain and manned by a bunch of incompetent crew. The ship is now floating aimlessly and is in danger of hitting a reef and might probably sink.

As one of the earliest groups outside the Sheraton cluster who declared their loyalty and support to the Muhyiddin’s government, it is now timely that these 115 ilmuwan come forward to support his government.

No other group of people, other experts, or other common intellectuals who are in a better position to advise the PM. You claimed to be ilmuwan. You flaunt your doctorates. You expect the rakyat to view you in awe. But where is the beef?

With 115 of you ilmuwan being experts in your given disciplines, we expect you to collectively come up with a detailed and comprehensive plan for the country to navigate out of this pandemic quagmire. Have it published in the open. Let the public evaluate its merit and quality.

As ilmuwan you must be aware that test of the pudding is in the eating and not in its labelling. So please respond to this challenge. No ifs and no buts.

The ball is now in your court. – July 13, 2021.

* Ahmad Ghazali Abu-Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* 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.