THE “Two Years of Madani Government” (2TM) programme over the weekend at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) exemplifies everything that is wrong with populist politics masquerading as public service.
While touted as a celebration of reforms and progress, it has sadly become a fiesta of giveaways and brownie points-scoring.
The centrepiece of the programme – free helmet exchanges – drew massive crowds with people queuing as early as 7:30am.
On the surface, it’s a commendable effort to promote road safety while assisting citizens. But this isn’t about safety; it’s a blatant gimmick to lure people in – an exercise in optics over substance.
Comel je review abang ni. Bukan main happy lagi dapat helmet MADANI.
Bagus program macam ni. Rakyat dapat banyak manfaat.
Aku ingatkan program Ulangtahun MADANI ni program joget² dan pesta sia-sia macam puak sebelah sana selalu buat 🤣🤣🤣pic.twitter.com/wjLXRIoCfO
— Adam Yusuf (@adamyusuf88) November 23, 2024
A government truly committed to road safety would invest in comprehensive public education campaigns and stricter enforcement of helmet standards – not ration out 5,000 helmets over three days and pat itself on the back.
Equally troubling is the offer of discounts on traffic summonses. What message does this send to Malaysians? Break the law and you’ll eventually get a government-sanctioned discount every year?
Is the Madani government telling its citizens that penalties for traffic violations will be discounted if one is patient enough to wait until November each year when the Madani administration hosts its annual pat-on-my-own-back extravaganza?
Crowd pulling gimmick
Instead of fostering accountability and respect for the rule of law, this approach trivialises traffic violations and undermines road safety efforts.
Such gimmicks are not new but it’s particularly disappointing under the Madani banner which promised values like transparency, responsibility, and respect for the rakyat.
REBUT DISKAUN 60 PERATUS SAMAN TRAFIK DI KLCC ❗️
Jom serbu ramai-ramai bagi merebut peluang diskaun bayaran saman 60% di kaunter Pembayaran Saman PDRM, Hall 1, Pusat Konvensyen Kuala Lumpur (KLCC). pic.twitter.com/q9ylzBOYjs
— Harapan Madani (@Harapan_Madani) November 23, 2024
More concerningly, events like these divert attention from critical reforms. Where are the discussions about road safety policies or urban planning to reduce traffic accidents?
Where is the focus on long-term economic strategies to ensure citizens aren’t financially desperate enough to queue for free helmets or discounted summonses? These handouts are band-aids on deeper wounds – distractions that keep us from holding our leaders accountable.
It’s easy to see why such tactics persist – they’re effective in drawing crowds and earning cheap goodwill. But at what cost? When governance is reduced to a glorified pasar malam fair, it cheapens the public’s relationship with its leaders.
The government hands out helmets and discounts; the rakyat shows up and claps. Is this really what governance should look like?
Malaysia deserves better than this. Citizens deserve a government that prioritizes substance over spectacle, long-term solutions over short-term optics.
If the Madani government wants to celebrate two years of governance, let it do so by highlighting meaningful achievements – not by handing out helmets and discounts like door prizes.
The rakyat should demand more from their leaders, beyond free stuff and populist theatrics. After all, good governance isn’t about what you get for free – it’s about building a country where you don’t need handouts to thrive. – Nov 25, 2024
Johan Abu Bakar is a reader of Focus Malaysia.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Harapan Madani & Bernama
