Power and Choice in Democracy in Selangor: When the majority lost their power because of their own choice.

Politic is all about choice and power. People has the power to choose their representative or leader, and those who are elected, have the power to choose next course of action or rules to be implemented. It is only a matter of whether the people is making the correct choice of leaders to be given powers with. 

History has shown that people tend to make mistakes when they are given the power to choose their own leader. In political science this is considered as one of the three main problems in democracy. It has always been debated whether the choice of selecting and electing leaders should be given to all levels of people or constricted to only few who are considered knowledgeable and eligible.

The same thing goes in Malaysia as well. The people, especially the voters should not get frustrated or angry by the rules chosen by their elected leaders, as they themselves have given them the powers to do so. Whether it is considered as for the collective good or not, they have to bear this unforeseen consequences for the next five years. People should know better whether they have voted using their emotions or careful considerations beforehand.

Lets consider as what happens in Selangor now. On one part the MB is adamant that the beer festival should be allowed despite huge protests from the majority Muslims in the state. On the other hand, the MB also allowed the decision to tear down houses belonging to Muslim families in a mosque compound without much hesitant. This is where the Selangor MB has chooses to exercise the power according to the pressure around him; which clearly emanated from his majority non muslims allies. Although one might argue that the Selangor MB has won the elections because of the support of majority Muslims in the state and should diligently serves them, but it is not the case now. Clearly, the power of choice that the majority Selangor Muslims have during the last election has been turned against them.

Fairly, some might also argue that the PM is employing the power in choosing the rules that are not the choice of people, e.g. GST and the abolishment of subsidies. But one must be able to fully understand the meaning of collective good as well as the lying motives behind those decisions. If it meant to tax more from the rich to help the needy and subsidize more on public healthcare system, national security and education, then we should all go for it. What actually happen is that, political perceptions are being deployed to confuse many to make the correct comparison between these issues.

But then, there is no point of finger pointing and blame game now. Again, we are the one who choose to give them the powers to make the rules.