Wikipedia has this to say about a banana republic.
“Banana Republic is a pejorative term for a small country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture (e.g., bananas), and ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy and corrupt clique.”
Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh referred to Malaysia as a banana republic, in his press statement of the outcome of the UMNO supreme council meeting this afternoon, September 26. He further adds:
- Badawi and Najib are playing endless children games of ‘yours and mine’ with scant attention to the country. Both are indifferent, to the needs of the country, doing nothing much from the March 8 elections, but individually fighting who comes first, as the Prime Minister.
Thank God our country does not depend on bananas alone, but the second part of the Wikipedia relating to being ruled by a small group, self-elected, wealthy and corrupt clique is best exemplified in our country watching a snoozing man trying to run a nation for over 4 years without much headway and a man waiting to step into the boots of the yawning PM, to be a successor, who by virtue of his past records makes it impossible to say with a clear conscience that he is the right man.
It would appear that without Badawi and Najib this country will go to the dogs, and no other person can lead Malaysia just because UMNO leaders have monopolised the leadership for over 51 years.
On the other hand Lim Kit Siang laments the fact, that the country is concerned about the future of the warlords of UMNO failing desperately to understand the importance of multiple crisis of confidence confronting the nation over the last 7 months. Lim is correct here, the present PM has nightmares he won’t remain in the same place for long, and is fighting tooth and nail that he be given enough time to delay his retirement, to help his family and scrape the barrel of anything left behind, a successor who unwittingly has allowed his weakness to be exploited by the incumbent who is calling the shots and the successor just trails around by the leash for fear of exposure.
Where does the ordinary citizen fit in? You can laugh at the antics of the UMNO wallahs, Badawi and Najib, get cheesed of, hate all politicians who exploit the people, wait for Anwar, wait for the next elections, or just be a spectator and watch the world go by.
On a bright note, the UMNO chaps are just burning themselves out, and we can expect more tom foolery, defections, stabbing one another in the back, plain selling out of the leaders, and just burying UMNO into oblivion. Perhaps Malaysia will be a better place then.
