Revisiting an Old Question: What Do the People Truly Want?
Originally written: 22 April 2008
Today, on the 100th birthday of Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, I offer a reflection—not as praise or condemnation—but as a revisit to an entry I wrote in 2008, when many of the shadows we now see had already begun to stir.
This was my political stand then—and perhaps still now.
What Do the People Want? (Original Post – 22/4/2008)
Peace, social and economic independence, a mentally and physically healthy society, and perhaps foremost to some: the freedom of faith. Maybe a few extras to make life a little more exciting.
Most are satisfied with what they’ve acquired in life if, by sixty, they have a grandchild or two to play with—provided all the above criteria are met to a sustainable degree.
Those striving for more than their basic needs are often led by the ego's hunger for power, status, fame, or fortune. And in that pursuit, it becomes easier to step on others’ toes, challenge old foundations, or destroy long-standing icons.
Thus, the pursuit of happiness becomes a gold rush, where the line between need and greed disappears.
When Greed walks in, Compassion and Charity walk out.
Wisdom disperses to the wind.
Corruption takes the throne.
This is what haunts most elected officials—not only in this country, but across the world.
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✧ Postscript – 2025
Seventeen years later, we are still asking the same question:
What do the people want? And more urgently:
What kind of leadership does the world truly need now?
Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has turned 100. And while I once wrestled with my personal feelings about his legacy, I offer him peace—and I offer us all a return to conscience.
Not all that was broken began with him. And not all that grew under him can be denied.
But what matters now is this:
When greed becomes a virtue, the end is near.
When truth becomes a luxury, the people suffer.
And when we, the ordinary, stop speaking up—we too become complicit.
May we rise wiser, not just louder.
May we raise leaders who reflect not just brilliance, but integrity.
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