2024 in the rear view…

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

William Vaughn, American author & columnist

So here we are, hours away from saying goodbye to another year. In my case 3 hours (UTC +8), as I write this. And it’s a good time as any to look back at 2024.

Frankly, there’s too much to summarize when it comes to Malaysia in general, particularly when it comes to the nation’s political scene this year. So don’t expect a blow-by-blow sort of posting.

When it comes to politics here is some of what I have observed this year:

1. What appears to be efforts to clamp down on free speech, often on the pretext of making the Internet “a safer space”, particularly for social media. The imposition on social media platforms to formally be licensed is to me treating the digital space no different from printing presses. Different animal, same old tired licensing regime…
2. UMNO’s obsession with wanting to exonerate Najib Razak, driving the narrative that his trial wasn’t a fair one, and propping him up as a “hero” by the party
3. The MIB (Malaysian Islamic Bureaucracy) increasing their authoritative flex, with any dissenting voices lambasted by the usual right-leaning Malay political entities (PAS in particular) and NGOs
4. Promises of reform seem to be remainig just that – promises. Not an entirely fair view, in my opinion, but effective messaging of reforms that have happened, and the resulting optics, haven’t been properly managed, IMHO.
5. The judiciary has performed well, in my view, underscoring their position of independence, more than what has been seen in previous administrations. Yes, there have been some very glaringly unpopular decisions (dismissing of a few high profile cases, for instance), but these were done on merit, in my opinion. But the optics of this doesn’t bode well for PMX’s administration, with lingering accusations of interference and such. The remedy to this – splitting of the public prosecutor and attorney general roles – has taken its own sweet time to materialize (although there has been some progress reported). Methinks the lacking sense of urgency is the main reason why this still hasn’t happened.
6. Politicians tainted by corruption seemingly rewarded has been one area that I personally am sore with. The latest being Musa Aman’s ascension to becoming the Yang Di Pertua of Sabah, and him being gifted with a Tun-ship in the process.

Certainly not a comprehensive list, but these are among some of the broad areas. There is a lot more I’d like to add, particularly on the religious front, but I’ll save that for another post. Like I said, don’t expect a blow-by-blow in this one.

Internationally, 2024 has been mostly about the many ongoing conflicts around the world, primarily in Gaza and Ukraine. Syria overthrew the Assad Regime, and that country’s future lies in the balance, although there is some comfort to note that the likelihood of Syria being ruled by another Taliban-like entity like in Afghanistan is minimal.

South Korea demonstrated to the world why strong institutions are critical for democracies. The attempted Martial Law maneuver by President Yoon Suk Yeol was unanimously met with big fuck you from the country’s National Assembly. Hurrah for South Korea!

Across the Pacific, the United States declared their own fuck you to the world when Donald Trump got elected as the next POTUS. Again. There are lessons for Malaysia to be learnt from that election, but we won’t get into that discussion right now. Nonetheless, the Trump 2.0 era will likely be an interesting one, not just for the US but for the entire world. Let’s just hope while the rhetorical foreign policy will be fiery, the actual damage done to the world will be minimal.

But enough of domestic/world politics…

Personally, 2024 has been an interesting year for me. As part of the business operations of the gallery I co-run, I’ve been spending a lot of time this year in Manila, Philippines. This is on top of the other cities I go to because of the gallery biz.

It’s also because I’m away from Malaysia so much that I decided to not pay more attention to what’s been going on in Malaysia. Best to focus on work, since any obsession on my part isn’t going to affect what happens politically or socially at home. The downside has been neglecting this blog, but I have a remedy planned for 2025.

One of those remedies is to write more about other things apart from ranting about Malaysia and her political circus as the main focus. Not that I’ll completely abandon commenting on politics, just not put

Before I forget: one personal 2024 highlight I should mention is that I turned 60 this past April. In the Philippines, this age qualifies one to be regarded as a Senior Citizen. In Malaysia, a 60-year-old is just a Senôr Citizen, at best – with the one exception I’ve personally encountered: turn 55 and you get a discount for Muzium Negara tickets.

So yes, the rumour you’ve probably heard is true: Walski be old. Ha ha…

Frankly speaking, this post has one and only one primary purpose: to get another post done before the end of the year, so that I can keep up the momentum of updating it come 2025. So treat anything else you get out of reading this as a bonus.

My apologies if you were expecting a post with more substance. Perhaps I’ll work on doing some of that in the new year. Which happens in less than an hour from now.

Until then, hope you folks enjoy New Year’s Eve; this old man just plans to chill at home with the Mrs.

So, Happy New Year 2025… may the next 365 days be kinder to one and all compared to the past 365.