As I scroll through Facebook/Twitter, many of my friends in Malaysia (and the greater Malaysian diaspora) are calling for change. But there are always a few that oppose this. (note that I have no beef with one’s political choice; I just want to look beyond the surface.)
You dig deeper and you understand why. They may not be cybertroopers (who likely come on with alter egos), but these are the cronies of the system. They have benefitted from government work & contracts. They feel entitled to defend because they’ve paid their dues (the customary bribes, entertainment, etc.). As long as the regime stays in power, they can always use the clout they’ve earned defending the regime to gain more contracts.
They pretend to play devil’s advocate. They engage. They intend to waste time by riding on a purportedly high horse. They are trolls. They deliberately anger. They break the normal flow of discussion. They are deliberately annoying for the sake of being obnoxious. They are the agent provocateurs of today. Don’t feed the trolls.
If the regime can throw USD$390k to a foreign journalist, imagine the value of the contracts these people have benefitted from. I’m willing to bet at the very least USD$700k-2million in terms of value (less post bribes, entertainment, etc.).
So no matter who wins in the thirteenth general election, I and others have seen the true colours of many reveal themselves. I’ve always believed in the expression, “Birds of a feather flock together”. If anything, I for one know whom I associate with, going forward. Let go of toxic associations.