The MH370 tragedy has spilled into the international sphere harsh realities about Malaysia. Unless and until there is a national will, involvement and interest in rectifying our national political agenda, Malaysia can only sink further in global confidence.

Even before we can come out of this unprecedented disaster, our nation is already being plagued with reports of three consecutive potential disasters involving three more flights from Malaysia.

We had the Nepal accident, the Hong Kong emergency and now the Subang case.

Do we continue to tell the world that Malaysia is following all standard operating procedures (SOPs) required to guarantee the global audience of safe flights?

Or do we invite the VVIP bomoh who claims to have leaders and illustrious individuals as clients, to cast a magic spell for better air safety?

Or shall we reprimand all Malaysian citizens to shut up and stop ‘speculating’ and let the authorities to do their job?

It appears therefore that our national slogan of ‘Malaysia Boleh’ could well be the root of all ills that are beginning to be unearthed one after another.

Yes, in their political expediency to continue to wrest a strangle-hold in ensuring that the world’s longest-serving government remains in power, we have created a misplaced belief that truly ‘Malaysia Boleh’.

We have created an entrenched belief system that Malaysia is the greatest, the best, the infallible, the know-all.

The debacle over the ‘Allah’ issue - a verdict that seems to go against the world’s opinions - is a classic example to attest that indeed our arrogance has crossed the limits of moral decency as is observed and revered by sensible nations on planet earth.

The complete silence and continuing ignoring of urgings to resolve with justice the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder is another example of our armour of ‘who cares’ attitude.

Malaysians must pause and ask: What would have been the eventuality if that victim was a USA citizen or China national?

The blatant bashing of the opposition leader with sodomy charges despite the world crying foul well reflects our ‘Malaysia Boleh’ arrogance.

The use of our race-based policies and religious discrimination is well known in the world and the United Nations has also raised the alarm loud and clear. But the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ spirit runs with speed giving a deaf ear, a blind eye and frozen heart to these concerns.

We think that just because we have the Twin Towers; just because we have a mega airport; just because we have expressways spanning north and south of the nation; just because we have a growing economy - we are great.

Badge of seeming honour

We take pride even more in our ‘Malaysia Boleh’ badge of seeming honour.

And that ‘Malaysia Boleh’ fever has gone even further.

Just because our leaders can spend, spend and spend and court the rich and famous and jet-in and jet-out on private and government planes; just because some can have branded handbags that only the billionaires club covets; just because we can flaunt diamonds and pearls and drive Rolls Royces with a garage of more Ferraris, Porches and what have you; just because billions can be apportioned for who-is-who and continue with business as usual - we take pride even more in our ‘Malaysia Boleh’ mantra.

No. We need humility. We need honesty. We need moral decency anchored in our souls. We need courage. We need a commitment to the millions more who are yet to be born in this nation. We need  to know now, in the wake of this aircraft disaster that has global impact, that Malaysia cannot be all that ‘Boleh’.

We need to accept that corruption is our biggest enemy. We need to know that political hegemony has enslaved the nation. We need to re-discover that all the cries of “Balik India” and “Balik Cina” and “pendatang” labels that have been generously hogging inside the august house of democracy - Parliament, are all the evidences of a nation that is going seriously wrong.

We know now that our police investigations are not up to the 21st century mark which the prime minister himself attested recently. We know now that our military is suspect of capability. We know, too, now that our leaders cannot deliver world-class presentations to the global audience when tested to the core. We also know now that our defence machinery is not a standard to be paraded - as in the case of a submarine that cannot be any help.

If this aircraft disaster does not awaken Malaysians then certainly nothing would. We will remain as the proverbial frog in the slow cooking pot.

The real enemy of this nation is not the opposition. The real culprit is not the citizens. The real problem is not the Bersih rallies. It is this ‘Malaysia Boleh’ propaganda that has reduced the nation to a state where many nations now will know we are not all that ‘Boleh’ after all.

Now Malaysians will have to come together and ask: What is this ‘Malaysia Boleh’ that we have been screaming our lungs out all these thirty-over years?