Had enough of meaningless slogans?

[superadmin]

Slogans, slogans and more pointless slogans!

We have had some truly wondrous catchphrases in our country, haven’t we?

The earliest I remember is that old nugget from way back when I was just 11 years old – “Bersih, Cekap, Amanah” – “Clean, Efficient, Trustworthy”.

It was part of our fourth prime minister’s seminal leadership campaign, ubiquitously called “Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan” or Leadership Through Example. This was circa 1982-1983.

Truth be told, when if we say Bersih nowadays, most young people will probably only relate to “The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections” or in short, “Bersih”.

This coalition was formed in 2006, some 25 years after the 1982 slogan was first introduced and immortalised. Tomes of scholarly columns, op-eds, and analysis were done about the impact of that slogan.

But obviously, there was no real lasting effect on the fabric of Malaysian society, administration, and politics. So much so, that the Bersih coalition had to be formed.

Go figure!

Successive prime ministers try to rally the nation by coming up with beguiling mottos and taglines.


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