T

he golden orb had long sunk, recalling its glorious luminous tendrils back to their heavenly domain. The massive energy of the day had turned into a comatose, deep state of unconsciousness in the calm of night. Eventually, I gave up, shutting down my computer and cleared my desk. My brain had slumbered along with the night apparently.

In a hurry, I hopped in a blue taxi, hoping to reach home soon without any major traffic at such an odd hour. I planned to doze off once I popped in the back seat and announced my destination.

It was late enough, most cars have gone and the scattered street vendors around the city were about to close. Everything was shadows. I see the eerie night as beautiful in many ways. As the day often brings out the uglier aspects of buildings and people, the night offers refuge. When the night takes reign, there is peaceful solitude at last.

As I slumped in the corner to get some sleep, the cab driver kept ranting about trifling matters, playing the a hospitable host. I was a bit cheesed off with his talking 19 to the dozen while I was exhausted. Well, at least that was how I felt for the first few minutes before his outburst on politicians being arrested in late-night strip clubs gave me a slap on the head.

“It’s scandalous and shameful. I used to see him on TV preaching about morals and ethics,” he said nonchalantly.

Then, he blabbered about the “dirty” politicians who couldn’t care less for people they claimed to represent. Power and money had corrupted their character. The glitz and glamor of the ivory tower had turned them into political wealth-accumulation machines, their loyalty to the party, not the people. Corruption and recklessness in the House of Representatives today is the norm with office holders openly indulging in fraudulent practices, and feeble judiciary unable or unwilling impose the heavy sanctions which could stem this menace.

“Look at the recent drama! It is disgusting! Chairmen of major political parties are corruption suspects. Then, they claim innocence and vow to shed light on corrupt practices within their party,” he said crossly.

“It’s all crap! Why now, after they are cornered? Where have they been before? I am sick of intrigue. They have no right to claim to be representatives of the people, let alone fight for our interest!”

I was slightly bemused by his candid point of view. He was honest and spoke his mind. Sadly, our representatives in government often turned deaf ears and blind eyes. They talk instead of listen. They lead by dogma and creed instead of by example.

 As long as our leaders keep playing to gallery, speaking like the most holy of all preachers in front of cameras and taking the opposite direction immediately they are switched off, their reputation will crumble that people no longer trust them.

Meanwhile, the judicial bodies have done a great deal of job unraveling the loopholes in the system and fishing out the corrupt politicians but they need to go a step further. As long as the law fails to impose severe sanction on corrupt politicians, eradicating corruption will be like chasing the wind. Our county will remain notorious as one married with corruption and still heavily pregnant with its many offspring.

We concluded our conversation by the time the cab approached my home. Soon, midnight would cave in. The skies were lit only by twinkling stars, leaving me with the streetlights, and the dimmed houses, where people were asleep inside. The world was asleep. It’s such an odd odyssey through the night, and the cab driver’s words lingered. His voice along with many others in the streets reminds us that life is not a bed of roses. Some of our politicians are hell bent on emptying the treasury and looting the nation.

Herlina
Jakarta