Expect Major Change By End June

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Today an old friend called. He asked me if there was anything unusual happening around the place. I felt that 'usual' has not been part of the landscape for a very long time. It has been a whole string of 'unusuals'. Then he said that some Feng Shui folks (so this is obviously from the Chinese folks) are saying that major change is in store in the month of June. The Feng Shui guys had some details but I am not too interested. 
Then also today there was a Tik Tok video (which I could not view) where an Indian astrologer also says that major change is in store in June. He mentioned some details too but again I am not interested. I did check with another friend who is in the know - if there was anything going on. We went through a quick list and nothing really stands out.   
But it looks like even the Chinese folks (and the Indian folks) desperately want to see change. To the extent that the astrologers and Feng Shui folks are also making predictions.
There is something called a self fulfilling prophecy. You make some prediction and then you go out and make your prediction come true. Something like that.
A long time ago the late Tan Sri Sanusi Junid told me a story of how in the old days they would go out and 'psyche' the public for the general elections.  'They' being the government people. They would pick a couple of dates for the general elections and then send their 'semuts' to go around asking the Indian and Chinese 'fortune tellers' which of the dates (which they had 'heard' from somewhere) would be the best for a BN win if there was a general election.
Since there were only two dates there was a 50/50 chance that half the fortune tellers would pick this date or that date. But that was not the point. When the actual date of the general elections were announced half the fortune tellers in town would begin crowing that that was indeed an auspicious date for a BN win. Because they themselves had picked the date! (The other half would just keep quiet, not aware they were being manipulated as well). The news would snowball from there.
Then the bookies would get into the act. Know ye that for every single election in the country (from 1955 until today, including Air Kuning on the 26th April) there are bookies taking bets on who will win. Since the fortune tellers had "predicted" the auspicious date for the elections and also that the BN would win, it would also influence the 'odds' for the bookies who are taking the bets. 
Then here is the 'psychology' - of course when people see the 'odds' and the auspicious date picked by the fortune tellers, people will be tempted to place their bets on the BN winning. Its like Argentina lawan Malaysia, of course you would bet on Argentina to win. And once they place their bets, the people who bet are also most likely voters. So come voting day they will go out to vote for the BN. Because they already placed money on the BN winning. They are protecting their investment.  It will become a self fulfilling prophecy.
Did it work? Not always. Because the other side can also manipulate the bookies. Especially in By Elections. In a By Election say the bookies place higher odds on Calon A winning the By Election. If there is a Calon B, then the Calon B team can get their bookies to offer better odds (offer a higher jackpot) if Calon B wins. Of course the people who place bets will be attracted by the bigger jackpot. There will be enough people who will bet on Calon B - not because they like him but because of the higher jackpot. Then on polling day they will go out and vote for Calon B. They are protecting their investment. So that if Calon B wins, they will share a higher jackpot. It will become a self fulfilling prophecy again.
These are the stories that I heard.

But coming back to the 'major changes in June' - it does reflect a desperation. Even among the Chinese and Indian people. They desperately want a change. People are getting fed up and tired. To the extent that they are now hoping that the Feng Shui guys and the astrologers can point the way towards change.
This could become another self fulfilling prophecy.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
By Syed Akbar Ali 

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