The Labour Day celebrations this year in Malaysia have been more passionately celebrated than in the recent past.

A main reason for this is that the country is gripped with the general election fever.

Apart from that, there seems to be a revivalism of labour activism in the country.

This is a consequence of the shifting global economic and political dynamics as well as the frustrations of workers in the country having reached tipping point.

Both the Pakatan Rakyat and BN are competing for the votes of workers.

Again, this is a shift from the past where the voice of workers was ignored when the BN government enjoyed an overwhelming majority in Parliament.

The days of the government operating as unaccountable apparatchik seem to be behind us, and we must never allow such times to return.

The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has issued a set of nine demands, inviting the political parties to ratify the demands in return for the support of workers.

The demands concern fundamental and inalienable rights of workers, where no government has any moral right to be in power without the conviction to meet such demands.

The dilution of workers' rights, the growing wealth and income divide, and the progressive erosion of the quality of life of workers are the reasons for the frustrations of the workers boiling over.

It has been entrenched as part of the system that a choice will have to be made between investment and workers' rights, between capital and labour, between employer and trade unions or workers.

This is a flawed and bankrupt philosophy, designed as part of the larger divide-and-rule mechanism to maintain the status quo.

This is a worn-out dogma that has for too long strangled our politics and has kept both the economy and workers from progressing.

It has also prevented the right type of investments from being attracted into the country.

A competent, corrupt-free and responsible government will have the ability to balance the competing interests of investors and workers' interests.

The rising cost of living is making it more and more difficult for the common people in the country to make ends meet.

The inflation figures quoted by the government is misleading where it concerns equating wages with the cost of living, as asset inflation is not part of this consideration.

Suppressing the rights of workers will have a damaging longer term impact on the well being of the economy, and it is pure selfishness on the part of those who are holding on to political power to inflict this on their own country and their own people.

The recent efforts of the government in introducing a minimum wage in the country and a retirement age for the private sector has failed miserably, owing to a mixture of incompetence, lack of sincerity, and the thinking that workers and the people at large can continue to be cheated.

As we celebrate Labour Day to commemorate the sacrifice of individuals and institutions that fought and even died for the rights of workers and for a better society, the workers and citizens of this country should reflect on what we can do for our country, ourselves and our future generations when we cast our votes in the 13th general election.