Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
From Our Readers

Let’s reason for a minute. The state of the nation is certainly in a bad shape even if you were a BN supporter. It has become difficult to deny that the government’s handling of Malaysia’s finances leaves much to be desired. Even to the ordinary Malaysian, the effects of a weakening Ringgit compared to our neighbours is telling of the lack of confidence in Malaysia’s economy.

Our education is directionless and the future is bleak at best when we look at the way young Malaysians are educated.

Much of the brunt of this bad state of affairs in Malaysia is now placed squarely on PM Najib Abdul Razak. I, however, believe that the rot did not start with PM Najib but started almost thirty years ago when the the then-prime minister Mahathir Mohamad tore down every branch of government and tamed it under the executive.

Parliament was turned into a mere “rubber stamp” (his own words), the judiciary and police were well-manipulated and today all we have is a semblance of a functioning democracy. Checks and balances were thrown out the window decades ago. In fact the combination of the Finance Ministry and the PM’s Office under one man was the act of Mahathir.

So when there is 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), purchase of jets and billions sent out here and there without Parliament approval, whose fault is it?

The objective of this letter is not to absolve PM Najib of responsibility but in hope that we as Malaysians will think carefully about ever trusting Umno/Barisan Nasional in the next general election (GE).

We replaced Abdullah Ahmad Badawi because he had a son-in-law who was ambitious. We replaced him with Najib because Mahathir said so and now we have an overbearing wife with a love for all things expansive. So who is Mahathir recommending to replace Najib now?  Muyhiddin Yassin? Mukhriz Mahathir? Ahmad Maslan?

Are they any cleaner or is it replacing one set of cronies with another set of cronies? In three years when they are no longer a new broom and the rots starts again, will Mahathir be around to bring him down? God willing.

The truth is no party is perfect and no one is totally clean. What is important is to reinstate the independence of various branches of government which Mahathir destroyed in the 90s. To bring back checks and balances and to reform Parliament and education and the economy.

To date, we can at least look at Selangor state assembly and be proud of the reforms being made. We can look at the way the Selangor and Penang governments are handling finances and building infra-structure. We can look at the quality of MPs in Pakatan Rakyat and be happy that they represent us.

Tell your MP’s we don’t want another Umno prime minister. We are tired of the same old people and their cronies.  Tell your MPs we want you to reform the Election commission and then conduct a clean snap election as soon as possible and we want to decide who should be in government.

ADS