YOURSAY 'Better to suffer greatly for a short period, than to suffer moderately for a long period.'
Rally behind Mahathir or live with Najib
Milosevic: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim makes little sense. He wants the nation to rally around a person who says he does not support Bersih, but only the rakyat, by which he only means the removal of PM Najib Razak.
This is a singularly narrow conception. Najib and his henchmen are pathetic scoundrels, but the PM has both inherited and contributed to an Umno held together only by money and contracts, camouflaged by Malay rights.
The leader survives by amassing money (whether personally or through proxies) to reward his supporters. Former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad did little to check this system. Najib is both a culprit and a prisoner of this system.
Umno's 'Malay first' mentality is vacuous amidst so much economic polarisation in the community. So the desperate common glue sought for power is the use of racial baiting, fomenting a security paranoia among Malays and harnessing political Islam.
Didn't Mahathir declare Malaysia an Islamic state? Didn't he flirt with Perkasa? Zaid needs to make a less sycophantic, more persuasive and thoughtful case for Dr M.
Haveagreatday: I beg to differ, Zaid. Yes, you have a point, that if we can overlook Anwar Ibrahim's mistakes when he was an Umnoputra, we should at least afford Mahathir some leeway.
But is there a need to rally behind him? My take is that if Mahathir wants the rakyat to look back at him with some fondness despite his 22-year reign of terror, he should rally behind the rakyat and be pro-change.
Mahathir should lend his weight to groups working to demand for Najib's resignation like Bersih, to be fair to him, as he did last weekend.
Free and Fair Election: Although what Zaid says makes sense, we may end up with a Malaysia back in Mahathir days where there was vast social engineering, racial preference in the civil service, education, business, scholarships and corruption.
Then there is this pseudo championing of Umno being the saviour of our country while they continue with their racist agenda, and thus causing the opposition to lose support. I'd rather wait and have Malaysia go into an economic meltdown and becoming a failed state.
Najib would go down eventually, bringing Umno and BN with him. Then the rakyat will wake up and realise that we need good people in government. The rakyat will turn to the opposition.
I'd rather we go to the bottom before we get back to the top. The people will suffer greatly, as the Chinese proverb goes, "Better to suffer greatly for a short period, than to suffer moderately for a long period."
We have already suffered for 58 years.
RakyatBiasa: For Malaysia's sake, we must all unite to remove Najib. But what do we get in return? Can we have Anwar out from prison? How about Najib and Anwar trading places?
Tailek: While I blame Dr M for the emasculation of many of our institutions during his administration, I support what he is doing now to remove Najib as the PM. Our current PM is an unmitigated disaster and the sooner he is replaced, the better for the nation.
I believe Dr M has the interests of the nation at heart and his agenda to oust Najib is not because he is sore about some crooked bridge.
So the rakyat (including Umno members) should rally behind Dr M and whoever else has the wherewithal to achieve the replacement of the PM so that we may bring an end to his farcical administration.
Anonymous 2112022009694: Only Najib can save himself now. It's a matter of time Najib's rule will die a natural death. If in the less than six to nine months he cannot settle this 1MDB mess and turn around the economy, he will fall.
And come 14th GE, BN will be history. That's why Mahathir has to act fast because he knows time is running out for him to leave a legacy worthy of praise.
And truthfully after 58 years of trial-and-error rule by Umno, it's time Malaysia shall be ruled with laws that are fair and equal to all Malaysians and not favouring one race.
Anonymous_40b4: The Bersih 4 rally is for "fair and clean" election. We need a clean electoral system for a clean government. Najib stepping down is not a long-term solution.
History tells us the corruption will only get worse if we just have just a change of PM.
Send In The Clowns: Is it so difficult for Mahathir to say, "I am Malaysian first," or "my heart is with all oppressed Malaysians and my motive is to make Malaysia a better place for all, we shall march together for one purpose, to rid the evils and tyrants in our nation"?
Ksn: Mahathir is not just allergic to some but most Malaysians; he is like plague, and should be shunned.
Zaid, you are wrong. I am not saying that Najib should not go, but adopt a different approach.
Anticonmen: Question - who removed the constitutional controls, rule of law and financial controls, and is now acting as saviour of the nation?
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