Amanah will address Malaysians in London this weekend. Last week, former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad did the same. What’s so special about London? What’s the attraction?

If Amanah wants to rally Malaysians, will they do their homework and talk about their plans for the future, the policies they will put in place, and how they can change our lives for the better?

Do this, and we will sit up and listen. Please do not repeat Mahathir’s talk last week, which one activist described as “Same s***, different day”.

If Amanah wants to make a difference, tell us how the party can look after us and our families, restore our dignity, make us proud of Malaysia; the country we call home.

How will Amanah provide us with a good future for our children, look after their health, provide them with sound education and job security? We want to know if Amanah will safeguard the environment and stop the rape of the land, as has happened in Kelantan.

Mahathir has always been a crowd puller, and 15 years after he resigned as PM, his appeal has not diminished. However, Mahathir’s talk was one of the most disappointing Malaysian-themed events in London.

Malaysians were desperate to hear what Bersatu had in store for the nation, but Mahathir failed to deliver. Moreover, the conversation with Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chairperson Wan Saiful Wan Jan was cancelled.

No-one was surprised that Mahathir did not make any apology for the past, but we were eager to hear Bersatu’s plans for the future. Instead, we were treated to the vintage Mahathir. Nothing has changed. There was no new message.

Mahathir reinforces our belief that in Malaysia, the old guard - the veteran politicians - hold sway. When will the young minds, with new ideas, and outstanding personalities emerge, with confidence, to rebuild Malaysia?

We have splinter groups forming clones of the original party. Bersatu is a clone of Umno Baru. Whereas BN has coalition partners like the MCA and MIC, Bersatu has non-Malay associate members. Just as MCA and MIC, are there for show, Bersatu’s associate members have no say.

The veteran politicians are afraid to break from race. We have Mahathir saying that Bersatu was formed as a race-based party because Malays are comfortable with this concept.

A few days later, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who can never make up his mind, whether to stay or leave Umno Baru, mirrored Mahathir’s thoughts when he, too, spoke about race and politics, in an interview with Sinar Harian.

For the veteran politicians, everything boils down to race.

No wonder Malaysia cannot move forwards. The fixation on race precludes other discussions.
No one politician is particularly outstanding. Most of them are stuck in a mental rut.

A study of clones

Malaysian politics is a study of clones. Najib Abdul Razak is Mahathir,s clone. Bersatu is a clone of Umno Baru. Amanah is a clone of PAS. Some people claim that PKR is a clone that is full of Umno Baru rejects.

PAS is now in bed with Umno Baru. Has Hadi forgotten what Umno did to PAS in Memali? Were those lives lost for nothing?

If Amanah wants our support, they must talk about the future and what they can do for all Malaysians. Not just Malays, or west Malaysians. Please do not bore us about the events of the past, or even with PAS’ problems.

Can Amanah convince the modern Malaysian woman that it has her interests at heart? The religious men are desperate to control her, and turn her into a stay-at-home-mum and a breeding machine.

We want to know if Amanah will try to restore the checks and balances needed for just governance. We want an independent judiciary, an independent election commission, and a police force that is not beholden to the office of the PM.

We want to know how Amanah will halt the rapid Islamisation (or according to one Malay, rapid Wahhabism) in Malaysia. Ever since Mahathir declared Malaysia an Islamic state, Malays have lost their private life and non-Malay lives are increasingly being encroached upon. Mahathir failed to curb the powers of the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim), the monster he created.

Jakim is a money-gobbling entity, which uses religion to maintain a vice-like grip on Malays. Will Amanah be brave enough to dismantle Jakim? Why should Muslims in Malaysia, adhere to Jakim’s warped interpretation of Islam?

How will Amanah reconcile the role of Islam in a democratic nation like Malaysia?

We want to know if Amanah will ban the National Civics Bureau (BTN) courses, the source of indoctrination which pollutes young minds.

We are keen to learn how Amanah will bridge the gap between the various communities, instead of being told that Malaysians are comfortable with race and that we are not ready to abandon race-based politics.

We disagree with the veteran politicians who say that Malaysians must embrace race-based politics. You need only talk to a young Malaysian to know that their Malaysian identity is strong. We are ready!

Show us Amanah’s road map for Malaysia, and dare to be different from all previous governments.

PS: If anyone is interested, Malaysians are welcome to attend the Amanah dialogue and discussion on the future of Malaysia and how everyone can work together to secure a bright one for the future generation.

Date: Saturday Oct 8, 2016
Time: 1700 hrs - 1900 hrs
Venue: The Stowe Centre, 258 Harrow Road, London W2 5ES
Link is here.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.