COMMENT | My fellow Malaysians, in a few days, we will be exercising our right as citizens to elect a government of our choice. It is a sacred responsibility. The future of our nation is in our hands. I don’t need to remind you that the stakes have never been higher.

From my long years abroad as a diplomat and ambassador, I can tell you one thing: when there is a government that is just, accountable and truly committed to serving the people, a nation can rise to greatness; people prosper, live in peace and have the opportunity to pursue their dreams. But when the government is corrupt, the whole country suffers.

There are already too many examples of countries which started off with great potential only to end up mired in corruption, mismanagement and instability.

I never thought such a fate would befall this beloved country of ours, that the Malaysia we know and love would come to be known as a kleptocracy, an object of scorn, a land of scandal, injustice and extremism. It is particularly sad as well that some 60 years after our independence, so many Malaysians are still struggling just to provide a decent life for their families. This is not the Malaysia I was so proud to represent as ambassador.

We live in a blessed land, richly endowed with natural resources and opportunity; our people are industrious and our diversity makes us unique. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot be the best nation in the world. All that is missing is good, responsible and accountable leadership...