In a democracy, which political party governs the country is rightfully determined by the people.

No leader or political party can forcefully decide for the people to vote for them (re We must defend Putrajaya at all costs: Najib ). This is a democratic country, unless of course the nation chooses to have a despotic kind of government. A despotic ruling system will see the country doomed and this would effectively chase away investors and business opportunities.

With a population of about 27 million people and being economically not self-contained, the country cannot sustain an autocratic style of governance.  The country will fail miserably and make the people become disillusioned of their leaders.

Not subscribing to the principle of democracy we shall fail as a state – as has happened to many countries – and we will be damned by other democratic nations.

The country we cherish belongs to its people and not to any single political party. Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians who are the rightful citizens of the country. We have a constitution for all that safeguards the rights of every citizen and the spirit of our constitution and the sovereignty of the country are endorsed by the United Nations.

Whichever party comes to power – Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat – the constitution would be held supreme. The people are all aware of this and need no tutoring on the entrenched tenets of the constitution.

Constitutionally, Malaysians of all races have to accept the special position of the indigenous people of the country. At the same time the rights of the non-indigenous people too need to be safeguarded to maintain a just and harmonious society.

Thus far, this has become a non-issue among all the races in the country. What is sometimes questioned by some politicians is the abuse of these privileges by some irresponsible leaders and not the constitution per se.

Malaysia like all other countries is within the United Nations’ ambit. The United Nations can intervene to safeguard the hopeless, helpless and the minorities in all countries as happened in Bosnia, Rwanda and many other countries where ethnic cleansing occurred in the past.

In other words, the ‘behaviour’ or act of leaders are scrutinised by responsible bodies other than the political party they belong to within the country. Political parties thus have to play by the rules of democracy or else they will end up being ostracised or rejected by the people and scorned by the democratic world.

Putrajaya belongs to the people of Malaysia. Constitutionally the people decide whom they want to lead them. It could be BN or Pakatan. Both coalitions must be given equal chance to prove to the people that they are the people’s choice. To have a two-party system is indeed a blessing and this augurs well for the people and the country. Absolute power is always unhealthy. There has to be a choice for the voters to dilute any supreme power in a democracy.

Thunderous rhetoric by some politicians – on both divides - more often will not change to actions. Pakatan leaders cannot be described as rebels or traitors, neither are the BN leaders in this category.

The country does not need to be reminded of riots of the past to prove or convince the people that only a single political party should dominate the governance of the country. This can be perceived as threats and it is undemocratic and unconstitutional.  

Political leaders must be more responsible. Uttering mindless rhetoric to win support and remain in power will distance the people from them. Fiery and extreme speechifying could cause the loss of precious votes and defeats in elections.

The people cannot be mentally oppressed in a dictatorial manner to vote for a party and neither can the voters be cringed by threats.  The electorate of today knows its rights and it will exercise its rights aptly during elections. Voters have all the rights to choose whichever party they want. Politicians should be aware of this rule. Oppression and threats would only cause hatred among voters and this will eventually destroy the country and make everyone lose.    

Wise and competent leaders do not need to ‘beat the war drums’ to prove to the people that only their political party has all the ingredients to determine the fate of the people. Leaders do not have to sound like they are ‘going for war’ to stay in power. Let the ballot box decide the best party to be in power. Even this given power cannot be endorsed as a ‘birthright’ or a long-term warranty for leaders to stay on. The electorate has again the power to vote in or vote out any political party that it perceives as effective or ineffective.

Desperate leaders often use the cane to stay in power. On the contrary, legitimate leaders are those who would deliver and prove to the people that they are capable of running the country. Legitimate leaders are those who are upright and would listen to the people’s voice.

Malaysia as a nation is represented by people of many races and religions. In the case of Umno, PAS and PKR these political entities are in the main represented by ethnic Malays and the indigenous. Umno as a matter of fact only gets support from not more than 40 percent of the Malays. The other 60 percent of the Malays are supporters of PAS and PKR. In other words, Malays are more represented in PAS and PKR combined as compared to Umno. At this moment and scenario this is the sum and politicians have to accept this equation.

The support for PAS, DAP and PKR has of late surged to an unprecedented level. One reason is they have always been perceived as moderate in speech and actions. Their presence in the Malaysian political scenario – despite some minor squabbles within the parties - has won the hearts of a significant number of people.

The support for Pakatan should not be misunderstood as a threat to the nation. Let the people decide which political party should walk up the stairs of Putrajaya. In a political game, the best party, as perceived by the electorate, wins. It’s always people power that will determine who should lead the nation. It can still be BN, if not Pakatan. The final verdict of the people must be accepted by all Malaysians.

In a democracy, it’s not defending the seat of power that is important but it is the prowess leaders have to make the country prosper that is more crucial. The people will respect leaders who have brought success to the country without subscribing to mindless and meaningless rhetoric that could only alienate themselves from the voters.

They should realise that ultimately the people are the masters of the country, not political leaders or a single party – BN or Pakatan. Fortunately, all Malaysians have come to realise this.  They are the electorate who will make the final decree.

A corrupt, racist and arrogant political party has got no right to govern the country – let it be BN or Pakatan. If bad leaders are allowed to stay on they would end up becoming parasites that would ‘lick clean the honey out of the country hive’, leaving nothing for the ordinary people to sustain their lives.  The people then have the right to vote them out.

Voters must be wary of irresponsible leaders – leaders who want to remain in power at all cost and at the expense of the people’s welfare. They too have to be eliminated by the voters.

Who are the traitors to the country then? These are those who abuse power, racists and those deeply riveted in corruption. Those who rape and plunder the country’s riches for themselves, family and their cronies are the real traitors. These are blights that should be removed from the political scene. They should not be voted in by the people as they are not sincere political leaders as they are the self-seeking type and have no better vision for the country.

Leaders who have a genuine concern for the people should be voted in irrespective of race or religion. Leaders who are willing to weed out corruption, wastage, abuse of power and cronyism and help the poor and the marginalized, irrespective of race or religion, have to be cherished.

It’s high time that the electorate pondered over the many issues confronting the nation. They should now exercise their votes wisely to get good returns for their political investment. Malaysia is for all its citizens and this is clearly stipulated in the country’s constitution. Those born and bred in this country should be taken as rightful citizens of Malaysia.

Every citizen should be taught ‘to fish’ and compete in life. Never should a race consider itself as handicap as this is a defeatist attitude churned out by some irresponsible leaders.  No race or person would want to describe their race or oneself as handicap. Any person from any race in the country can make it in life if given the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.  

Threats and oppression for the sake of remaining in power is not a solution to make the country progress. Let this be a reminder to both BN and Pakatan. Neither will this approach to politics jolt the people from choosing the right political team to represent them. Let’s hope BN and Pakatan play a more mature political game before the country is doomed forever.