I find John Malott’s article pessimistic, wrong-headed, inconsistent, unhelpful, and possibly serves Najib Abdul Razak’s purpose if Najib’s aim is to weather the storm of public anger by wearing us down and stripping us of hope.

a) John Malott lamented the fact that Malaysia “can no longer claim to be a democracy”. A few short paragraphs later he asked “Where are the sultans?”, expecting them to come to our rescue. If we want to return to the democratic state, do we really want the sultans to save us from this mess? At what costs?

I think John Malott has forgotten that we are a constitutional monarchy.

b) John Malott asked where our elder statesmen were and he mentioned Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) and Musa Hitam. Perhaps these gentlemen recognise that the fall-out from Najib’s forced departure include the possible disintegration of Umno and BN. This would be too drastic a consequence for them to face and be blamed for. (Possible if all the dirt is swept out in the process).

On the other hand,  is an Umno-led solution (by one of the elder statesmen) good for Malaysia? I seriously doubt so.

c) As for Mahathir Mohamad, do we want him to lead us out of this mess? Not for me. I don’t trust his motives.

d) John Malott accuses “the leaders of Bersih 4 and others who think that street demonstrations will force him to resign” of naivety. “He already has shown that he has no hesitation to turn tear gas and billy clubs on his own people. That is what they will face on Aug 29.”

Although Bersih 4 may ask Najib to resign, I don’t think the organisers or anyone else believes Najib will feel forced to do so. On the other hand, Najib has said he will not step down just because one man asked him to do so. Bersih 4.0 will help demonstrate we are not ‘just one man’ and that anger against him is deep and widespread.

e) Possibly, the most objectionable part of John Malott’s article is his last paragraph, “And when the great majority of the Malaysian people, from former leaders to the man in the street, stand by silently, and let him do it.” This, after he runs down Bersih 4 and its organisers.

He has also chosen to ignore the activists who risk arrest, or have been arrested, or have been charged with sedition, or have been sued for speaking out against Najib/1MDB. He has ignored the papers which have been suspended for writing about 1MDB and the many writers who continue to write and inform us.

And if John Malott maintains he’s right because these people are a small minority, he should perhaps remember that not all of us are as well-informed or as articulate or as talented as writers, lawyers, politicians and cartoonists. What we can do is join Bersih and show our discontentment.

John Malott casts his whole message under a pessimistic shroud when he  wrote “I cannot think of a good outcome”. I must say I have more faith in Malaysia and Malaysians than John Malott. I can think of a very good outcome indeed. What we need is endurance and, more importantly, the fortitude to keep our hopes alive. I find the words of Emily Dickinson encouraging:

Hope is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -

And sore must be the storm -

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -

And on the strangest Sea -

Yet - never - in Extremity,

 It asked a crumb - of me.