We will be better off

  • when we realise that bangsa Malaysia does not mean working towards a single race; but towards a common goal of developing the country.

  • when we realise that we are already a bangsa Malaysia one with a national psyche, heritage and culture unique to our country and our country alone.

  • when we realise that in the eyes of our competitors, we are all Malaysians, and it would only serve to delight them if there is internal rift amongst us.

  • when we realise that ethnicity is something we inherit by virtue of our genetic makeup and is not something to be proud of or to be ashamed of.

  • when we realise that what we should be proud of are our achievements, be it a groundbreaking scientific discovery, an effort to keep our streets safe and clean, or concrete action to preserve our flora and fauna.

  • when we realise that our current state of development is inadequate, as our economy still heavily relies on natural resources, government-linked companies and foreign direct investment.

  • when we realise that we should not be mere copycats, as we will then always be left behind in the technological race, becoming instead consumers of the latest Western and Japanese ideas and inventions and in the process lose the money earned from using their obsolete technologies and from their outsourcing.

  • when we realise that to be truly developed, we have to be a pioneer in goods and services that are marketable both domestically and worldwide, an example being biofuel derived from palm oil.

  • when we realise that to be a pioneer, we need to stem the brain drain and appreciate our human capital.

  • when we realise that to stem the brain drain, we need an environment that promotes creativity, recognises achievements and values individual contribution regardless of their ethnicity or social status.

  • when we realise that most immigrants are law-abiding people who are essential to the well-being of our daily lives, and that we ourselves would like to be treated equally and fairly if we were law-abiding workers in a foreign country.

  • when we realise that the poorest workers living in our cities need to be protected by minimum wage laws to ensure a decent quality of life for them.

  • when we realise that we already have the potential to achieve all this, but have been unable to do so partly due to the malaise in the now complacent and hubristic 49-year-old administration of the Perikatan and the Barisan Nasional.

  • when we realise that to effect changes we need to have our voices heard in Parliament. This means voting in more moderate and intelligent non-BN MPs who will wake the BN up from its malaise. Voting for BN MPs who promise to speak out for you won't do as almost all BN MPs would not jeopardise their career by defying the 'BN spirit' when there is a clash between government policies and your interests, thus drowning out your voice in Parliament.

    • But we won't be better off by just realising all this. We have to do something about it. And all we have to do now is to work hard and, when the time comes, vote wisely!