PBS deputy president Dr Maximus Ongkili’s condemnation of Pakatan Rakyat's plan for regime change amused me no end. He didn’t mince his words, calling the plan shameful, unethical, dangerous and having the potential to create political chaos and economic strife.

He also added indignantly that it creates the notion that elected politicians in Malaysia can be bought and sold for a pot of political porridge.

Here I beg to disagree. PBS was formed by Joseph Pairin Kitingan in 1985 after splitting with Parti Berjaya. It won the state elections in 1985 and ruled Sabah until 1994. In the 1994 elections, PBS also won the state elections but by only a narrow margin.

However, before Pairin could even form the state government, many reps switched allegiance to BN and as a result, PBS was toppled. Now tell me, did these reps not know they were standing as PBS reps? Did they not know they were voted in as PBS reps?

Did it not occur to them that had they stood as BN reps, they would have lost? Did it prick their conscience then that they had betrayed the voters so soon after the election?

Did not their principles, so cherished and passionately propounded by Ongkili, urge them to resign their seats won on a PBS ticket and subject themselves to a fresh mandate from their voters?

None at all. None at all because it was not a pot of political porridge offered on the table. I will leave it to the readers to guess what was offered.

But Anwar Ibrahim has already made clear that no such wealth awaits those who jump ship. No pot of gold awaits those who switch. Only a pot of a so-called political porridge awaits. So they had better do it solely for principles and political convictions that Pakatan is the way to go for all Malaysians.

In his 51st National Day message, the Prime Minister urged all Malaysians to be united. I can’t agree more. Malaysians need to be united and stay united. But the unity championed by Umno and BN is defective. It is a total failure.

Our children are increasingly being segregated according to race. Our government service where we should all be able to work in is being staffed by one race.

The same is true of our armed forces, police and all government agencies. How they are going to formulate policies that take into account the sensitivities of the others?

Even the Biro Tatanegara is indoctrinating racist ideas in the minds of our young, according to a veteran politician. So how can the National Service programme foster unity in a mere few months when the BN government promotes discrimination based on race and the major component party in the BN trumpets Ketuanan Melayu all year round?

So, I urge all Malaysian to unite in throwing out this BN government. Give Pakatan a chance. Anwar is a man with a vision and strong convictions of his political principles. Even in his student days in 1974, he led protests to highlight the plight of the poor and hungry farmers in Baling.

All his life, he fought for the poor and the under privileged. He knows what it is like being down and out. He knows what it is like to be incarcerated in Kamunting. He took it all even if it meant being beaten almost to a pulp.

He has almost been to the pinnacle of power as a DPM. He knows all the rot and he knows where it is. He saw it all first hand. He is the man to rectify all these ills of our country.

So if Sept 16 becomes a reality, I will jump for joy. I hope you will also join mein my joy and hope for a new Merdeka.