YOURSAY | ‘Malaysians will only start to react when the pain gets really bad.’

'Najib remains in power because M'sians are cowards'

Anonymous_1371692684: I understand people’s feelings but I have to agree with Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu. At least, he is facing the problem head on and not looking for excuses.

Seriously ask yourself what will you do if in the next general election (GE14), the popular vote is 70 percent opposition but BN still holds the majority of seats in Parliament?

He may not be very diplomatic but he’s got his stand straight and you have to admire that. People want the government to change but what do they do about it? Voting is great but that's once every five years.

How about registering as a member of an opposition party (whichever of your liking) to show your support and show that opposition is strong in number?

How about subscribing and supporting independent news channels like Malaysiakini or The Malaysian Insider or NGOs?

Clever Voter: The answer lies in the stomachs of Malaysians. We have a larger middle class, and lesser, if not zero under-employed, compared to the Philippines or Indonesia. Thousands in these countries earn only US$4 a day.

Many of our underemployed graduates are either soaked up by the public sector or quite a few have left the country. For us to embrace change, the ballot box was the obvious choice but increasingly this is also quite remote.

Perhaps it's best the BN government run itself into the ground, and rebellion within the coalition will help. No autocratic government can rule forever. But then again, they will say, “We have given you food, apa lagi mahu!”

Negarawan: The problem is not so much about cowardice but more of ignorance and indifference. Majority of those in the rural areas are ignorant owing to their poor access to information, lower education level, and susceptibility to being brainwashed.

In the urban areas, many are indifferent, as long as they can continue with their businesses and livelihoods without disturbances.

Revolutions and violent uprisings are not part of Malaysia's history and culture, like in some other countries. Neither do we want the able leaders of the opposition and underground movements being incarcerated like Anwar Ibrahim as this will be the quickest way for Umno to quench the fire.

Malaysians will only start to react when the pain gets really bad, and I think the pain is growing but has not reached the threshold level yet. In the meantime, Najib is winning with his ‘cash is king’ mentality, corrupting the nation's administration, and keeping the ignorant happy with more handouts. Principles can be traded in Malaysia.

The Analyser: Yes, it's not a matter of cowardice. The problem is a collection of aspiring leaders with absolutely no idea how to formulate a philosophy for government that is attractive to all voters.

This accusation of cowardice is simply a tactic to divert attention away from their gross incompetence and inability to think beyond race and religion and to think of others instead of themselves.

Asitis: Let us not forget that while BN was at its weakest, the opposition coalition not only failed miserably to come together to capitalise on the opportunity but was also fighting openly among themselves.

Some Malaysians may be cowards. But even if all Malaysians were to support the opposition, do you think the opposition will win when they are so weak?

And even if they do win, will they make a good government with all the bickering among themselves (even when they have not won yet) because they simply cannot agree to disagree on their principle of agree to disagree?

Let's face it, between BN and Pakatan, Pakatan is simply the lesser of two evils. And this is the only reason why some are giving their support to Pakatan rather than to BN. If there were a better alternative to Pakatan, we would not hesitate to switch our vote.

But as it is, we do not have a better choice at the moment. So we have to choose the lesser of two evils. BN is seen as too corrupt for the country's good.

Doc: Every Malaysian today in some way or other is suffering from PM Najib Abdul Razak's alleged gross mismanagement of the nation's economy, judicatory, finances and pretty much everything he lays his hand on, and also from his poor international reputation.

I am not surprised that even Umnoputras’ businesses are suffering due to the tanking economy.

From what I see, the Chinese, Indians and intellectual Malays are sick of this situation and have taken to the streets last year in Bersih 4 to voice their displeasure.

The problem lies with the vast majority of the middle and lower middle class and rural Malays who form the majority of the Peninsular Malaysia's population who are not bothered to push Najib out although they have the most to lose economically from Najib's ‘naik semua barang’ exercise.

I am not sure if Mat Sabu is right that they are cowards for not standing up to this tyrant or they have acknowledged these ‘difficulties’ as ‘takdir’ (fate).

Mojo Jojo: Mat Sabu, you are addressing the elephant in the room by calling a spade a spade, and not engaging in such sophistry as saying a white horse is not a horse. True, people are afraid to act and speak up.

When the non-Malays attended the Bersih 4 rally in numbers, they were labelled as racist and for questioning the ‘ketuanan’ concept embodied by the mono-ethnic ruling party this regime has to offer.

If change were to materialise, it must be done by the ethnic majority. If not, any desire for change would be seen as a challenge by the ethnic minorities against the majority. And any change then would be short-lived.

Elsewhere, they would’ve stormed Parliament with pitchforks

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