COMMENT Malaysians have only one choice, whatever it takes, to save Malaysia from going to the dogs.

Either we stand united as one nation, east and west, or the country will fail miserably. The signs are clear: we are heading towards a major disaster if we do not take a different course.

This is written in particular for Sarawakians who will be going to the polls soon. Although I take a liking for present Chief Minister Adenan Satem, the truth is, one vote for Adenan is one vote for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Sarawak’s former chief minister Taib Mahmud.

No matter what Adenan may say about Umno, at the end of the day, both have to share the same bed, unless of course, Adenan has the courage to take his party out of the Barisan Nasional coalition.

Sarawakians will remain among the poorest people in the country unless they choose to change their destiny by voting for change.

Things can only get worse

Most of us in the peninsula are already fed up with the current political development, which revolves around one man and his scandals.

Instead of looking at solving issues within their own ministries, some of the ministers appointed by Najib are only interested in safeguarding their own positions and that of Najib.

Their statements can be readily compiled into yet another book by veteran journalist Kee Thuan Chye, whose latest two books, ‘Unbelievably Stupid!’ and ‘Unbelievably Stupid Too!’ have painted a very precise scenario of the current political circus, where the ringmaster is only interested in his political survival.

Meanwhile, the country continues to suffer from a falling ringgit and a drop in investors’ confidence, and generally a rising cost of living. Worldwide, petrol prices may have dipped but ours have generally moved upwards since 2008.

Most people, including Sarawakians, are burdened by the Goods and Services Tax (GST), causing people to tighten their belt.

Kit hit the bull’s-eye

I fully support the views expressed by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in that Malaysians will have “to break the current political lull, or the country would descend to become a failed and rogue state”.

We all know where the problem lies, but everyone has a different view about what needs to be done. In the past, when former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from his deputy prime minister's post, the people were not ready to give him the support.

Today, both former Umno leaders Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Muhyiddin Yassin have Pakatan Harapan to turn to, and the general populace who are ready to take on Barisan Nasional and Umno.

All, including former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz, should swallow the pride and decide once and for all that foes can be the best friends in the face of party adversity.

At the same time, Pakatan leaders such as Lim, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali should heed the proposal by Zaid Ibrahim to meet on March 27 to decide on the fate of the nation.

There is very little time left for Mahathir before he expires and if Lim is right, for Malaysia, it is just two more years before we become a failed nation, if Najib were to continue to lead the nation.

There is too much pride in each of us that we have forgotten that the most important thing at this juncture is to save Malaysia from slipping further down and becoming another failed and rogue nation.

Contrary to former PAS spiritual leader ‘Tok Guru’ Nik Aziz Nik Mat, leaders such PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang who choose to side with Umno should be rejected. What he said about being anti-Umno yet friendly with its people (namely, Najib) simply makes no sense at all; for that, I think Hadi is senile.

If not his senility to be blamed, then Hadi’s hypocrisy is a good reason why most Malaysians have given PAS the boot; for this reason, Parti Amanah Negara was set up so that Pakatan Harapan can continue to work with people like Mohamad Sabu, Khalid Samad and their team. They were, in fact, the faces of PAS that we knew and respected, alongside the late Nik Aziz.

For a better Malaysia

We are all looking forward to a better Malaysia, where a clean and fair election can be held, and whoever the winner is, will rule in Putrajaya and uphold the federal constitution. The various institutions in the country will have to be reformed if we want the country to regain its full respect in the international community.

We will become a country where people from all walks of life will work hand-in-hand to transform the country’s economy to become more competitive instead of leaving our fate to a corrupt regime.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.