Are Malaysians ready to rescue their nation?

Are Malaysians ready to rescue their nation or do we really don’t care a damn? Before we can answer the question, we need to agree to a few fundamental realities.

First, is Malaysia corrupted to a tolerable level or has the country crossed the line too far? Has the nation’s resources eroded owing to misdeeds and mismanagement or are the elected powers doing a reasonably fine job?

Second, do we think we are getting a raw deal or are we truly happy with our daily sojourns in putting food on the table and meeting our financial obligations to stay reasonably comfortable in life? Or are we facing a nightmare over the prospect of losing our jobs owing to investor-fleeing, shutdown owing to threatening bankruptcy, or owing to worsening pay packets?

Third, do we feel safe in our own yards? Or are we gripped with fear each time we retire for the night, go on a short and hard-earned holiday, out jogging in a public park, or walk in the street or in a basement car park?

Forth, are we able to express our displeasure in a peaceful and orderly manner through public protests – indoors or in the open? Or do we always suffer from chemical laced water cannons, baton wielding blows, overwhelming road blocks that are set up well ahead of any planned protest gathering, arrests, and being set up by thugs? Or are we completely against any form of public expression of concern and displeasure over political, economic, social and environment matters and truly believe that all is fine in Malaysia?

Fifth, are we feeling a sense of growing democracy, greater accountability, increasing transparency and exemplary civil liberties or are we experiencing a marked reduction of all of these?

If you read and watch the main stream media the answer to all of the above is a standard, namely, ‘the opposition is out to wreck havoc’. And you will think that ‘Malaysia is a great nation unlike all of its neighbors’.

But if you talk to the very press men and women from these main stream media in private, over a teh tarik or glass of beer, they will lament, “saya ikut perintah lah” and quickly close the subject with a “get real lah bro, it is a periuk nasi issue and so do not talk about being a national hero lah. Who will feed my family?”.

The unbiased truth is that these past several years far too much muck have surfaced. There are far too many issues that keep raising the eyebrows of the average citizen far too frequently. There are just far too many happenings – be it by the PDRM, the Judiciary, the political masters and their parties, or those aligned to the government of the day with vested interests – that raise far too many unanswered questions.

Then there is the segment of the rakyat claiming that they love this nation and care for its future. They whisper in private their deep seated concerns and fears about where we are heading and what is happening around us.

This brings us to that crucial question: Are Malaysians ready to rescue this nation? Herein lies the answer to the planned Bersih 2.0 rally to which PAS has pledged 300,000 members’ participation.

The countdown has begun. With hardly 30 days to the big event, each passing day should be spent in asking ourselves – both concerned as well as erring citizens and leaders, do we really care for Malaysia and its future?

If erring citizens and leaders make a full realization and pledge to transform the nation, making good all that was wrong with immediate effect, we would have gained victory over evil. And the Bersih 2.0 rally can instead become a national celebration, positively charged.

But if the concerned citizens and leaders are left in the lurch and cornered to a wall, the Bersih 2.0 rally will be a high but necessary price to pay.

In the final analysis, the question that truly matters is: Are Malaysians ready to rescue the nation?

Written by J. D. Lovrenciear