Why I will support Pakatan Rakyat for the next General Election

With the general elections looming around the corner, both sides of the divide are trying to convince the rakyat with their reforms and/or their transformations. Some of the rakyat are already decided like me and some are of course the fence sitters who are the deciding factor. So the job of the political parties is to convince these people therefore, their agenda needs to be concrete and not just hot air.

Pakatan is a coalition of 3 main parties namely PKR, DAP and PAS. PKR and DAP are multiracial and they seem more keen on reforms and not recycled policies. They seem to be heading in the right direction where they advocate equality for all walks of life. Isn’t that a reason good enough to be voting them in, in the next general elections?

Of course there are people out there claiming look, no one is helping the Malays, no one is helping the Chinese and no one is helping the Indians but my argument is why keep looking at these subsets instead of a single entity that encompasses all our citizens regardless of race? Why not look at the issue of poverty, education and welfare from a holistic point of view? That is what Pakatan is trying to do. The Indian groups in the likes of HINDRAF are fighting for the Indians and true enough I did support their movement and even witnessed the November rally of 2007 which was a blow to BN and showed actual people power which was what I believe to be the precursor to the 2008 GE tsunami. But ever since that incident, I personally feel that the push for political parties to assist only Indians, Chinese or Malays individually should be changed. I think HINDRAF should start looking at other people’s welfare as well and join Pakatan in doing so and just call themselves PRAF (People's Rights Action Force)!

Let me make myself very clear as well that what Pakatan is talking about is mere talk only for this moment and we have to face a possibility that once they are in power there may even be corruption. I do have a very pessimistic view but I cannot be blamed for that because I have seen blatant corruption and  I have experienced oppression so I am nothing but careful. So what happens if Pakatan goes corrupt or if they do not deliver? THEN, WE VOTE THEM OUT. And what happens next once we vote them out? We will be caught between a rock and a hard place because we have both the coalitions that are either corrupt or incompetent. I believe this is when we opt for a third force and that third force is us. We demand for our rights and if Pakatan is the incumbent government at that time, then, they have to listen because they are the ones who are advocating kuasa rakyat/makkal sakthi/people power! Kita kasi hantam sama diaorang kalau cakap tak serupa bikin!

What I have said above is of course if they do not deliver. But for the time being, I believe if you are still deciding who to show your support to, then in my honest opinion please let us see a change of government, vote the opposition (Pakatan). Let’s start working as one nation and one people, as Bangsa Malaysia and not Melayu, Cina or India and have a voice as the rakyat to make sure the government listens to the people and not the other way around.

Salam.

Posted by vicknesharajan amarthalingam