Only losers scream

What happened to you all those years? When we told you we need change and when we explained why we need change you still went ahead and voted for Barisan Nasional. You not only voted for Barisan Nasional but you gave 101 excuses as to why you had no choice but to vote for Barisan Nasional. And now you talk full of self-righteousness and scream: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There is one comment that is oft repeated. It is repeated by readers who post comments here in Malaysia Today. It is repeated by Bloggers, writers and ‘political analysts’. Many of you keep saying this over and over again. And that comment is: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.

Why do you keep repeating this? Is it because you thought that this is something we do not already know? Or did you think that maybe we have forgotten this and that is why you have to keep reminding us? Or is it you wanted to impress us with your analytical skills in being able to come to that conclusion using your intelligence and superior education?

This is like telling us that water is wet. Do you think we do not already know that? Do you feel smart because you have told us something you thought we did not know until you told us? Even if we did not realise this, does it make you feel smart because you are telling us something that 500 or 1,000 people before you have already told us?

Anyway, Barisan Nasional has not ruled Malaysia for 55 years. Barisan Nasional was formed in January 1973. Hence Barisan Nasional is only 39 years, going on 40 in another three months time. For the first 16 years after Merdeka, it was the Alliance Party that ruled Malaysia.

Even then it can be argued whether the Alliance Party was in power for 14, 16 or 18 years. The first municipal elections were held in 1955, two years before Merdeka, and the first general elections were held in 1959, two years after Merdeka. Hence did the Alliance Party come into power in 1955, 1957 or 1959?

Whatever it may be, for purposes of this discussion, let us just say that Umno has been in power for 55 years. They took over when the British granted independence to Malaya and it ruled though one coalition called the Alliance Party for 16 years and thereafter through a second coalition called Barisan Nasional for another 39 years. So the total for both coalitions would come to 55 years.

Now, what do we achieve by discussing this matter? So it may have been 57 years or 55 years or 53 years or just 39 years. Does it make any difference if we argue about how long Barisan Nasional has been in power? And what do you achieve by screaming over and over again: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.

If you keep repeating this, you are merely admitting your own stupidity. I do not care how long Barisan Nasional has been in power. I do not care whether the correct answer is 57 years or 55 years or 53 years or just 39 years. I would rather ask: how was Barisan Nasional able to stay in power for so long (whether the correct answer is 57 years or 55 years or 53 years or just 39 years)?

If Barisan Nasional is bad for the country and if Barisan Nasional has been in power just too damn long, that can only mean that there are many stupid people who voted for them to allow them to retain power for 12 general elections since 1959. So who are these stupid people? And aren’t these stupid people the same people who voted for Barisan Nasional, election after election, and now scream: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.

When I voted in the general elections I voted for the opposition. And to prove that I voted for the opposition I held up the ballot paper for all and sundry to see before I put it into the ballot box. You should have seen the shocked faces of the election workers who panicked when I held up my ballot paper so that they can see whom I voted for.

I did not even bother to go into the booth to mark my ballot paper. When they handed me the ballot paper I asked for them for a pencil and marked it right there, in front of them. When they tried to usher me into the booth I told them no need to do that because I was going to vote for the opposition. I then showed them my ballot paper as proof that I had voted for the opposition.

And while I did this each and every general election do you want to know what you did? You expressed anxiety that your vote may not be a secret because the ballot papers have serial numbers on them so the government can actually find out whom you voted for.

You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were worried that if you voted for the opposition you might get into trouble. You did not want to vote for Barisan Nasional but you were scared of voting for the opposition so you did not come out to vote.

You voted for Barisan Nasional because you did not have confidence that the opposition can run the country. You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were worried that the economy would suffer if the opposition takes over. You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were scared that if the opposition wins the election there might be race riots.

You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were not aware that Barisan Nasional is bad, you thought they were good. You voted for Barisan Nasional because you did not have access to the Internet so you were not informed about the truth. You voted for Barisan Nasional because no one told you about the bad things that Barisan Nasional had done.

You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were scared of PAS’s Islamic State so you would rather Umno run the country. You voted for Barisan Nasional because you were scared that DAP would abolish Ketuanan Melayuso you would rather Umno run the country. You voted for Barisan Nasional because it had proven it can run the country while the opposition had not proven itself yet.

In short, you voted for Barisan Nasional and today you give all sorts of lame and stupid excuses as to why you did that. So it is not your fault that you voted for Barisan Nasional. It is someone else’s fault that you voted for Barisan Nasional. And because you voted for Barisan Nasional they were able to retain power for 55 years (or 57 years or 53 years or 39 years) or 12 general elections (or nine general elections since 1974 after Barisan Nasional was formed).

So, now you want to kick out Barisan Nasional, is it? Why do you want to kick out Barisan Nasional? You want to kick out Barisan Nasional because: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.

But why do we need change? We need change because there is so much corruption in Malaysia. We need change because there is no democracy in Malaysia. We need change because the government does not respect human rights, freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to lead the lifestyle of your choice, etc. We need change because we need transparency, good governance, separation of powers, independence of the judiciary, etc.

In short, the system is not working, the government is not working, society is not working, in fact, everything is not working. So we need change.

But when did all this begin to break down? Only since 2008? Only since 1998? Or since 1958?

Tell me what has changed since Merdeka of 1957? Things are basically still the same. Okay, you argue that things have gotten worse over the last 55 years. Have they? Who told you that? Do you mean there was no corruption in Malaysia until Barisan Nasional too over?

There was already corruption in Malaysia even before there was a Malaysia. 200 years ago Yap Ah Loy was already bribing the government officials so that he could open his brothels and opium dens along Jalan Ampang in Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese tin miners were also bribing members of the Selangor and Perak royal families 300 years ago so that they could mine tin in those two states.

Barisan Nasional did not invent bribery. Bribery had been ‘invented’ hundreds of years before that. The Chinese, the Malays, and the government were already involved in bribery long before Merdeka. Many towns and cities in Malaysia emerged and flourished against the backdrop of bribery and corruption.

So, Malaysia got independence in 1957. And bribery and corruption was already well entrenched in Malaysian society back in 1957. The government and the businessmen were corrupt to the core. And we told you this back in the 1970s. We told you this back in the 1980s. We told you this back in the 1990s. Now, suddenly, you are screaming about corruption.

What happened to you all those years? When we told you we need change and when we explained why we need change you still went ahead and voted for Barisan Nasional. You not only voted for Barisan Nasional but you gave 101 excuses as to why you had no choice but to vote for Barisan Nasional. And now you talk full of self-righteousness and scream: Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. 55 years is long enough. It is time for change.