A Peoples’ Government ‐ 2

 

Are voting for stability and peace and growth when only a small segment of society is getting richer?

Don Luke 

We would like to thank the voters in Penang for being realistic in their voting. In 1969, they voted in Gerakan, which unfortunately joined BN and in the process has forgotten about its socialist principles and struggles for a truly Malaysian and non-racial approach in politics, economics, education and culture. It became part of BN which stands for cronyism and abuse of power.

Today, the people of Penang have the opportunity again to enjoy the fruits of that decision in March 2008. A very much cleaner DAP-led State government in terms of financial prudence, competency, accountability and transparency, the State’s coffers have turned from red to black.

After a short 5 years, Penang has cleaned up its environment (watch Channel News Asia http://www.channelnewsasia.com/tv/tvshows/boomtownasia/penang-malaysia/608138.html).

The previous State government was inefficient, ineffective and a tool for UMNO.

In Selangor, the State has tried to emulate the successes of Penang led by its Pakatan partner, the DAP. Of course 5 years is too short a time to implement all the promises in the manifesto.

• Free water & cheaper water – with abundant supply of rain in the country, we do not understand how and why water is so expensive – except cronyism and poor management of the water authorities (no maintenance and replacement of old pipes resulting in NRW – non-revenue water). Selangor State government prevented the arbitrary increase in water rates agreed by the BN Federal government

• Funds for single mothers – if Pakatan has not started this initiative, there would be no BR1M and such acronyms from the so-called transformation programmes

• Affordable Housing – after 55 years, BN has no plans to build affordable homes but alienate state land to their MPs and cronysts

• Transport – the number of paid study tours to visit other countries have not brought about any real progress in this critical area of infrastructure

• Flood mitigation projects – after 55 years, Malaysia under BN has no answer to the perennial floods

• Scholarships & Education – (if there is no corruption, the money saved would help the less fortunate to a better life through free education – count the billions and millions lost through corruption and ill-conceived public projects)

• Free Basic Health Care – the Ministry of Health (another Federal government project) purportedly objective to protect consumers by insisting the expensive halogram for all medicine packaging

• Free Wifi – the monopoly of telco under the cronyism makes telecommunication very expensive for the average man on the street

• CCTV – issues of public security (which is a Federal level responsibility under the Home Ministry)

BN has the same leaders in power – incompetent, corrupted, unable to think and lead except to fill up their pockets – and abuse of power. If you continue to vote for BN for the so-called peace and stability, you will continue to be poor, or struggle and existence living. Basic needs are all monopolized:

• Sugar (it seems BN kicked out our sugar king and we are now paying a higher price for sugar)

• Flour (this affects the price of your bread, cakes, kueh-mueh and roti-canai)

• Rice (do you know that our rice is more expensive than in Thailand because rice is controlled and monopolised by UMNO-linked entrepreneurs?)

• Petrol (the price of petrol and diesel of course affects everything we eat, buy and wear)

• Tolls (give Pakatan the opportunity to offer us toll-free highways)

Malaysia is now an oligarchy. Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families (Syed Mokhtar, Mohfaz, Naza, the Vincent Tans and Ananda Krishna) who pass their influence from one generation to the next.

For those who could think and voice out and fight for justice – one example is Ong Tee Keat who is in the wrong political party. He was barking up the wrong tree (PKZ) and some people in power who have issues to hide with PKZ decided that they have enough of a barking dog (sorry for the ‘pun’) which threatens their well-being and good life here. MCA has again shown it to be a tool of UMNO when the delegates voted the wrong man to the presidency.

For Malaysia to transform and move forward, we need meritocracy. For those who could not excel, we must provide special help, not a crutch for life. We do not need a crutch system where we get peanuts and the elite gets richer. We want opportunities to learn and grow.

Education

At the national level, our education system is hopeless because it does not churn out graduates who could think and solve problems. One example is the UEC – Unified Examination Certificate which is recognized by other countries except here in Malaysia. The so-called protectors of Bahasa Malaysia do not appreciate that the English Language is the lingua franca of the business world – from internet, science, technology to medical and shipping terms. Learning the English Language does not make us less of a Malaysian (whether Chinese, Malay or Indians). In fact the command of the English Language puts us on par, if not above those who don’t.

Further, the children of our MPs send their children overseas for their education. They do not give a damn about the poor state of education in our country. Is our education seriously better than UK and/or USA? Do not pull wool over our eyes. Even the UEC is not recognized because MCA concurred with UMNO that it is a threat to national security and stability but the government has no solutions to graduates who cannot think on their feet, solve problems and even structure a simple sentence in English.

When Malaysia lacks the talent to even speak English, then we are really doomed. We will begin to export maids and blue collar workers in 2020. Are we voting for growth in wealth and status when we cannot even compete with the rest of the world? Never mind the race and religion factors when you cannot earn enough to put food on the family table?

Public Security

We would rather have no corruption and hudud law rather than worry about robberies and kidnap. A peaceful country like Malaysia has turned violent because the police (a Federal ministry) have failed. We have come to know of incidents where police out-riders are paid to escort an entourage to a private wedding.

We do not want to live in a country where we dare not go out after 8 pm, or linger in our own garden patch outside our homes. We do not want a country where our women-folks need an escort each and every time they step out of their gates. We want our children to run freely in the neighbourhood parks. Are we voting for security if we continue with the same government?

Opportunities

The NEP was supposed to help the less fortunate, irrespective of race, to have a head-start in life. As part of the NEP, shares were given to GLC-linked companies for this wealth to be re-distributed to the Bumiputras. However, each time such a distribution is made, and the shares are sold off, there is no record of how much the bumiputra has achieved the 30% quota of the national wealth. This continues to be a vicious cycle of a leaking pot of gold. Will we continue to absorb everything the government throw at us – half truths?

The man-on-the-street may not be able to afford more than one lot of any public share issues. The rich UMNO-linked cronyists continue to amass wealth. UMNO is not about the ordinary Malay on the street. Are we voting for growth and income re-distribution even amongst the Malays?

Part of the NEP process was the APs – approved permits. These were again the birth-right of UMNO-linked families, friends and politicians. The whole AP episode made a few wealthy Malays but the majority of the ordinary Malay on the street remains poor. We also end up paying a higher price for Proton than it is sold in other countries.

Are voting for stability and peace and growth when only a small segment of society is getting richer?

UMNO has become synonymous with money, status and hegemony against other races in the country. It is not about the 1Malaysia dream. It is not about protecting one’s race and religion. If we are religious and righteous, we will be people of integrity and conscience. We will not rob the country of its riches and fill our own pockets. We will use the power bestowed upon us for the general good of the people. We would think about preserving wealth for the next generation – not plunder like there is no tomorrow. If we are not preserving assets and wealth, are we voting for growth and a better tomorrow?

Malaysia will have no tomorrow if we do not give Pakatan the opportunity to govern. In the last 5 years after the shocked 2008 political tsunami, BN has wasted no chance to plunder the country. Your future, security, peace and independence are based on a two-party political system of checks and balances. So come out early and vote wisely on 05 May 2013.

READ Part 1 here