Yin: A new decade begins.
By 2023 latest, we must have GE15.
Will we see a real rebirth of a nation or another false dawn and a repeat of past and present disasters?
Someone commented that we will not acquire ‘developed nation’ status even by 2050. Not only that; but I predict by then Vietnam would be ahead of us; the Philippines is already galloping ahead and Indonesia would be a powerhouse.
Will we be exporting labour to those countries I wonder?
All this, while the mullahs arabise the Malays and try to sharia-ise the rest of us.
Mahathir, to curry favour with the Muslims shield an extremist Indian Muslim fugitive from Indian justice despite the protests of many Malaysians.
Meanwhile Anwar tries to outdo Mahathir by organising his own Islamic Talkfest – taking the Saudi’s side against Mahathir’s Qatar. The Gulf States fight their proxy wars in Putrajaya – great!
Anwar lauds Mazlee who was sacked just to spite the old man. He virtually promised Mazlee a cabinet post if and when he becomes prime minister.
If this is an indication of Anwar’s judgement, God help us.
WHERE IS THE BLUEPRINT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF RURAL MALAYS?
In none of the ‘kongres-kongres’ did the Malay leaders talk about how to lift the poor Malays – no blueprint to better the lives of the rural Malays let alone the other communities. The “Kongres Maruah Melayu” was used as a platform to insult the non-Malays and rachet up racial tension. Mahathir gave it his tacit approval by attending the event.
Is this a prime minister (or in Anwar’s case, a prime minister-in-waiting) who will unite the country and deliver the Bangsar Malaysia promised in GE14? I think not.
Our leaders play politics while the country burns.
Even DAP which fought for a Malaysian Malaysia has betrayed their voters on that score.
Malay leaders are still promoting the myth of ethnic economic disparity when in fact, as revealed by Dr Lim Teck Ghee in his ASLI report of 2005, the Malays have attained the targeted 30% of the country’s wealth.
They know the problem is intra-community but will they say this in the kampungs? Will they release data discounting the common perception the wealth gap between the rich and poor Malays is the widest of all the races – if indeed that is incorrect.
Economic disparity is not an ethnic problem. To use an ethnic solution does not help and only bring on other problems. And to blame your own incompetence on the non-Malays does not make the poor Malays economically better off, but at the same time divides the country.
MALAYS LEADERS ABUSING THEIR POWER
Malay leaders have had the levers of power for over 60 years but they have abused it.
DAP which professes to be a socialist party has forsook their natural constituents. The Minister for Manpower from DAP came up with a derisory rise in the minimum wage which does not even cover the cost of living. DAP has become a ‘big- business party’. It prioritises the interests of its new found business friends. In twenty months the minister has not been able to resolve the issue concerning immigrant workers who are exploited by middlemen.
Who will deliver economic fairness to the B40?
We are fast becoming a two tier society of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. The rich become richer and the poor poorer – across all communities. Poverty does not discriminate.
What Malaysians want and deserve is a government which will lift their standard of living – across all sectors. They want jobs with a minimum wage which at least meets the cost of living if not exceed it.
They want an education which will prepare their children to compete globally – not more beating of chauvinistic breasts which do not put food on the table. They want education, business and job opportunities. They want a fairer society. They want a better life.
We need a government which will put the interests of the “left-behinds” first. Not one which rachets up racial and religious issues to serve its interests. In this respect the PH Government is not much different from the UMNO-BN Governments of the past.
PH is led by a racially exclusive party; by a prime minister who is openly promoting a Malay Agenda and not a Malaysian one.
The one party which has for so long championed a Malaysian Malaysia has abdicated and betrayed those who voted for them in the expectation of a Malaysia Baru. DAP has gone the way of MCA.
While DAP has become a ‘big-business’ party Parti Socialis Malaysia has stuck to its socialist principles. It is arguably the only party which genuinely fights for the ‘small people’.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Where do we go from here?
Continue along the same path and we become a banana monarchy or caliphate.
But what is the alternatve if we have only PH, UMNO-BN and PAS to choose from.
There has been talk of the Third Force long before GE14. Haris Ibrahim’s People’s Parliament is one such. It is now a distant memory.
Now MAJU has offered itself as a rallying point. But that is not enough. They must offer themselves as a real alternative.
I have listened to Siti Kassim and her cohorts. They come across as sincere people. I can understand their distaste for politics as usual.
Azmin fights Anwar; Anwar fights Mahathir; Gang N fights Gang K, fights Gang L in DAP. When Mahathir goes there will be an almighty scramble for power in PPBM.
All for power and position and the lucre that comes with it.
How many Malay politicians and their non-Malay cronies have become multi millionaires?
Who is fighting for the rakyat? None of them say they want power so that they can implement their blue print which will unite the country and bring prosperity. To focus on the B40 which has been neglected the past forty years since Mahathir’s ascendency. It’s all about ME, Me and Me!
It’s right that MAJU wants to ditch this old style politics.
But I don’t think their idea as most people understand it, is viable.
To say that they will support good candidates who tick their boxes is too vague. And to say that even if those candidates they pick are members of a political party – subjected to party interests – shows political naivety.
They also seem to be confused about their terminology. They say they are “apolitical”. According to the dictionary: apolitical not interested or involved in politics.
How can an organisation which is dealing with politics be apolitical? Perhaps Siti meant non-party political or non partisan.
There seems to be a reluctance to get fully into politics; yet dipping one’s toes in the water does little to help. This lukewarm approach will only attract lukewarm reception from the public.
The idea of setting up State Committees is good but I submit that these state committees will have a hard time selling something so amorphous.
The alternative is for MAJU to throw its weight behind one party which ticks most (if not all) its boxes.
My straw poll indicates that Malaysians would like to see MAJU put up its own candidates under its own colours. There is a slew of credible candidates from among the activists, commentators, academics, professionals and the business community.
Before we know it GE15 will be upon us.
MAJU has to decide what it is – another pressure group or a party which has its own members in parliament.
Siti is a great activist but she and her colleagues must take the next step if MAJU wants to be the Third Force and if Malaysians are to have a real choice in GE15.
Time is of the essence.
(The views expressed are those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rebuilding Malaysia.)
By Yin,
Letters from Ward 5, Tanjong Rambutan
https://www.mariammokhtar.com/
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