The people has spoken.
The writing has actually been on the wall, ever since 2006.
Malaysians have spoken and the government needs to heed the voice asking for change.
In a nutshell, BN has lost because some of its leaders has become too arrogant and forgot that they came from the very grassroots that elect them.
Any complaints that people voiced out is often brushed aside in a I-know -best manner. Some ministers have become so arrogant that they are acting like they cannot be wrong.
They have become oblivious to problems faced by the people.
Not only that, they begin to behave like they cannot be wronged and they cannot be caught. There is so much of abuse of power and misuse of public funds. Rules and ethics were forgotten.
If the country is doing very well, people might not care so much about the abuse of public funds. But when economic growth is not benefiting the people and inflation is causing people to tighten and re-tighten their belts, and yet they see billions of public money going down the drain, into someone’s private pockets, it is no longer a matter of inflation. Bread and butter issues turned into hatred for the ruling.
In 1789, during the French Revolution, when the people of France were living in economic and political malaise and a mob of hungry people marched to the Palace of Versailles, the Queen and wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, asked a courtier that if the mob had no bread to eat, why didn’t they eat “cake and pastries”? So much out of touch was she that she had lived a lifestyle of excesses while the people were dying of hunger. Malaysia is not that bad, luckily , but when people are poor and see the the political leaders are out of touch with the masses, a similar feeling of discontent arises.
That discontent in fact cuts across racial lines and affect all races.
It is sad that BN leaders has lost touched with the people.. They have been totally out of touch with reality and unable to feel the pulse of the people.
Indeed, they try to cover up all the misdeed through an absolute control of the printed media. They are so out of touch that they have not realised the power of the internet. The power of the pen is truly more powerful than the sword. Internet portals such as Malaysiakini and political blogs have filled in the role of news disseminators.
They have forgotten the world is no more as hierarchy based as before. The world is being flattened and people , even in a developing country like Malaysia, know their rights better than in any time in the history of the country.
When people take to the street to convey their discontent, the leaders failed to find out the reasons why; they are more interested in using the archaic method of force to suppress dissent.
The ruling party has become rotten, especially the leading component UMNO. It has become so entrenched in money politics that any projects formulated is not in the interest of the people but the leaders themselves.
Component parties like MCA and Gerakan have really no say in the policy formulation. They thus concentrate on the job of providing excellent local services, which is not what an educated electorate wants. Drains and local issues should by right be solved by local councils, not by legislators such as assemblymen and members of Parliament.
While some of the grassroots in these minor component parties did voice out their discontent, the leaders themselves are more concerned about playing internal politics and consolidating their own power within the party.
Some are busy plotting for their kin to succeed them. After all, they think of themselves like the royals and want their children or relatives to continue their political dynasty, even when the anointed sons or relatives are way below par and have no sense of mission to fight for the people. After many years of walking in the corridors of power, they have forgotten the primary aim of a politician is to represent the people and not their own family.
Even when choosing candidates for the election, they do not consider the best and the most winnable, but rather the most loyal and most obedient, apart of course allocating the safe seats to their own kin first. They fail to consult grassroots but listen to the views of a few power brokers who have thier own agenda.
Hence, even those who have been taking money from the people are chosen to be candidates. Even those who are potential bankrupt are allowed to stand . Even perpetual losers who have disappeared from party and community work for the past 4 years were suddenly recalled to be candidates again, treating the party like “reject shop”.
In this respect, the leadership has failed to realise what is happening among the grassroots. They depended on infomation fed to them by certain power brokers who were themselves out of touch with what was happening on the ground.
They have forgotten that the world has changed. The people are not stupid and are more informed now.
In Penang, certain party leaders are more concerned about who is going to be the next chief minister. There is no more team spirits fighting an unprecedented onslaught from an united opposition.
My own brother , who is staying in Penang, called me to inform me that the people of Penang are so disgusted with the scrambling for the position of Chief minister during the campaign period , when there is still so much problems facing the people and the state. It gives the people a sense of what the French must have felt during their march towards the Palace of Versailles in 1798 ; if there was no bread, why didn’t they eat cake?
In the end, enough is enough and they throw the whole party out. Perhaps this is what the party deserves for being out of touch with the masses.
For the country, this is a watershed moment. It dawns on me that this is going to be the beginning of a 2 party system that I have always advocated in my blog, a 2 party system that can provide the necessary check and balance.
Malaysians are more matured now. Malays are voting for DAP, Chinese are voting for PAS and that is a good sign that people are starting to be fed up with the racial politics that UMNO has played all along.
This is a good beginning and I am in a way glad that this is happening, despite the fact that my own party, Parti Gerakan, has been almost totally wiped out.
If that is the price we must pay for a 2 party system, I am willing to pay that price and hope that future generations of Malaysians will live in an environment of equality, peace , freedom, prosperity, transparency and accountability.
……………………………………..
Lim Guan Eng from DAP has been sworn in as Penang Chief Minister. A PAS assemblyman was sworn in as the Menteri Besar of Kedah. Three other states , Selangor, Perak and Kelantan will be ruled by parties not belonging to Barisan Nasional.
This is indeed a new beginning.
These new governments will have no experience in governing. The people must give them sufficient time and the old regime must be prepared to come forward to enable a smooth transition. After all, it is the people’s interest that is of utmost importance, not individuals or even parties.
This is also a new experience for the civil service in these states. Too often, after 50 years of BN rules, civil servants have behaved as if they are BN members working for BN politicians.
Now is the time to learn that they are professional administrators. Political leaders come and go, but civil service must remain neutral and above partisan politics. They must be prepared to cooperate and work for whichever party that wins the mandate of the people.
To ensure progress and prosperity of these states, the Federal Government must be big enough to extend full cooperation to these state governments. After all, they are the representatives of the people who are the real boss of the country. This is democracy and now is a time for those in power to learn the true meaning of democracy.
The old way of boycotting and sabotaging development for areas that vote for the opposition must be discarded. All peruntukan (funds) from government must be given to all areas equally, regardless of whether those areas were pro BN or pro-opposition. That is the spirits of democracy.
For BN, especially UMNO, this is the time to do serious soul searching. UMNO must discard its hegemonic position within the BN. They must listen to the views of the smaller component parties. They must discard “if you don’t like, you get out from BN” type of attitude.
Anyway, if they express such threat and the smaller parties leave BN and join the opposition, UMNO may not even be able to get a simple majority to rule in the Federal Government. Such is the precarious position that if 29 BN members cross over to the other side, UMNO will lose its majority in the Parliament.
UMNO ministers must learn to be more humble and not become intolerant of criticism. They must learn not to utter sensitive words that hurt the feelings of other people. They must learn not to play up racial or religious issues to move up politically.
For the smaller BN parties, this is the time to return to your grassroots. Many leaders, once they become YBs, have forgotten to be humble and acting as if they cannot be wrong and cannot be wronged!!
Speak out on behalf of the people. Do not hide behind the standard phrase ” work through proper channel” when the so-called “proper channel” is only one way traffic – UMNO talks and all other parties listen. Please do not tell members “not to rock the boat” when members react to certain unfair and unjust policies.
Perhaps BN leaders should seriously think of disbanding the individual parties and merging into a single multiracial entity.
The days of race politics are now numbered.
(writer’s note: The part 1 was published as a letter to Malaysiakini and part 2 was published in the blog corner of Malaysiakini)
Posted by Dr Hsu 
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