One thing’s for sure though. This election has been a resounding and well-deserved blow to Barisan Nasional. It has also proven that Malaysians are not as bigoted and as cowardly as UMNO thinks, that we are now wise enough to see that the system needs to be changed, and mature enough to choose change without being uncivilized about it. This truly shows that people have great power, while reminding current and future leaders of Malaysia that “People shouldn’t be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of their people.”

For now, the opposition rejoices, but they must too remember their promises to the people. Running a government (even at state level) is much harder than talking about how it should be run. Five years from now, if they mess up, the people will be as pissed as they are now with Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. And trust me, opposition or not, they too will be shown the door.

To end on a positive note however, as of these elections, Malaysia has passed the point of no return. In the future, the people will likely pick leaders for their merit and leadership, rather than being convinced by lies or out of fear of instability and violence. We as Malaysians, have truly grown up as a nation. What better present for Malaysia, just past her 50th year of existence?

The people rely on the media to give an accurate picture of what is going on in the government. However, this is obviously not happening. The media has become Barisan Nasional’s mouthpiece. What we get from the media these days is unmitigated groveling and sycophancy of unholy proportions. Every other report expounds the virtue of BN, what great achievements they have made, what dreams they have for the future, and what the people will gain by voting for them. Contrarian views are twisted to sound extremist or blacked out completely. At the same time, the media has been publishing advertisements subliminally threatening those who would dare vote against BN with violence, 1969 style. Media credibility? Sorry mate, these days a Disneyland fantasy has more credibility than that.

The judiciary also has a role to play. An independent judiciary is also necessary to ensure that the government does not break or misinterpret laws. It is the final place for citizens to seek redress if the government has wronged them. However, after Mahathir broke the judiciary in 1989, what have are now more rightfully called BN lapdogs rather than judges. These days, the judiciary we know has more to do with corrupted promotions, controversial decisions which trample on basic human rights and cartoon characters making fools of themselves and everybody else at the so-called Royal Commission hearing to determine the authenticity of the judicial position fixing video. Correct? Correct, correct, correct!

This leaves the opposition. The final check and balance of a democratic country. I mentioned earlier that the opposition were basically making fools of themselves this elections. Well, they do seem to have bucked up in the last week or so. Like them or not though, they are an important check and balance measure for a Barisan Nasional government. While the current opposition are unlikely to do well in running a country, they will play an important role in curbing the excesses of the rulling coalition. Wasteful projects and ludicrous attempts to keep on controversial figures in the system can at least be countered. The opposition may not do well as country leaders. But in combating the corruption and impunity with which BN runs this country, let us remember that the saying that “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

I hope that Barisan Nasional does not win the majority this time. This will allow the people to be properly represented, and opposing views given voice to in parliament. It will ensure that all future government undertakings be approved based on merit and not the wishes of a few puppet masters. Only then can we hope for the real progress for Malaysia.

It is now voting day folks. Let’s make every vote count. Good hunting!

On one hand, we have the incumbent political alliance. One party here is famous for its corruption, abuse of power, cronyism, nepotism, and bungling up of anything and everything possible. An Iranian friend once commented that they’ve turned Malaysia into the second Apartheid (Someone from Bush’s so-called terrorist state thinks we have an Apartheid. How much worse can things get?). The other member parties, well… The apples they sell on behalf of the main player are sure polished so shiny you can see your face in it like a mirror. Ah well, but this is all old story. Not unimportant, but it’s not as if anyone doesn’t know about it.

Strangely enough however, the opposition isn’t exactly doing any better either. There isn’t a united opposition front per se; more like a rag-tag, mish-mash collection of parties whose only common goal is to unseat the incumbents. All of them have very different primary objectives. One party wants to create an Islamic state; another, a dynastic Malaysian Malaysia (sorta like a certain small island down south); the third is obsessed with personal vengeance against a system which wronged it’s leader. All are goals which are virtually incompatible with another. And the splits are already showing with the protracted “negotiations” over who should contest at which constituencies. Hell, if this is how they try to win the elections, imagine how they’d try to run the country.

For the opposition, winning against a dug in opponent such as the incumbent requires superb strategy and coordination. There is no way to win by sheer strength, only by sheer skill. Had David walked up to Goliath with only a stick in hand, David would have had his head bashed in soundly and deservedly. Unfortunately, there is a decided lack of any such finesse and skill among the opposition. After the BERSIH and HINDRAF rallies, they thought they “smelled blood”, and are circling the “wounded” incumbent in the hopes of delivering the killing blow. Instead of coordinating on actually doing the killing though, they’re squabbling on who should deliver the blows. All of them want to get to be the hero. This is apparently going on even intra-party (Think DAP). Politics to get rid of Fong Po Kuang? Old foggies complaining that too many new and young faces have been brought to Penang? The incumbent, of course, is sneaking away and laughing at such sheer foolishness. And they’ll probably win the elections. Again.

What a country we live in. We have idiots and nincompoops running the country. And the alternatives are the fools and donkeys trying to take over from the idiots and nincompoops. The poor folks who suffer for all this? Everyone else, of course.

This announcement comes from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who only yesterday denied that Parliament would be dissolved today. The reason for the flip-flop is probably some strategy to confuse opponents, but it just comes across like some petty, girlish, little kid act. At any rate, it probably confused as many allies as enemies in this case.

No surprise here though, that the PM’s final act before dissolving the government is to prove once again, that he is a liar.

While the original motion picture was based upon a comic book series of the same name, in reality, the sinister backdrop of V for Vendetta doesn’t seem too far fetched in our current period of national and global turmoil. In the story, it is during an atmosphere of fear and hopelessness that V delivers a most eloquent and stirring speech to his fellow countrymen. This speech was so utterly thought-provoking that I have taken the liberty of posting a video clip of it together with a transcript on this blog for anyone who may come by to peruse and digest. I recommend watching the entire show, as it is really pretty good IMHO, but here’s a clip of the speech I was talking about:

Good evening, London.

Allow me first to apologize, for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of everyday routine, the security, the familiar, the tranquility, repetition… I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of commemoration, whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with someone’s death or the end of some awful, bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday, I thought we could mark this November the 5th, a day that is certainly no longer remembered, by taking some time out of our daily lives to sit down and have a little chat.

There are, of course, those who do not want us to speak. I think that even now orders are been shouted into telephones and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because when the truncheon maybe used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who would listen, the enunciation of the truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn’t there?

Cruelty and injustice, intolerence and oppression, and where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillence coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission? How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those who are more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again, truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid! Who wouldn’t be? War, terror, disease… There were a myriad problems that conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic, you turned to the now High Chancellor, Adam Suttler. He promised you order, he promised you peace, and all he demanded in return was your silent, obedient, consent.

Last night, I sought to end that silence. Last night, I destroyed the Old Bailey to remind this country of what it has forgotten. More than 400 years ago, a great citizen wished to embed the 5th of November forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that fairness, justice and freedom are more than words, they are prespectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the crimes of this government remain unknown to you, then, I would suggest you allow the 5th of November to pass unmarked. But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me, one year from tonight, outside the gates of Parliment, and together we shall give them a 5th of November that shall never, ever, be forgot.

Quoted from “Be honest, politicians told”, The Star Online (January 15, 2008):

Politicians saddled with debts or mixed up in immoral activities should not even think of offering themselves as candidates for the next general election.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said individuals deep in debt or those who have dodged income tax should not offer themselves as candidates as their representation would be a liability to the Barisan Nasional.

Quoted from “You’re in if you can win”, The New Straits Times Online (January 15, 2008):

Dr Khir, the menteri besar and state BN chairman, said fielding candidates who could deliver seats was priority. Whether they were perceived to be corrupt, scandalous or having disciplinary problems, they could be “forgiven” as long as they had a strong base in their area and could win the seat.

If they passed the screening by the Anti-Corruption Agency, their names can be in his list.

“When the election comes, the most important thing is the seat. After that, the system can take care (of itself) and we move on. My judgment is easy,” said Dr Khir, 42, who himself is not free from controversies since taking charge in 2000.

While first statement isn’t much cause for concern (It’s fair, IMHO), I’m quite sure the second one is. Apparently being involved with corruption, abuse of power, breaking the law and generally being an asshole doesn’t disqualify one from being a potential Member of Parliament these days. I wonder what else a potential candidate could do which would disqualify him/her, short of arson, or maybe blowing up someone with C4. The so-called screening by the Anti-Corruption Agency would probably be the least of anyone’s worries, what with the agency’s operative term being NFA (No Further Action a.k.a. He’s-already-paid-us-off-with-his-side-income-so-all’s-good).

This “winning at all costs” mentality is stinks of arrogance and extreme short sightedness, to say the least. A country’s leaders are supposed to be the cream of the crop, the “best of the best of the best, SIR!” kinda people. Letting lowlife with dubious backgrounds run the country is just a recipe for national disaster. Leaving the “system to take care of itself” is unmitigated bullshit from a man who ought to know better but doesn’t, being as he is, a product of the so-called system itself.

It’s life as usual in Malaysia. When the elections come, the goodies come along too. The politicians on their rounds can then tell the folks, “Hey, see what I did? New roads. New playgrounds. New traffic lights. New streetlights. I’m ‘da bomb! Vote for me!” And as usual, they get voted in. And again, as is usual, they go back to their making messes/fools of themselves/fools of everyone for the next 4.5 years. And then the road/street light/traffic light/playground building starts again.

Let me put it in an analogy, if you will. A gentleman (no, not really a gentleman, but let’s pretend he is) would like to bed his young and attractive wife (This is going to be 18SX. Stop now if you’d rather not continue reading). He rolls over to her side of the bed and starts to rub her down. “Darling, not tonight, I’ve got a headache,” she says. Oops.

Undaunted, he tries again the next night, getting the same negative response. Same too, the night after that. Royally fuckstrated, the gent then has a brainwave! He rushes into the florist the next day and grabs the biggest bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, presenting it to his wife with a flourish. “Darling, that’s so nice of you, but I got a meeting early tomorrow,” she says. Foiled again!

Furious, he wields his Platinum Visa and charges into the local jeweler for a platinum necklace with a 24 carat diamond. That evening, he brings the wife for a romantic dinner at the a classy French restaurant, and puts on the necklace for her. Everyone at the restaurant is impressed and applauds him, while the wife is infinitely charmed.

That night… The gent gets lucky. The wife?

She just got screwed.

Well, yes and no, actually. It is true that the leaders of a country should be held to a higher standard of conduct compared to everyone else. After all, that’s why we elect them to lead. It is expected that our “betters” should conduct themselves in a manner worthy of a one who has earned our trust. On the flip side however, it is also true that one must not have double standards when judging/punishing a leader who is guilty of misconduct. All who have erred should be punished in a manner befitting the severity of their transgressions, no more and no less. Which is why it is puzzling that the brouhaha has resulted in the government forcing the MoH to resign, although he has pledged to continue his work.

Let me put this into perspective. On one hand, we have the ex-MoH, Chua Soi Lek, who is guilty of having an affair and forced to resign from all positions. However, he has broken no laws and it is unlikely that his affair would have affected his work and duty to the general public. On the other hand, we have the likes of the MP of Jasin, Said ‘Close-One-Eye’ Yusof who abused his power and position by demanding that the Customs release lawfully and rightfully confiscated timber belonging to his company. The timber consignment was earlier confiscated for exceeding regulated size limits. When the affair blew up, he was let of with barely a slap to the wrist before the matter was closed. At the same time, we also have Works Minister Samy Vellu, who has presided over a host of serious and potentially lethal disasters in projects commissioned by his ministry. Disasters such as defective, cracked and landslide-prone highways (MRR2, Karak etc), as well as shoddy workmanship in buildings and other structures (Parliment, Jalan Duta Court Complex, Immegration Department HQ, Hospital Sultan Ismail etc), all the time putting the blame squarely on “God” for the sending down such disasters. Samy Vellu is still the Works Minister the last time I checked.

It appears that while others in authority have done far worse things than sexual misconduct, they have been let off with little or no punishment in spite of their actions being criminal or having directly put the welfare of Malaysian citizens at risk. Why then, the selective punishment for Chua Soi Lek because of something so personal with no direct bearing on the nation? Why not catch whoever was behind the recording anyway? Looks like once again, emotion has won over our mental faculties, and saving face is the order of the day. Or was it something else?