The 12th General Elections: It is about the future of Malaysia, Not Anwar Ibrahim

by Ibrahim Yaccob and Din Merican

In recent weeks, we have been travelling with Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim on his “Mesra dengan Rakyat” tour throughout the length and breath of Peninsular Malaysia. Unlike the privileged UMNO-BN leaders and their entourage who fly around in private jets, air force executive planes and helicopters, we travelled up to 800 kilometers or more daily per outing by road, risking life and limb to be with ordinary Malaysians in the heartland of our country. The marathon sessions must be particularly demanding on Dato Seri Anwar who still recovering from the after-effects of a major surgery to his back. But it is through sheer will power, grit and love for people to people interactions, he is able to maintain this punishing pace. He seems to have his energy level up whenever he is in the company of ordinary folks in the isolated rural communities.

Judging from the issues that were brought up and talked about during various ceramahs—issues ranging from the rising crime rate, prices of basic household items and petrol, toll charges, corruption and blatant abuses of power, quality and cost of education, healthcare, jobs, social problems, and business opportunities to national competitiveness and the state of the economy and public administration, and the moral conduct of ministers and politicians — it is clear to thousands of eager Malaysians we met that the forthcoming 12th General Elections is not about Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim per se. It is about our country and where we as Malaysians—not Malays, Chinese and Indians— are heading towards. It is a choice of more of the status quo or change for a better future.

It is not about personal vendetta; it is not about bad mouthing the ruling regime, or about power hungry people in-waiting. It is about the rakyat and their basic needs and hopes for a better future. It is about our national pride and future direction. It is about the economy and proper and prudent management of our limited resources through good governance. It is about our youth and their future. It is about our children’s education. It is about “keadilan untuk semua”(justice for all). It is, in short, about our rights as citizens and the future of our country in an increasingly globalised world.

While UMNO and the rest of the Barisan Nasional component parties have gone out of their way to discredit Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim by using HINDRAF issues or launching personal attacks, speading lies and anything else they can lay their hands on. In fact, they are harping on other irrelevant and trivial issues in their effort to divert the rakyat’s attention from the real issues. They have been trying to create a “feel good” atmosphere with announcements of the Northern, East Coast, and Southern corridors together with other mega projects. They are also using EPF and PNB and state unit trust funds to prop up the stock market.

Ever since Merdeka, now into its 51st year, the Barisan Nasional government has been disguising its failures as successes through the well tested and organized means of rebranding projects and mental conditioning of the rakyat through its controlled mess media network. Currently, we have people in power and those connected to those in power through marriage and other relationships who think that they are the bosses and can ” fool all the people all the time”.

The present UMNO- led coalition government is like a huge tree trunk infested with termites: the outside looks good whilst the inside is rotten to the core. It is now only a matter of time before it will implode.. One cannot sweep dirt under the carpet all the time, sooner or later, it will show and tragedy befalls our country.

We have begun to see evidence of systemic breakdown, more so in recent months with the government flip flopping on many issues and policy decisions. Prices of essential food items are spiralling out of control. The worse is yet to come and this discrepit government is waiting to approve another round of price increases after the elections. Fuel cost and toll charges are expected to rise. There is a shortage cooking oil because of our faled energy policy. Last year (2007), serious crime rate rose by 13.4%. Because the Prime Minister is weak and incompetent, there is serious infighting within UMNO and its component partners. This list keeps growing. Yet the government spinners, and the controlled media say that Malaysia is in great shape.

50 years of UMNO-BN rule should be enough. What have seen is corruption and abuse of power on the rise, sheer incompetence, a corrupt Judiciary, and total disregard for the rule of law and civil liberties, and a dysfunctional public administration, especially in the once much respected civil service and dignfied Police Force.

A new dawn awaits us if we dare to make the change and vote in favour of an alternative government which is committed to good governance, the rule of law, and justice for all led by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Dato Seri Anwar is in the coinsdered opinion of many observers at home and abroad the best leader there is in Malaysia today. Through his charisma and brilliant 16-year track record of public service, he is able to hold both Al-Fadhil Hadi Awang’s PAS and Lim Kit Siang’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) in coalition with Parti KeADILan Rakyat together, and form a government that transcends considerations of race, color and religion. This alternative government will bring Malaysia into the 21st century as a truly respected member of ASEAN, the OIC and NAM, and the United Nations. He has earned the trust of the thousands of Malaysians he met and touched during his recent tour of Penang, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Terengganu and Johor.

He said that his Malaysian Economic agenda will deliver strong economic growth. In this regard, it is worth quoting him as follows:

“…agenda ekonomi perlu terpancar dari hasrat memacu pertumbuhan pantas; agar negara melonjak maju dan menjamin faedah dan keselesaan kepada rakyat terbanyak. Maka selain dari kerangka kebajikan ekonomi; jentera pelaksana dan badan penguatkuasaan juga harus berwibawa dan bertanggungjawab.

Hanya dengan jiwa merdeka mampu kita robohkan kerawang dan tembok yang membelenggu pemikiran, memundurkan negara dan menindas rakyat. Tokoh politik, sarjana, aktivis, pekerja dan mahasiswa harus merasa tercabar untuk berfikir dengan waras dan bertindak dengan bijaksana”.

Malaysia will then be an abode of peace and harmony, where all Malaysians can live and prosper together. There will be justice for all. So, the time for change has come.