A New Government Is In Need
The mainstream media (radio, television, newspapers) has been fully monopolized by the BN establishment for decades. Whatever BN say or does, so does the mainstream media, following exactly what the BN says or does everyday. Whatever the BN says or does, the mainstream media would say BN is so good and they are too good. Opinions, feedbacks and commentaries from the Opposition parties and the professionals in regards to weaknesses of the public policies and implementations of the government are completely being shunned from the mainstream media.
The previous and older generations are being constantly trapped in the Umno and BN's past legacy and history. The Oppositions are very often being viewed and seen as criminals or enemies of the state who wanted to destroy whatever legacy or historical chapters which has been put forward by the past Umno or BN leaders.
The younger generations has always being taught only adhere and obey to whatever ideas and policies put forward by the government. All this while, the younger generations has only being taught to give their ideas, comments or feedbacks on subjects or topics other than politics. Students from primary to secondary schools, colleges to universities are only taught to study and to memorise for the sake of sitting for a formatted examinations and in the end to get jobs which only follow instructions with no questions or opinions.
Whoever of us who has ideas, commentaries or feedbacks which are against the "aspirations" of the government are deemed to be wrongful, criminal, rebellious or being used by "some other opposing parties". According to a BN leader, you only need to "listen, listen and listen, that's it".
Then, students are being asked to take an oath of loyalty to that government with no questions, oath not to participate in street protests or demonstrations and our nation's current affairs are of no importance to them. Even if their CGPAs are so good, but the knowledge of these graduates are still so much insufficient, with most of them knows nothing about our nation's state of affairs, worst still none of them are able to converse well in English, an language which is much needed in the working world and professional environment.
Many of these students do not speak well, their conversations are poor or worst, not only their English are so bad but their ability to converse in Malay too are poor. According to the employers, these graduates simply do not have any skills to work at all because in the universities, these graduates had merely study to memorise and to pass the examinations.
The BN government has always been using bullying and scaring tactics, as well as threats and revenge against university lecturers, the professional groups and civil servants who has been giving their commentaries, feedback or ideas other than that of the government's. If such scenario exist, they will be summarily or systematically bullied, or being forced out of their respective positions by denying them promotions, frequently transfers or put to disgrace.
Parliamentary or state legislative constituencies which are not under the BN representations (Opposition-elected) are being summarily denied of any allocations, funding, development or any other basic facilities in these respective areas.
When there is any general elections, BN will always blame the Oppositions for not carrying out their responsibilities to the people in the Opposition-held parliamentary and state legislative constituencies. Only during general elections, BN will go into the Opposition-held constituencies to provide allocations, funding, developments and other basic facilities citing that the Oppositions had failed to do so.
The Culture of Fear
The BN government has always been adopting the culture of fear in order to seek a longer ruling tenure. BN has always been claiming that only they who are able to rule or govern this country, this country belongs to them and whoever dislike such flavour or question the ruling and governance of the BN in this country, they will be asked to leave Malaysia, such as "balik Indonesia, balik China and balik India".
Umno used the concept of "Malay Supremacy" in order to shield itself from the critics of the Oppositions or any other dissents. Whoever questions the "Supremacy" would be labelled as traitor, "derhaka" or to have committed treason.
Umno has always being reminding the Malays and other Bumiputra communities, "if you do note vote for BN, DAP will take away your Bumiputra rights and privileges, DAP would amend the constitution and abolish Islam as an official religion and the special rights of the Malay" and many more sorts of fancy stories.
Then Umno leader are also labelling PAS and PKR as traitors, PAS and PKR are DAP stooges, even though the Malay and Bumiputra memberships in PAS and PKR had vastly outnumbered the total membership of DAP entirely.
What has Umno done for the Malays? The New Economic Policy (NEP) has been in place for more than 55 years now, but the Malays in majority are still living in poor and backwardness. Umno used NEP to only enrich their elites called the "golongan bangsawan". They are the ones who get awarded with government contracts, offers from the government's mass privatisation, monopolies of major government supplies and other resources and many more. The ordinary Malays as not benefited from all such NEP implementations.
Many government projects or contracts being awarded or offered to these Umno elites or cronies and most of these projects failed to commence or die off after the first half of the implementation, or either the quality of service are poor. No actions were taken against these errant businessmen or contractors who all belongs to the Umno's elite.
So, where are the integrity and transparency? Umno responded, "there's no need to observe all these criteria as long as the projects are being awarded to a Bumiputra (Umno elites and cronies)".
1Malaysia Brands Insulting Malaysians
The culture of fear has been instilled by Umno and BN for decades in order to tighten their grip in governance. However, today such culture is no more being feared by the people. Our people has started to question the integrity and transparency within the government.
In return, the BN government responded with some sort of corrupt practices. Offering of BR1M at RM500 per person, a schooling allowance of RM100 per student and many more kinds of 1Malaysia brands. Our people who are poor were sold with not only low pricing products but these products are also of low quality products by the BN government's inspired Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M).
In 1Malaysia clinics (K1M), there are no doctors being station in such places but only staffed with senior nurses. The BN government is indeed insulting the poor people by denying them their rights to seek treatment from qualified government doctors.
The BN government has also introduced the 1Malaysia housing scheme with "an aim" to provide housing to those who are earning only RM1000 and below. However, BN had choose to maintain the loan interest rate at as high as 6.5% or even higher reasoning that there will not be any much differences from the adjustment to any rates.
The Poor and Education
The road of these poor people to stand out of their poverty has been very difficult these days. Some think that education may be the best way to bring themselves out of poverty. However, the educational sector of today has been commercialized, so commercialized until the course fees has reached to its peak. The emplacements in the public universities are so limited, and the only solution is to go over to the private universities for enrolment.
Course fees of private universities are deemed too expensive in many aspects. The BN government has only one solution, all those aspiring students are asked to take loans from PTPTN at an interest rate of 3%. Why cut throat? Why not make PTPTN loans at free of interest rates like what MARA has been offering? Free education is one of the biggest challenge but to implement the scheme, it is not impossible if the BN government is really serious about the welfare of our people at large.
The Middle Class Suffers Too
Now what happened to those who are in the middle class? They are also suffering. The price in the property market has went out of control in most areas nationwide, resorting these people have to look for better and cheaper accommodations elsewhere which is further from their place of work.
To go to work from these affordable homes they acquired, they have to pay tolls, not only one toll but two to three tolls for one journey, roads are not properly maintained and so does the other infrastructures. Traffic jams on the streets are hell of everywhere during the week days. The service of public transportation are as bad as if there are no public transportation at all.
The price of the petrol had risen to its maximum point, so does the highway tolls - it is expected to increase again when the BN government decides to renew the agreements with the respective toll concession companies. All these companies are said to be BN or Umno-linked. In the end, still these BN and Umno elites benefited from the sufferings of our people.
Public Funds
When we as taxpayers question the BN government on the transparency on the public funds usage, very often we are being accused of being "ungrateful" with what the BN has given all these years. Instead, we are being told to leave Malaysia for Indonesia, China and India for good if we dislike the current BN government and its policies.
These are the facts, whatever the BN government spends, comes from the pockets of our people. We are the hard-earners who had dutifully paid our income tax to the BN government every year in order for them organize and implement developments and plans for the good and benefit of our people, not to enrich their own ruling elites.
Malaysia is a democratic nation and our people have their every rights to choose their governments once in every five years, therefore, it is the government who should listen to our people.
Our nation has been developed and modernized, however some other basic facilities or necessities are insufficient. It is not that we are being so "ungrateful", but our people also need to move forward with the development and modernization. Our nation is not entirely poor at all.
For all these years, the BN government has always instil the culture where the success of one person would be solely dependable on those in power. For the first time, when we heard of the word "cronyism" is during the Umno general assembly when Anwar Ibrahim was expelled as deputy prime minister.
We only got to know that word during that time, but the practice has been already in place for decades. The big projects and tenders of the government are very often awarded or given to the cabinet ministers, their kins and other family members, as well as those who are close and very supportive to the government and the ruling party. Proven track records and experience doesn't count at all when talking about BN or Umno.
What did the ordinary people get? Nothing, but only a very tiny portion or share of the economic bliss. The ordinary people are only being assisted small businesses, farming or light industries by the various government linked agencies and companies such as, SME Bank, Agro Bank, FAMA, Tekun, PUNB, Bank Rakyat or whatsoever you can name. In fact, these ordinary Malays are only told to become small traders, sundry shop owners, hawkers, farmers or restaurant operators and nothing else.
Big projects, like the one involving the cow breeding industry, was awarded to a close family member of a renowned cabinet minister with no experience nor proven track record at all in the agricultural or animal breeding industry. In the end, the entire project collapsed with losses of billions of Ringgit of public funds.
For more than a decade, taxi permits are only awarded to companies owned by family members and close kins of cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and other senior ruling party politicians. Individuals who wish to apply for personal taxi permits are often being denied their rights. As the result, these poor individuals who end up having to rent these permits from the rich and wealthy Umno elites.
So does the Approved Permits (AP) to import and sell foreign-manufactured vehicles. Only certain or exclusive people are awarded or given such AP.
In the end, as you all can see, it is BN and Umno who is actually in control of our nation's wealth and stake while our people continues to suffer as the result of continuous inflation and unstable economies.
To Change or Not To Change?
We must let our choice being heard by those in power now. The various mismanagement, corruptions and power abuse which had resulted to the increase of our nation's deficit, the highest in Malaysia's history. So does the cost of living, it is also inflating continuously and it is expected to increase some more if no positive measures are being taken into account.
There is no need for us to look at those petty issues like the sex, lies and videotapes series or even the hooliganism being expounded by the BN and Umno leaders and their supporters. The bigger pictures has been shown very clear with facts and figures. What has happened and is also happening right now in front of all of us.
You don't have to think for the sake of putting up Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang, Khalid Ibrahim or Lim Guan Eng. You only need to use your wisdom to put your choice in vote for the betterment of our nation and the people at large. Also, think of our next generation as well. If our choice are wrong, they would also suffer.
The choice are in your hands.
