The 13GE – A defining moment for the nation

Final thoughts before voting

The 13GE is being called the Mother of all elections as it is the first elections where there is a strong possibility of government change in the history of the nation. As voters in our hands lies the great responsibility to the 27million Malaysians to choose the right future for all, regardless of race, creed and political affiliation.

As we may our way to the polling stations on May 5,we must recall the situation in the country ruled by BN. After 50years of uninterrupted rule, we have a situation where there is rampant corruption on unimaginable mega-scale, blatant disregard for the rule of law with abuse of power and high ethnic and religious polarization that threatens the very fabric of our nation.

We have a PM who is entangled in major financial and criminal scandals that has yet to be resolved. The names, Scorpene  and Altantunya have become household names in the country. With these scandals looming over him he is impotent to handle the many complex socio-economic and ethnic relation problems that need  bold and firm decisions and action.

We have a deputy PM who considers himself Malay first, only then a Malaysian. He is not only incapable but resorts to racist means to stay in power. There is nobody else capable and credible in the BN line-up who can rise up to take the place of the PM and his deputy 

Then we have an outside force which exerts greater power than both the PM and his deputy. This force is so powerful that it overrules them both in major decisions on national issues. It is controlled by a former PM and his henchmen in Perkasa. They openly try to create conflict between the races so as to hold on to power. They bring back racists policies of the past to influence the voters of today.

In short we have an incompetent and indecisive PM and his deputy and a dangerous and obsolete former PM and his extremist team. As voters representing the 28 million citizens people should we allow these political opportunists to continue managing the country?

On the other hand for the first time we have a formidable multiracial opposition coalition, led by a time-tested and resilient Opposition leader, that appears capable of forming an alternate government and rid the nation of the corruption, provide better governance, free education for all, dismantle the race based policies, bring down the cost of living and improve the quality of life by their well-planned long-term plans for the people. The coalition may be untested and the parties forming it may be poles apart on certain issues but solidly united in more important ones affecting the people and country.

What can possibly go wrong if we give an opportunity for Opposition to show how it implements its plans for the people? What harm can possibly befall us if we allow the Pakatan to implement their better-conceived plans for the people? In fact it can do no harm, only good.

The choice available to us is to maintain the present regime with all its failures and experiences in all the wrong things or opt for another that may be inexperienced but is very enthusiastic and has many new plans and policies to put right the many ills in the country after 55years of misrule.

This GE13 is a defining moment for the nation. Our choice on May 5, could bring about the dawn of a new era in Malaysian politics or the continuation of the same old racist and corrupt policies. Obviously the only logical choice for us is to bring change and that is what we must vote for on May 5. 

As we step into the voting booth all we have is less than a minute to mark the ballot paper and what we do in that minute will determine the future of our country and our children. So let’s vote wisely, vote for a brighter future.