Merdeka 58 and Bersih 4

Malaysians will greet their 58th Merdeka not with cheer and joy like they used to before but with despair and uncertainty of their future and that of their children. The conspicuous scarcity of the Jalur Gemilang on the streets and cars bears testimony to the desperate and subdued feelings of the people at large. There are signs of major troubles brewing and waiting to explode.

The economic downturn, the plunging ringgit and the unfavourable political climate in the country are the main causes of this gloomy feeling of the people. The 1MDB scandal is taking a big toll on the economy and political governance in the country. Its disastrous effects are clearly seen and felt by the people at all levels of society. There is a general feeling of disappointment and big let-down by our leaders who seem to have placed their interests above that of the people who elected them. The result is that the people do not trust their leaders anymore and they badly want change which they now know for sure is not easy to come by, even with their votes in general elections.

Mega corruptions and abuse of power by the executive has created a situation where the laws of the country are blatantly disregarded, the administrative services are abused and those questioning the abuses are punished. Long cherished good values are discarded and replaced with ones that are clearly illegal. Corruption that was frowned upon has become acceptable and a culture of “Cash is King” is becoming an acceptable practice.

It is just days to our 58th Merdeka and what we see more are the all familiar yellow T-shirts of Bersih 4 than national flags. The nation is poised for the coming mass rally by Bersih 4 on 29 August when thousands of ordinary peace-loving Malaysians are preparing to take to the streets peacefully to demand for fair elections, greater democratisation, independent public institutions and more freedom of expression.

Then there are those who even demand the resignation of the PM for his mis-handling of the1MDB.In fact with every passing day the 1MDB crisis gets deeper and more incredible and more and more people are beginning to join in the dissenting chorus demanding the PM to step down which he flatly refuses, thereby sending the nation into crisis where and socioeconomic standstill.

August 29 this year will be the most important day for all Malaysians in recent history. It will be a day of reckoning for people power. Will it be powerful enough to defend the rights of the people peacefully in accordance with the laws of the nation? Will it succeed to transfer the true power to rule to the people?

As we brace for all the possible eventualities we hope and pray for peaceful and amicable solution to the problems confronting our nation and our people. We pray that God guide our leaders to submit to wishes of the people. We pray that God protect our people against all possible harm and grant them the peace and justice they deserve.

Will Merdeka 58 go down in history as the turning point for a better, more accountable and democratic governance in our country? We are not sure but we just hope so.