— Kenneth Cheng
The Malay Mail Online
August 27, 2015
AUG 27 — If there is anything still worth salvaging for the ever sinking Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, It was undisputedly clear that all has been gone down the drain yesterday.
It seemed out of desperation and utter stupidity, he proclaims that Malays would be bastardised if UMNO is not ruling Malaysia anymore.
While the statement is not what the writer hopes to discuss, but he can’t help but feel amused because the Malays he has come to know in Singapore turned out just fine.
In fact the confident, faithful and gentle Malays that the author befriended in Singapore are everything that is antithesis to the term ‘bangsat’.
And every Malaysian should feel ashamed of the designation used by the unprimed-ministerial Prime Minister. Because neither any Malays nor any single human whom refuses to support his government are bastard. In fact the very word should only be confined in the realm of Game of Thrones, instead of being applied by politicians for his own political agenda.
Unfortunately, this is UMNO Barisan Nasional at his hideously prime, playing the same old tricks again, by instilling fear and sense of security among the Malays to perpetuate their ruling.
Also, the high handed abuse of power to paralyze the 1MDB task force, undermining the institution of MACC, and co-opting the members of Public Account of Committee into the cabinet has also done considerable damage to the country.
And you know the end is nigh when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself started speaking of rule of law being turned upside-down, and spelling the end of democracy!
Consequently, some of you might wonder why Bersih 4.0 emerges, at this very juncture of history, when the country is as one can see at her lowest and most vulnerable state.
Is that a work of a group of opportune politicians? Is Tun Mahathir instigating it as a final straw to topple Najib? Or maybe it is just like what Tan Keng Liang has predicted all along, Bersih is here to bring chaos and disorder.
But above all realms of possibility, the author chose to believe a different kind of narrative. Bersih emerges out of hope for the future. Hope for the Malaysians, of the Malaysians and by the Malaysians. Bersih is also a voice, a voice unmatched by any mouthpiece, hoping to let all the leaders that have constantly failed the Malaysians to start listening.
Bersih is also about defending the rights of your fellow Malaysians, cautioning the government not to divide us anymore because there is not a single Malaysian that is more ‘malaysian’ than the others.
Bersih is also about believing what a Malaysia should be, a nation where respect and recognition were accorded internationally because of different ethnics and backgrounds in Malaysia are able to cohesively be bound together by a common cause – Malaysia. Bersih is also about zero tolerance towards injustice, Bersih would march again as long as the alleged corruptions and abuse of power is not rectified, and at the very least not properly explained.
Thus, Bersih demands a clean slate for this beloved country, a clean and fair election, a clean home where our next generations will suffer no fear nor discrimination, a clean spirit of Merdeka where being a fellow Malaysian finally means something and a clean economy build on the country’s rich resources, diversity and her cherished human capital. And most importantly,
Bersih is a statement to politicians from both divide that the people’s power is here to stay and WE ARE TAKING BACK OUR COUNTRY.
But, most of all, Bersih is also a number game, a kind of simple mathematics not burdened by any extricate formulas nor solutions, but boils down to a simple head count. A general will (if the number permits) should flood the city of KL and Dataran Merdeka might just found his very own raison d’etre again (If the police duly obliged). This may in turn translates to invincible pressure creeping up to Najib and his cabinet’s shoulder.
Moreover, there might be a remote possibility that the cabinet members will feel the same sort of pressure, likewise UMNO grassroots or even leader might even feel the pinch, judging by the massive turnout of BERSIH. They might seriously starting to contemplate wether a Najib-led Coalition achieved nothing more than a total loss for the coming next election.
This substantiated apprehension might in turn strengthen the dissident voice within and outside of UMNO and increase the bargaining chip on reopening an investigation on our scandal-ridden PM. Who knows, a motion of no-confidence vote might even be raised if Bersih is deemed successful.
However, a meagre number of attendance would signal the beginning of an end of something, injecting confidence to the ruling government that the general will has never deserted them, they are in fact a government that has the full public’s backing and confidence. Instead of reclaiming what is, at the first place, belongs to us, we are (again) acquiescing to the government.
For then, the days where government knows best are truly ahead of us, and paternalism is the rule of the day. Parliament is a merely talk-show, the spirit of check and balances will always be haunted by the abuse of power’s mechanism, and we will never know who is the generous donor of 2.6 billion.
Thus, one might realize Bersih is nothing more than a public referendum, deciding what is next for this beloved yet directionless country.
However, what is a referendum, but merely the wishes of the ordinary Malaysians, whom wanted nothing more than the betterment of his country. Wishes that Malaysians had always wanted, yet seemed so unattainable at times. Wishes that are no different to the Greeks who wanted an end to austerity. Wishes that ultimately predicates upon your courage to realize it.
Come this Saturday, there will be stubborn Malaysians walking the walk, so they may have a shot on the future they wished for. They are desperate for your presence. They wanted someone to tell them you will never walk alone. They yearned for more people who share their dreams. They hope to see everyone in this country that shared what they could only dreamt of previously. They will rejoiced, they will start talking to you, they will offer you kindness where no stranger you met for the first time will ever do. Ultimately, they wanted to build a country with you.
So to those who are still glancing down from your imaginary ivory tower.
What exactly are you waiting for?