This comes a little late, but my longer thoughts on the recent quitters are up on TMI.
I had a nice lunch with some relatives, and had a conversation with an uncle about public perception.
He seemed to feel that people really aren’t falling for this whole PKR/Pakatan is falling apart, and oddly enough, even if they did, there was still no way they were gonna vote BN. I especially liked his comments that people are easily disgusted with these attempts to get people to quit Pakatan instead of working to improve the government.
This is obviously heartening on one level.
That said, I firmly don’t believe it’s an excuse for complacency.
I disagree with much of what these recent quitters have said, and as I said in my article, I’m firmly behind the ideas of Reformasi and staying focused on kicking BN out.
But I hope we’re not waiting for a major catastrophe before we look ourselves in the mirror and ask whether or not an internal Reformasi is required.
I reckon there’s plenty of space for consolidation and improvement. Certain issues should not be left to fester, and perhaps more dynamic and bold leadership would really help bring people together and represent a united movement that is ever ready to rise above petty individual vendettas.
I know it’s not easy, and I’m not trying to preach to those who have been willing to take up burdens I myself have not. I would completely disagree with any reports that the party is in disarray or any nonsense like that.
It’s just that no party is perfect. The difference between the good and the bad is that the former is more eager to take every opportunity to improve, whereas the latter will procrastinate and rot.
I do hope leaders are open to innovation and some internal change. I don’t think doing things the way we always have will be living up to the hopes of the rakyat. We will continue to vote Pakatan, but not shirk from urging them to be better. We can be more, we should be more.
Cheers to a well written comment. I especially like the ending “We can be more, we should be more.” And I like to add ” we will be more” if everyone collectively make some effort.
These quitters were OPPORTUNISTS in the last GE. They are now fully unclothed, exposing what rotten scumbags they are made of. As a voter, I can forgive myself, if I got it wrong because of these dishonorable, undignified mostly ex-UMNO morons….these frogs and pariahs will not be the lasts! So let’s gear ourselves with more disappointments.
I have no changed, my hope for a better Malaysia is still deeply ingrained in my veins, take it philosophically, “A step back but,with these bitter lessons, we gain two steps forward!”
Actually, the feeling out there is very mixed. Most people feel very cheated with these PKR-PR reps, and they feel there’s no point giving PR a strong voice in Parliament when they in turn give it back to UMNO-BN to maintain their 2/3 majority. I think the community is split 50-50. A lot of businessmen are slowly gravitating back towards UMNO-BN, as the intense politicking has gravely hurt their business. The Indians are already backing Najib. The Malays are 60-65% UMNO, 35-40% PAS/PKR. If you tally the numbers, UMNO-BN will highly likely retain Putrajaya come next GE.
I think the only way to neutralise UMNO-BN is by fielding truly independent people’s champion who are learned, understand the law, principled and yet have the people at heart (the likes of Haris Ibrahim). These people have no baggage and wil be able to serve the country without fear or favour. The question is how many of these people are willing to step up to it, and will PR accept them into the political arena. We also need ex-corporate people like Khalid Ibrahim to steer our economy into the right direction. I’m sorry to say that fielding so many NGO associates have not done anything to improve the country’s wellbeing. It’s more important to draft good laws than shouting at people or in the streets or mocking the sitting govt, which is what they seems to do best. Sorry, just bad experience with a few of them who became so arrogant after being elected, and these people cannot earn the respect of the civil servants, so how to work with them??
At the moment PR feeds on BN’s wrong doings, corruption and mistakes. When BN cleans itself (hopefully) of those ills, PR is as good as dead. They need to restrategize to survive.
The worst type of Malaysian is one who will gain the trust and confidence of the public/citizens who want a cnage of government and then for reward shift midstream for monetary gain.Whatever you can say, the traitors will derive some benefit. I know that justice will prevail and vengence is Gods-those individuals who will cheat the Malaysian people will pay heavily for their deeds.As a result of their decision to leave the opposition for fraudulent gain, their children will be cursed and their lives rotten to the core.If the opposition fails to chnage this government more malaysian will suffer-more corruption, more innocent will be in jail and a lot more atrocilties will come.There is a price for the betrayal!