Patriot, whose members include hundreds of veterans who had served defending our beloved nation throughout their career, know too well when danger lurks in front of us.
Polling day, 19 November, is the defining day that will determine whether we, the people, will bring in victory or surrender to the hands of our enemies.
It is we the voters who have the ultimate duty and responsibility to decide the future of our nation.
Patriot therefore asks all eligible voters, will you leave the nation in the hands of corrupt politicians – or will you be wiser this time around and vote out those politicians who are corrupt and incompetent?
We appeal to voters to please take into critical consideration of all those corrupt politicians who have shamelessly decided to contest, despite having a number of charges awaiting them in court.
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In the first place, it is a betrayal of the nation to allow a politician to contest when he or she still has an ongoing case to clear in court.
Patriot condemns this apparent mockery against our judicial system. Patriots are up in arms with anger over the fact that even this fundamental principle of nationhood has been compromised, when at the very beginning all those with pending allegations and court cases involving corruption should have been barred from being nominated as candidates for the upcoming general election.
This is a deadly blow to the meaning and sacred essence of patriotism.
Over the last decade, we have witnessed how our beloved nation has been robbed and abused by unscrupulous politicians. They have enriched themselves and their families well beyond their legal benefits, honest means and high positions. In all probability, their wealthy status is derived from corrupt money.
Over the last few days, we have seen many videos of politicians doing their rounds and giving handouts to entice potential voters. What is disgusting is that come of these handouts carry a photograph of the donor politician pasted on the food packages; even on buns that probably cost a meagre RM1 each. Isn’t this cheap politics? Isn’t this a form of bribery?
Or was it pure mischief by some enemy “cyber trooper”?
Either way, Malaysians need to know and the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission must get cracking on it.
There are serious issues affecting the nation and its people that need to be looked into, particularly bread-and-butter issues; the unjustified rise in the cost of living, the lack of job opportunities. All these realities are cascading upon the people while the political elite enjoy the untold benefits accorded to them at public expense.
Patriot seriously asks what have all the over 70 ministers and deputy ministers of the past two prime ministers been doing since 2020? Are we to believe that the Mahiaddin Yasin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob have done well to take the nation out of its choking predicament?
The state of the nation today tells us that there are many things that have gone wrong over the last few years. When billions of public funds are lost under their charge, what does that tells us?
Scandal upon scandal, corruption case upon corruption case is being exposed, but we have not yet seen all the culprits thrown into jail, except for the one involved in the 1MDB scandal.
Polling day will be the final test for the people to vote for the candidates and parties that will form the new government of hope for a nation punished for far too long.
Let the upcoming general election be the final seal to dump corrupt politicians and to vote in candidates of integrity with a heart and soul to serve the people and the nation.
Malaysia really needs resetting, and this can only be achieved when we have a corruption-free government that serves all the people.
Retired Brigadier General Dato’ Mohamed Arshad Raji is president of the National Patriots Association (Patriot)
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
