No member of the government can control your vote. That one vote of yours is going to determine our destiny and that of our future generations, writes John Inbaraj.
On 20 June, one of Malaysia’s foremost journalists, now based in London, wrote in his Citizen Nades column about the Westminster code of ethics for people holding high political posts such as ministers in the cabinet. He wrote, “A minister is ultimately responsible for all actions by his ministry. If misdeeds are found to have occurred in the ministry, the minister is expected to resign.”
Our political system is modelled along the British parliamentary system but our behaviour is a far cry from the decency, moral and ethical standards observed by English parliamentarians. There, the opposition leader is treated as if he or she is the alternate Prime Minister. Just compare this with the treatment and respect accorded by the ruling party to our duly elected opposition members of parliament to gauge our level of political maturity and understanding of the principles of democracy.
People first? When the government does not even recognise the sanctity of the ballot box? Frankly I can’t help but believe that our cabinet is of low intelligence. There is an urgent need to identify capable, independent, transparent and ethical individuals to lead our ministries, not stooges of Barisan’s racially composed coalition partners who win in undemocratic party elections and who are favoured by their respective presidents.
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Based on the British system of governance which we inherited, Hishammuddin Hussein should resign. The Home Ministry has failed miserably. Why bother with Scorpene and sophisticated land, sea and air defence equipment when millions of people are able to enter the country via sampans, trawlers and walk through the jungles of the Thai-Malaysian border?
Really, Hishamuddin are you proud of your Ministry? Can you explain how over two million people have entered the country illegally? How is it possible for them to be moving around without being caught? We don’t need threats from outside our shores. There are enough foreigners from one country alone that can seize power from within our shores during times of crisis. Our shores are not adequately guarded by whoever is responsible. Are syndicates and undocumented immigrants themselves paying corrupt money to get on shore? Are the “pagars” (harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi) doubling up as illegal recruitment syndicates?
Actually – when viewed objectively – our internal security is a shambles. I can’t understand how the Prime Minister can tolerate such inefficiency from the Home Ministry. The cabinet too!
Child abductions, rapes, robberies and ruthless murders have occurred multiplied. Multi-million ringgit thefts of manufactured parts awaiting shipment have disappeared from our shores affecting the trust of foreign investors. The list is long.
Amnesty has been granted for decades. Today Hishammuddin talks as if the biometric system will solve our illegal immigrant woes. Does the biometric system detect someone walking in through the jungles?
Among the 6 Ps identified by the government one is a non-starter viz enforcement.
Our country’s leadership has not been capable of wiping out even the simplest of crimes like “along-ing and the red paint menace, cable thefts costing millions to Tenaga and Telekom, scrap metal from electric poles and drain covers.
Corruption has covered the length and breadth of this country, so much so no one is capable of remedial action. It would appear that there is no one clean enough left to carry out such a job.
Even a die-hard Barisan supporter must know that the real power is in his hands. Even if in the past some have succumbed to the temptations of the Barisan game we still have time to resurrect and rebuild this country. Billions have been lost and it is continuing unabated, but the future lies in the hands of you and me. This is indeed a blessed country, rich in resources, peoples and cultures and free of natural disasters.
No member of the government can control your vote. That one vote of yours is going to determine our destiny and that of our future generations.
Give your vote to the opposition.
John Inbaraj is an Aliran member
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
Yes, you are right 110 % right ! It is your votes that has been keeping the deceitful and corrupted morons from Umno led government in control since independent. They are doing so because of the many deceitful ways together with their appointed EC that would design boundaries just so 8000 … who are unable to think rationally what is good for them are mainly supporters of Umno would have elected one Umno M.P. to represent these deceitful and corrupted morons from Umno. While 80,000 … from one area who are mainly supporters of the opposition party would also have only one M.P. to represent the 80,000. You call this fairness ? Come on EC we are not that stupid ! Yet Najib has the audacity to claim that they always win on fairness. No doubt this is his and Umno kind of fairness especially only in boloeh land ! Also the reason why Umno would purposely keep Malaysia from becoming a 1st world nation is to keep the majority of their people illiterate. This is done so that these people will remain stupid enough to… Read more »