Of things to come....

What do they think they are doing – these people who call themselves our leaders? Who do they think they are? Everyday we hear of them running this country of ours as if it was their own private kingdom. Making decisions without regards of the consequences on the people and the peace and stability of our country. They make these decisions without regards to the fact that they will sooner or later be called upon to be judge by the same people on whom they wreck so much pain and sufferings.

 
They have already lost Kedah, Penang and Selangor. Kelantan was never theirs ever. Perak is borderline. They are constantly faced with an opposition that grows daily as it draws strength from the people. And yet like Nero UMNO and Barisan sits and fiddle away oblivious to what is happening around them. Like the Roman Empire in its dying days, UMNO cannot understand why its fall is imminent. Why the Malays are so ungrateful for what UMNO have done for their Ugama, Bangsa dan Negara. 

 
They cannot comprehend that time is running out for them for as surely as day will follow night, so will the demise of UMNO follow the next General Elections. In their arrogance base on past glories and false bravado they have the audacity to appeal to the very Malays that have rejected them claiming that UMNO and only UMNO can champion their cause and that the Malays and UMNO are forever united in their fight for katakana Malaya – while in truth the Malays are now their own person and have no need of UMNO and the greed and excesses that it is renown for.

 
What we see now is the classic role-playing of a tyrant in its last days. All its servants, its instruments of state and those others who feed of the tyrant are beginning to be aware that the end is near – and yet the end of the tyrant will also se the end of themselves. So in between giving three cheers for UMNO and the obligatory ‘yes sir three bags full sir’ all of them make preparation for what is to come after. The move away from Najib will start with a trickle, then a rush and eventually a stampede away towards Muhyiddin – or whomsoever that will be there to provide temporary refuge until the change in government is effected through the General Elections.

 
The business community is more prepared for what is to come. We have seen what happened to Patrick Lim and his grandiose plans for the Penang Turf Club but he has made his pile in Trengganu. We have seen the migration of Vincent Tan from master to master to master – all done without finesse but done nevertheless to ensure his continued survival in business. As in the past Amin Shah, Tajuddin Ramli, Razak Baginda …..all businessman of the moment when their Political Masters were kings – all gone. Not into financial ruin but gone in disgrace but still able to indulge in the decadence their ill-gotten gain have brought them.

 
So now the business people start forging their alliances with Pakatan Rakyat – cautiously and tentatively feeler are being sent to quietly make alliances with those who would be king after the next General elections. And should their chosen one are indeed the chosen one of the new dynasty coming in after UMNO – then they will reap the benefits of what they now sow. If not they will still have time to do the necessary for in the end power and money, at least in Malaysia, are intertwined too closely to be separated by political ideologies or beliefs.

 
What of the Malays, the Chinese the Indians and the others? What will be their fate after Pakatan Rakyat comes into power? If we all have learned from what harm UMNO has wrecked upon itself then the prognosis is fair. If the leaders in Pakatan Rakyat take it upon themselves to honor their commitment to us then good. But I am the eternal pessimist in good governance because good governance does no good to our political leaders – it only benefits the people. That which will only benefit the people will not have much priority in the schemes of things where consolidation of power and length of stay will be the prime consideration of any government elected by the people. The “for the people” part of this equation will only come if and when we have leaders we can really call our own – who will put country before self – who will carry the responsibility of leadership with much deliberation and fortitude.

 
We would be fortunate indeed in we find a leader of that stature within our midst in our lifetime for they come very rarely and without fanfare. We have had some glimpses of these qualities in some of our past leaders but the sum of it all in one leader has not been seen in the last 53 years of our independence. Burma has Aung San Su Kyi. South Africa Mandela. For now we can only live in hope.

 
But there is much work to be done. One by one we can together have the strength to make the changes that will enable us to have the future we seek. One by one we start our movement for change. Pakatan Rakyat will have to earn our trust if they are to have our support. Talk is cheap. We will insist on seeing what it is they have done in Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan. Another Perak is unacceptable. They must keep their house in order. Their people in line, disciplined and committed not to their personal agenda but to ours. We will forgive their minor human failings – but being contrite for these failings is not what we expect – we expect only the best in their efforts at good governance and we will insists that they will be responsible and answerable to us, the people, in all things that they do in our name. We will not accept anything less. This time there will be a social contract between them and us with responsibility, accountability, transparency and decency being the criteria of all things to be done by a government that had been elected by the people, is of the people and will be for the people. Anything less is not acceptable.