What comes after Bagan Pinang?

I did not start my struggle against UMNO with Bagan Pinang. Nor will it finish with Bagan Pinang. We have lost the battle in Bagan Pinang but not the war. Nine by-elections. Seven to us and two to UMNO. Our lesson from Bagan Pinang is simply this. We need to reach out to more voters – not only during by-elections but in an orderly and structured manner from North to South, from East to West. State-by-State, District-by-District and if necessary house to house. We start with our love ones. Our wives, husbands, children, girlfriends, boyfriends, our parents  - all our immediate Families. Explain to them that we will have but one chance to ride the crest of our momentum that is now with us. There is a General Election on the horizon and it is still far away and there is enough time to prepare us for the change. Tell them that you cannot do it by yourself. Tell them that we need their help.

That is what we will do. Everyday that passes from now will be an opportunity for us to try and bring one more person to our side. If you can bring more then one then I will take you as one who has done more that what is expected of you. You are one with me we are two! 

If you think that Bagan Pinang has proven to us that with money all is possible you may be right. If you think when you have control of the government it would be easier for you to win – you may be right. But do you remember Suharto? Marcos? Idi Amin? All thought that they were invincible. That they were the chosen one to lead their country. Lead their country they did. But to what? To ruin, to bankruptcy and to eternal damnation by their people of them. And now we have UMNO in our country.

They tell me that it is darkest before the dawn. Possibly Bagan Pinang is our dawn. UMNO is staring into their political abyss and they know it. They know with a desperation born out of being rejected 7 times out of 9 in by-elections. Desperate people do desperate things.

If somebody tells you that Bagan Pinang is how we do things in Malaysia. Tell then “NO”. This is not how we do things in Malaysia. We will not accept that those with a lot of money and large armies will win against an oppressed people. We will not accept that our people will be led by the nose by these same people to do as they are told. And we will not accept that Bagan Pinang is the way UMNO will continue to impose their will on our people.

We will no longer endure these burdens that UMNO continually impose on our sensibilities. We promise you that from now on if UMNO falters in any way with their promise to build a united country we will let the people know. If UMNO takes any money that belongs to the people without working hard for it as we do, the people will know. If UMNO so much as try to stray from taking responsibility and being accountable for all that UMNO does under the name of the people, we will let them know.

Bagan Pinang is not the start or the end of our struggle. It would most probably be the beginning of the end for UMNO’s. MERDEKA!