We have no chioce left but "change"

Democratic Elections, Shifting Values
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/58252008-01-19 15:17

For many countries or regions, this is an election year in which people can hope for changes by casting their votes. Of course, this may seem too optimistic as our experiences tell us that changes could be bad. However, our experiences also tell us that if there are no changes there is no likelihood to something good emerging.For this year, the most attractive election would be the presidential election of the United States. Even the presidential election is scheduled to be held at the end of year, state primaries have been carried out. It was said that this year's elections takes the longest duration as election campaigns were carried out since the end of last year.

Looking at our country, the election date is unclear, and candidates refuse to make comments while voters are confused. We do not examine policies, debate on concepts and we have no chance to ponder what kind of future we want. We are just waiting for someday when we have to get up from bed and cast our votes.
(By CHUA SZE CHIH/ Translated by SOONGPHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily.

What democracy when the PM decides everything
In Malaysia, the date of the general election is decided by the PM and only after he has the Inspiracy (inspiration in english). The state-owned media then becomes the machinery for the ruling BN to sing to their tunes and often used to blast the opposition, our Information Minister even claimed that RTM(Radio Television Malaysia) belongs to the BN. Government machinery then become the properties of the BN to ensure their electoral victory at the expense of the tax payers' money. There has never been what we called a care-taker government even after parliament was dissolved to oversee the transitional period as if BN is the only political party and as if BN will forever be the government of Malaysia.

General election without public debate
There has never been any public debate on television over policies and agendas for the voters to decide but only one-sided propaganda of the BN to boost about the developments it brought and films of yest er-years will be broad casted on state television to show the voters how far we have come forwards. Guilds and Associations were then summoned to organise dinners and functions so that BN's candidates can send their "love" messages out and of course developments funds would be given to these associations to show BN's benevolence.

Even the God's servant was used
In 2004 general election, a Chinese newspaper advertisement showed a pastor of a particular church in Sibu "promoting" one particular BN's candidates with praises as if he is the campaigner for the BN's candidate. I did not complain as i did not want the name of the church and God to be smeared by such a character. Oh, he did say after that he did not know that they would use his "innocent" conversation to use as campaign materials, but he should know that that was very sensitive during election time.

Intimidating the voters
Then of course, as Malaysian are all peace-loving and generally timid in nature, why not broadcast the chaos and bloody confrontations and insecurity in Iraq or Pakistan or better still those of our Asean neighbors to scare Malaysian seeking for "change" with the slogan "Malaysia is a heaven, don't gamble it away!"

The BN used the Indonesian riots as its propaganda before and i am very sure they will use Pakistan, Cambodia or Mymar as their propaganda materials this time around.The BN will divert the attention of the peoples from the rot in the judiciary, the Hindraff issues,the Chinese education woes, corruptions, crimes and insecurity ,the inflation and the fuels price hike , the NEP and all those scandals exposed by the Auditor-general 2006 reports by giving out candies and small grants to pacify each sector of the society.

Don't just blame the BN
But why blame all on the BN? Is it not the voters themselves who decide who is to form the next government or how big is the majority for the ruling political party or their pact? Malaysia has been ruled by the BN for the past 50 years since Merdeka and like one elderly Iban voter told me "Kalau BN Kalah, Kita tak ada Kerajaan". It is difficult for the country to rid of the BN and its barbaric rules as long as we are as ignorant as that elderly Iban voter!

The future holds bright for Malaysia as long as the peoples know how to "play" with politics such as the using of the equation of equilibrium, i.e. check and balance. So, let us make our first move in 2008 to curtail the BN's strength to within two-third (2/3) majority in the Dewan Rakyat (Peoples' Hall). That would be the "change" the country needs for better things to come after 50 years of rot.

David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity sec.
25-01-2008