A more corrupt, greedier, bolder Umno if
it wins GE13
By Chua Jui Meng
Chua (right) at the 1,500-people Sekijang
PKR dinner cum ceramah on Jan 4, 2013
THE
Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) will be even more corrupt, greedier and bolder
if they win the coming 13th General Election (GE13).
We
are already seeing the blatant abuses of power and corruption by BN leaders who
have little disregard or fear for the law.
Extending
BN’s rule this time is suicidal for Malaysians and Malaysia because the economy
would not be able to feed the mega corruption that we are seeing today.
Moreover,
the federal debt of RM RM620 billion (inclusive of off Budget liabilities or sovereign guarantees for private
corporations like the Port Klang Free Zone and government-linked company loans
ending 2011) or
74% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) puts us in the corridors of bankruptcy. The
legislated federal debt ceiling is 55% of GDP.
The
next general election is perhaps the best and only chance in this century for
Malaysians to change the federal and state governments to save the country from
financial collapse.
The
voters in the three key states - Sabah, Sarawak and Johor - will determine
whether there is change after GE13.
It
is these three key states that withstood the March 2008 political tsunami and
kept BN-Umno in power.
I
have just returned from Sabah with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) de facto leader Anwar
Ibrahim and we felt Sabahans’ powerful sense of wanting change.
Everywhere
we went, they turned up in thousands to welcome us and they would shout Ini Kalilah Kita Ubah! (This Time We
Will Change!).
The
reception is multi-racial and multi-religious and this is a healthy sign of
unity.
We
most certainly hope Johoreans are also clear about their political
responsibility to reject a corrupt and evil racist regime that is bent on dividing
us to enable them to remain in power at all cost.
Johor
is said to be an Umno and MCA political fortress. However, a Merdeka Centre
survey on the popularity of the morally tainted MCA president Chua Soi Lek is
comforting to PR.
The
poll showed only 9% of the Chinese community liked Soi Lek.
According
to statistics some two million Chinese have migrated over the years because
they were upset with the discrimination and lack of meritocracy.
They
are unlikely to return.
However,
Malaysia is a beautiful country and those who remain must strive for political
influence to better the country for our future generations.
I
had since 2005 objected to the extension of the New Economic Policy (NEP) that
was implemented in 1971 for a 20-year period to help lift the Malays
economically.
That
is fine but, after 42 years surely it is clear who is really benefitting from
the NEP.
Only
a small group comprising the Umno elite and their families and cronies are in
control of the bulk of the country’s wealth.
The
majority rural and urban Malays remain poor or are in the lower and middle
income brackets.
A
lion’s share of the wealth is in the hands of former prime ministers Mahathir
Mohamad, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and current premier Najib Abdul Razak.
Free
water, annual financial aid for the poor, needy and the aged are some of the
people-centric measures of PR-controlled states of Selangor and Penang.
What
do you have in Johor which is supposedly one of the richer states in the
peninsula?
PR
has already outlined a long list of long-term people-centric measures in its Buku Jingga (Orange Book) and
alternative Budget 2013 for the rakyat
if it is given the mandate to rule.
Has
BN-Umno revealed any long-term policies for the rakyat and country? It has only been giving out one-time cash
handouts in a bid to win your votes. There is no policy measure to forward
socio-economic progress.
Please
think very carefully and see the light at the end of the tunnel when you cast
your ballots in the next general election.
