Its My Backyard

Truth be told, politics does not affect my livelihood, I will still get by. Truth be told, I could have stayed on in Australia and be gone from Malaysia more than 20 years ago. But its my backyard. I could be drawing a good salary with good career prospects somewhere else ... but when I read Sydney Morning Herald, South China Morning Post of Singapore's Straits Times ... I don't feel as if I am reading about things or people that mattered to me. There is a disconnect that I cannot explain.

It is not so grand a sacrifice on my part to be back in Malaysia, its my backyard. Why should I care if the politicians grabbed billions from the country's resources? Why should I care, when the bulk of people do not? 

If you look at the manifestos from both sides, they are pretty similar, its not an economic policy issue, it is something a whole lot bigger than that. 

I cannot just shake my head when I see grave injustice being meted out to others just because they are "in their way". I cannot just shake my head when I sense the judiciary is not truly independent and may just be an extension of the political powers to be. These may not still affect me directly but its affects my fellow neighbours. I think we all deserve something better than that. 

While there is positive discrimination, I cannot understand why the poor are still poor. I wish for a truly caring government and society that represents what each and every Malaysian's heart in all matters. Bring up our poor collectively.

I also do not want to see any one race group being left behind just because we are trying to practice pure meritocracy. We must bring everyone up collectively. 

I do not wish to see my government continuing to divide and conquer, continuing to keep us separate to isolate us, when that is not representative of how we truly feel. 

As for corruption, its endemic, starts from the top and goes all the way down. Corruption happens everywhere, even Singapore and HK, but when the sums are so huge, they obviously robs the people of potential investment - we have been giving the other nations in Asia a 20 years head start, enough is enough.

I had only dared hope that change will happen in my lifetime. Hence what is happening is bigger than you and me. It is bigger than the most optimistic PR politician could have imagined if you asked them 2 years ago. The rakyat has taken over the wheel, PR is just the conduit. It is quite an amazing feeling to walk the streets and malls these few days, knowing almost each and everyone of us are going our own way in our routine but harbouring the same sentiment come 5th May.

You keep doing stuff that makes us hate you more, what kind of mandate are you seeking, you don't care ... all the phantom voters, the hooliganism, the shenanigans with the electoral roll, the intimidation, lies and propaganda ... what kind of mandate are you hoping for? 

Its our backyard, its the only home we have ... let's take control of our destiny.