by Mohd Ariff Sabri bin Abdul Aziz
I find it incredulous that some people are afraid of a change in government. UMNO supporters are telling everyone if UMNO is unseated then the country will be plunged into chaos. Other government other than UMNO will impoverish the country. The country will be unstable.
What is so perilous about it? The entity that we seek to change is the political establishment. We seek the change the political masters.
Why should the country go bankrupt? You mean, PAS which has struggled for as many years as UMNO will forfeit the victory by making the country bankrupt? After taking over the government, PAS, DAP and PKR will bankrupt the country? Those taking over the government are imbeciles?
The country is going bankrupt as a result of bad governance, incompetency and mismanagement. Corruption bankrupts the nation. Profligate spending bankrupts the nation. Illicit capital outflows bankrupt the country. How can changing the sources of bankruptcy, make the country bankrupt? There must be some inherently faulty logic that comes from faulty minds of UMNO and BN.
Nothing to fear
The rest of the governing machinery- the instruments of government are not changed. We will still have the same civil service. It’s not like changing the government means having to replace every single clerk, every single head of department, every district officer, every postal clerk, every state secretary, and every state financial officer. These administrative forces all remain intact. Changing the government does not mean replacing all government servants with party functionaries from DAP, PAS and PKR.
Of course the corrupt ones will be replaced. We will review and investigate cases where retiring KSUs inexplicably rushed to secure for their respective ministries some gargantuan purchases and new projects that run into hundreds of millions. These projects may have been justifiable but they may also be excuses to establish a retirement fund. Right thinking people will not object to discover whether there were valid justifications for the projects will they?
The military establishment and other security forces will still be intact. Of course we seek the replacement of corrupt army chiefs who recommend the purchase equipment and military hardware that have short-lived operational lifespan and the downright sub-standard military equipment. Why should we spare them from prosecution? Just look at the recent Lahad Datu tragedy- where are the transport infrastructure? We had to ferry our troops and equipment on commercial airlines. This wasn’t an all-out war where resources are stretched to the limit and usage of civilian transport is justifiable.
The judiciary will still be intact. Of course we want to reform the judiciary by cashiering off the 15 top judges. we do that and the judicial system will be reformed immediately. We will allow the judicial system to be self-regulatory so as to remain independent and be the place where citizens seek justice against the oppression of the rich and powerful.
The security forces in charge of domestic security, the Police will also remain intact. Just like in the military, we will retire the corrupt police and their partners in crime.
So why are we afraid of making a change? We seek the change in the political masters only. The country will not die off, if we replace UMNO and BN.
Establishing a good government
The primary purpose of this coming election is about establishing a good government. A good government founded on the principles of democracy, rule of law and justice. To uphold these principles we find good people, men and women who are selfless, disciplined, dedicated and committed to the principles we mentioned. We want people who can maintain their composure even when placed under the most stressful of conditions.
The values system in UMNO is not capable of producing these types any longer. We now know that.Thats why the party is full of rednecks throwing missiles and objects, and hurting people all over the place. A party full of such characters cannot possibly rule this country.
How so? Because quite different from the times when leaders emerged naturally because of personal motivations and social and political conditioning, we must now install a deliberate system to fish out people most capable of leading the country. UMNO on the other hand lives in the past where it relies on perchance emergence of good leadership- believing that willy-nilly, come what may, a good leader will emerge. Certainly good leaders will emerge but not from UMNO. It will come from those groupings that endure a process of struggle under oppressive conditions.
Or we choose people who operate under conditions of continued struggles and operate under suppressive and oppressive conditions. In Malaysia, such talents can only be found among the opposition parties.
DAP has struggled for 47 years to pursue a dream of a country based on equality, justice and democracy. PAS has struggled much longer to establish a government that operates under the consciousness that there is a higher power that we must account to. Now let’s not be carried with the idea of an absolute theocratic state, or a Islamic Republic type under PAS. That’s the fear UMNO and BN want us to believe.
Why does PAS collaborate with DAP and PKR and others wanting to oust UMNO? The principles are- PAS works along DAP and PKR to establish the greater good all-around and a fear of God. When you fear God, you will not do what God does not want you to. The Muslims want to ingratiate themselves to God. UMNO does not want people to.They want people to declare ‘We love PM’.
UMNO operates with no fear of God inside them- that is why there is rampant corruption, abuse of power, oppressive policies. The fear of God can be re-introduced into UMNO people, when the bulk of them are sent to Sungai Buloh Prison after the 13th GE. -The Rocket