We are told that the new BN slogan is Keselamatan, Keamanan, Kemakmuran - the 3Ks. I wonder what happened to Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang ? Maybe, it just hilang (disappeared). Slogans are cheap. It is action that counts.
What happened to the 2004 election manifesto? Our PM said he just started to implement his plans and he needs another five years. Why then does he need another new manifesto to be launched?
So be careful. The BN is misleading all of us again as it did in 2004.
‘Yes, this election (2008) may end up the dirtiest ever in Malaysian history. But let us the rakyat show the powers-that-be that we shall no longer tolerate the rigging of our elections and the denial of our fundamental right to free and fair elections. We refuse, any longer, to be robbed of our right to determine the government that will rule over us.’— Raja Petra Kamaruddin.
Imagine a situation in which the future of our economy is left in the hands of a new trio that will be formed comprising:
• ‘Mr Dunno’ Abdullah Badawi as Minister of Finance (No.1),
• Noh Mohamad Yakcop (Minister of Finance No.2) and
• Khairy Jamaluddin (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department who takes over the Economic Planning Unit, a position vacated with the retirement of Effendi Norwawi).
This trio will be backed by companies like Ethos Consulting, ECM Libra, Scomi and Equine Capital. Behind these companies are personalities such Kalimullah Hassan, Abdullah's own son Kamaluddin Abdullah, Patrick Lim aka Badawi assisted by the man in charge of The Northern Economic Corridor, Dato Annuar Zaini.
To the people of Tasek Glugor (Penang) and those of Rembau (Negri Sembilan) who will decide whether they want Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Khairy Jamaluddin respectively to be elected, I ask them whether they think these characters can both represent them in Parliament and become ministers with responsibility for our national finances.
They will also have the power to award major projects in the nation’s five economic corridors and elsewhere in our country without proper and open tender. Furthermore, while the ultimate responsibility rests with prime minister, can we trust Abdullah to deal with crucial economic policies, especially now that the threat of recession with inflation is a distinct possibility?
I fully agree with former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and this is why the denial of the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in Parliament should be the common objective of all Malaysians who want to see change and improvement in Malaysian politics and nation-building.
The denial of the BN's two-third parliamentary majority must be regarded as the first imperative of all Malaysians who want to see the start of change in Malaysian politics and nation-building after the next general election.
If there is a 85 percent success rate in constituencies targeted by the opposition, then the 2008 general election will return a historic result where although the Barisan Nasional is returned to power, it is bereft of its two-thirds parliamentary majority – which will be the most potent instrument to usher in a new democracy in Malaysia with a national government that will be forced to walk the talk of accountability, transparency, integrity, justice and democracy.