blogtunm.blogspot.com Tun M
1. For a long time now Malaysians have expressed disgust with the corruption of the politicians.
2. It is one thing to be against corruption but it is another thing to act against corruption.
3. Many would say that there is no opportunity to act against corruption. But really there is.
4. The state election and elections in general will provide opportunities to act effectively against corrupt practices.
5. In the Johor State Elections we should see the corrupt parties being challenged and defeated by the anti-corruption people.
6. Most of the parties fielding candidates for the Johor Election are from parties tainted by corruption in the past. They were so corrupt that the electorate rejected them in the fourteenth Election.
7. But now they are back. Maybe they will field new candidates. But the parties and the leadership are still the same. They may talk about wanting to do away with corruption. But their campaign would depend much on bribing the voters in one way or another.
8. Against these corrupt parties will be newer parties, led by politicians who had refused to be bribed into overthrowing the Government elected by the people in the 14th General Elections. They uphold democracy even if they had to make costly sacrifice.
9. For the corrupt the choice will be very simple. They will vote for the candidates from the corrupt parties. But for those voters who are against corruption their votes will reflect their strength in their stand against corruption.
10. It will be difficult. For numerous elections they had remained loyal to their chosen party. They had overlooked some deviations by their party, gave them the benefit of their doubt and supported the party. But now the corruption, the deviations have become very serious. They have affected the good reputations of the past. In fact the good name won by the party has been reversed not only in Malaysia but also in the world. Corruption has actually overthrown a Government chosen by the people, a democratic Government.
11. Some loyalists may choose not to vote. If they do that, the diehard loyalists would still vote. And the corrupt candidates would win. The Government would be corrupt and continue to be corrupt.
12. But if they, the anti-corruption voters are still truly against corruption they would come out in great numbers and vote for the anti-corruption candidates. The result would be a clean Government.
13. But will there be enough votes for those against corruption to win. If the 14th General Election is any indicator, they can win.
14. The 14th General Election showed the determination of the free voters. i.e the voters who were tied to no party, exercising their right to support candidates of their choice. Thus the opposition won.
15. This time around the anti-corruption voters would be more because of their disgust with the two governments which had seized power through party hopping – through non-democratic means.
16. But will the anti-corruption party win enough seats. It is possible that it will not. There would be a need to form some kind of coalition with partners who are not involved with corruption.
17. Remember UMNO by itself could not form a Government. Although UMNO is also a Malay party it accepted the need to work with non-Malay parties.
18. Pejuang too would be a leader in a coalition with multiracial parties which subscribe to its anti-corruption principles and is aware that disparities between people and states need to be corrected in a fair and equitable way.
