Pak Lah needs Swak opposition
But the urban and more literate silent majority, both within and without Sarawak, are now riding on the wave of reform and anti-graft measures as promised by the new premier.
During Mahathir's regime, Sarawak was paralysed with helplessness. And yes, fear - fear of being 'targeted', fear of not having your projects approved, fear of being singled out, fear of being 'marked' - a myriad of fears. Moral fortitude makes way for business livelihood. In the eyes of the voters, there appeared to be no sign then of any foreseeable change of leadership, be it state or federal.
Today we are still in pretty bad shape. Sarawak remains beset with corrupt and arrogant leaders. Sarawakians have, for the last 23 years, lived with crippled government departments subservient to the tune of the political elite. So much so that it has become our way of life.
The Ibans are, by and large, marginalised. Their self-serving leaders have dismally become slaves to their appointed political positions or have, to a large extent, been successfully pitted against one another. Sure, there are a handful of so-called success stories but statistically, these are far lower than what the government cares to substantiate.
The pressing need in Sarawak today is for courageous representatives who dare to speak up against the powers-that-be, to let the new PM know where the rot is, to let him know about the blatant corruption in the highest places, the greed, the nepotism, the cronyism and the obscene no-bid government contracts.
But who within the state BN coalition has the courage to cross swords with the mighty and the powerful? The only good news so far is that Lim Kit Siang has himself assured the prime minister that his party's 12 parliamentarians will help battle corruption. And for the first time, the government and opposition share the same resolve to work hand in hand against the number one enemy of public service for the common good of our nation.
And so, I, and many others like me, shall continue to vote for the opposition simply because it is necessary.
Because I have accepted Pak Lah's invitation to work with him, I, in my small way, choose to exercise my right by voting for a credible representative from the opposition who has enough spunk to speak truthfully and fearlessly.
I want to help Pak Lah shake up and get rid of a deeply entrenched system of corrupt warlords and resistant state leaders who, in the name of politics of development, have so artfully and unabashedly intertwined and managed politics, state resources and the public utilities into becoming a family-owned conglomerate.
In the days ahead, we want to restore a robust check-and-balance system to regulate power and abuse and to help democracy take root. This is not a job for the prime minster alone; the opposition parties, the business community, the rakyat all have their vital roles to play.
Therefore, ironically, I did not vote BN because I share and support Pak Lah's avowed passion for reform, his faith-based values and morals and his general sense of direction for the nation in ensuring equal opportunities for all Malaysians in education and in commerce. But more importantly, with regards to Sarawak, the reality and unvarnished truth that Pak Lah seeks can only come from the opposition parties
I believe that Pak Lah is sincere and I believe that he should be given the chance to fulfill his promises.
But on a related point, does the longest-serving chief minister seriously believe that Sarawak cannot do without him? Wake up, Taib, and learn precious lessons from Dr Mahathir, an equally long-serving former leader who for all his abuse of power, had the grace and the integrity to step down when he knew that he had overstayed his welcome.
Lesson number one: the clever way out is gracefully.
Lesson number two: indeed, no one is indispensable.
That's right, Taib, time to go. We are doing very nicely without Dr. Mahathir, are we not?
