The prime minister has finally announced he will not be defending his post in the upcoming party elections, and it is almost certain his deputy will eventually get the big seat.

My question is, though Najib Abdul Razak might get a mandate from the 2,000 odd delegates who have the final say in this matter, will this mandate be truly representative and consistent with that of the electorate nationwide across the demographic and geographic barriers?

Will the new prime minister and president of Umno be acceptable to the majority of Malaysians?

In my humble opinion, relying on the decision of about 2,000 delegates on a matter as important as this is highly inappropriate, as this decision will heavily influence the interests of 26 million Malaysians.

Therefore the most suitable forum will be an early general election to let the people decide for once and for all who best represents their interests and aspirations. This will be the most legitimate way, and the results will be truly indicative of the people's sentiments on this issue.

As prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's foremost duty is to safeguard the rights and interests of all Malaysian irregardless of political leanings, and then only comes his responsibilities towards Umno.

He was elected as prime minister by the people, and as such it is only appropriate that he seeks a people's mandate for his successor via snap polls. Let the electorate either endorse or reject the new Umno president and what he stands for.

This country is far too diverse and complex for us to allow a body of 2,000 delegates from a single race right-wing political party to unilaterally elect a new prime minister. The consequences of this decision will be far reaching and it will not only effect Umno and its traditional constituents, but every single person in this country as well. Many of whom outrightly rejected Umno in the last general elections.

As for Anwar Ibrahim, his grand plan on opponents defecting seems to have lost all momentum and does not seem to have the public excited anymore. We may have a strong opposition now, but then thanks to Sept 16 they have a lost a lot of credibility in the eyes of the people.

In my previous letter, I stated that Anwar Ibrahim can expect to kiss his political career goodbye should he fail in his quest to unseat the present government. I still feel the same, but I really hope that I am wrong in this regard.

As it stands now we are left at the mercy of Umno to decide what is best for us. That is totally unacceptable, as of the last general elections, their Malay support is about 50 percent only and as for the Chinese and Indian communities Umno has been totally discredited and rejected outright.

These statistics spell out the obvious and that is Umno does not represent the popular will of the people. We live in extraordinary times, the system of government is now openly and despised by many. The opposition, too, is walking on a very tight rope, after the failure of Sept 16.

Mr Prime Minister, I implore upon you to do the right thing and let us have a say. You have not given up power just yet and if you want to, you can yet effect real changes and reforms before you leave in March.

You have nothing to lose anymore save your legacy. Do you want to be known as the prime minister who abandoned Malaysia to the mercy of Umno politicking or as the prime minister who stepped up to it at the eleventh hour and instituted some real changes and gave the people back their right to determine their own destinies?

Institute these reforms and let’s see if your successor dares to dismantle them.