I refer to the Malaysiakini report Will they bite the ‘hands that feeds’?

‘Do not bite the hand that feeds you’ - such statements used by the ruling party might have won votes in the past. But time and circumstances are changing and the last general election had shown that the mantra of development and progress used by the ruling party may not necessarily win votes.

The ruling party as usual will pour in money to win the hearts and minds of the local voters to vote for their candidate in the crucial by election in Kuala Terengganu where the incoming premier-in-waiting wants to win badly in order to claim that he represents the voice of the Malays.

From Chinese schools being given development grants, Class F contractors in the vicinity of KT being given local contracts, new tarred roads being built, the list goes on as the ruling party goes on the offensive to win votes. This type of ‘bribery’ has been used by the ruling party for all by elections in the past so lucky are those voters whose areas have by elections after the general elections are over.

However, the last by election in Permatang Pauh showed that voters nowadays are more matured and educated and would not fall for such goodies offered by the ruling party to win votes. The voters rejected the BN candidate in Permatang Pauh and voted in the de facto opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim with a bigger majority than before.

After all, it is the duty of the ruling government to spend taxpayers’ money to uplift the living standard of the populace. Regardless of who is the government, it is their duty to spend public funds prudently for the benefit of all citizens.

After receiving a thrashing from the voters in the last polls in March 2008, the ruling party should have read the sentiment on the grounds and changed course in order to woo back the voters. But the ruling party is in denial and refuses to change for the better.

The clarion call by the public to stop the abuse of power for personal gain has not been heeded and it’s all ‘business as usual’ by those holding power and abusing their positions for personal gain.

Corruption and abuse of power have permeated in every stratum of society and have caused much suffering for the public who only want to earn a clean living to feed their family and pay their bills. But money politics which is openly practised by Umno, makes a mockery of our leaders’ intention to wipe out graft.

How can our leaders have the moral ground to lead this nation if their very own hands are tainted?

All religions teach us the evil of corruption. Regardless of whether you are a Muslim, Christian, Hindu or a Buddhist, all of us believe that whatever sins that we do in this world; the Almighty will punish us in the hereafter. Thus it befuddles the mind of the thinking public as to why VIPs would want to sell their souls to the devils for a short-term gain.

Yes, we should be grateful for the help that the government has given us in the past. But people cannot tolerate leaders who skim public funds by dubious means to enrich themselves, family members and cronies as what is happening now. It is a well-known fact that hands have to be ‘greased’ in order to get things done in this country.

Corruption and abuse of power is getting from bad to worse with no end in sight. Enforcement of the law is only against the ‘small fry’ while the big ‘sharks’ are immune to prosecutions due to their ‘correct’ political connections.

Kuala Terengganu voters have a big responsibility in Saturday’s by election. If they vote for the Umno candidate, it means they condone the abuse of power being perpetuated by the ruling regime and thus give credence to Najib Razak helming this country.

But if public sentiment against the present corrupt regime blows through KT, PAS will have a better change to dislodge their rival for the coveted MP’s seat for that area.

BN should know by now that money and promises of development will not swing voters towards their candidate. Times are a-changing and the urban areas no longer see development projects as the sole benchmark.

No doubt, it is tough to call Saturday’s result. Neither party can claim that victory is theirs so in the coming days, expect more intensive campaigning by both sides. May the best candidate win.