Prior to the 44th US presidential inauguration yesterday, president-elect Barack Obama boarded a train on Saturday with the route from the nation’s birth place, Philadelphia, to the nation’s capital, Washington DC. We heard the crowds cheering along the way of the train route.

It was just a totally different scenario as what we observed in Malaysia. We saw an Umno leader Mohd Ali Rustam ‘kena boo’ by opposition party supporters during his visit to Kuala Terengganu on polling day.

When asked about the incident, Mohd Ali claimed that he was ‘kecewa dengan tindakan penyokong pembangkang yang terlalu ramai berkumpul di kawasan pusat pengundi sekolah berkenaan.’

Well, sounds like he was okay with having Umno’s supporters in the area – double standards?

I wondered if he would be even more disappointed if a shoe got thrown at him, or worse more than one shoe?

Let’s get back to the topic. What I want to say is that we have seen Malaysians throughout the country calling for change. It’s a fundamental change that they are zealous about, not just some ‘reformed’, ‘independent’ commissions that were alleged by our premier to ‘bring back confidence of the public in the judiciary’ and to ‘increase competitiveness and attract more foreign investors.’

Regardless of the ability of recent bills to restore national and international confidence in the integrity, impartiality and independence of the key institutes in Malaysia, there are some root causes that our premier has failed to acknowledge.

Such as cronyism within BN, draconian laws to silence lawful dissent, power abuse of national resources, failure of handling governmental contracts, unprofessional and laughable misconduct in parliament, a corrupted judicial and police system, a not-so-free media, etc, all which have been widely criticised by the public regarding the incumbent administration.

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad responded that the failure of Umno in the Kuala Terengganu by-election was a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Najib Abdul Razak was not to be blamed for the loss.

But listen to what Mahathir said about the deputy prime minister in the previous interview, ‘He (Najib) always merely says ‘I support’, ‘I am very touched’. He never says anything about the people’s wishes.’

However, the former de facto law minister, Zaid Ibrahim, fired Mahathir when he said ‘You (Mahathir) have destroyed the fabric of our lives as a democracy. Have you not done enough?’

‘Why would someone trained and schooled by Dr Mahathir introduce reforms? Have you heard Najib speak of reforms?.You had 23 years of Dr Mahathir, so let’s say Najib lasts for 10 years as PM with Mahathir behind him. That means a total of 33 years under Dr Mahathir,’ said Zaid during the same interview.

On the next day, Mahathir revealed his true motive.

‘If asked, I would be willing to serve for free (on the panel of advisers for Najib).’

Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah responded on the loss of Umno in the KT by-election by saying: ‘A party leadership in denial is unlikely to form a government with the realism and guts to face an economic meltdown that it also denies is happening.

‘We are in uncharted waters with no one at the wheel.’

What we know for sure is that majority of Malaysians have rejected not just Umno but Barisan Nasional based on the three ‘humiliations’ in a row. The current ruling coalition has failed to meet the needs of the rakyat, and worse, have failed to unite the nation.

That’s why we see multiple campaigns by the public to call for change. And that’s why we see tremendous crowds wherever a ceramah is held by the opposition leaders. But sadly, the ignorant yet arrogant incumbent administration still doesn’t wake up.

Sure enough, the rakyat would not expect change to reach upon Malaysia’s shores with Najib taking over the Number One post in a couple months.

Allow me to borrow a line from Barack Obama. ‘Let’s make sure this election is not the end we do to change America, but just the beginning.’

We have seen Barack Obama’s popularity grow. Would we see the same for Najib? Every nation has her problems but there is hope if someone is able to unite the nation.