EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Malaysians will in the next few days be bidding farewell to 2011 and welcoming 2012. Now, what is in store for Malaysians in the New Year and the years after? Will there be continued peace and prosperity? Will there be greater tolerance, compromises and most of all racial harmony among Malaysians of all races and varying religious denominations?

Will Malaysians be truly a 1 Malaysian society that PM Najib had aspired, or will it remain rhetorical and an unachievable symbol? Will we continue to see race and religious based NGO’s and their noisy commotion, propagating their alienable rights to almost everything under the sun? Will we see an earnest desire and a will to curb corruption and abuse of power by the ruling elite (whoever is to rule the country after GE 13)? Will there be greater transparency in dealing businesses with the government and where corporate governance is applied to the hilt, and favoritism, cronyism, tricksters, plunderers and manipulators are things of the past?

I think it is not too difficult to change if there is the will to do so. As of now, I do not see a serious will to change and the moment a change (I mean for the better) is proposed, there will be interested or vested parties clamoring to deny changes from taking place. There will be protest and the reason for not wanting to change; they say is to protect the interest of a particular race and religion. Race and religion seems the surest way of putting the government at ransom and to withdraw any proposal for change, rather than to view the proposal as one of a national need and interest to serve all.

Clearly, this country needs a strong and a committed leader that is able to steer the country towards a better future. We certainly lack that kind of leadership. The country has seen too much of ‘flip-flops’ and inconsistencies at decision making; the latest being the deferred implementation of the new remuneration scheme for civil servants. The question being asked is how the government could implement a new pay scheme affecting more than a million civil servants without consulting the civil servants themselves. Ignoring CUEPACS is a serious affair and doesn’t the government know this? This is what I term as ‘dictatorial tendencies’ that has got into the heads of the authorities who think that the power and authority entrusted upon them rules the day. I can tell them that no power rules the day; it is the voices of the people that rule the day.

2012 can be the most challenging year for the country. With the 13th General Election drawing close, uncertainties and concerns as to where our future leaders will lead the country are being asked. Should UMNO/BN retain power, are they to continue doing what they have done for the last 54 odd years? Or are they going to be a ‘reformed’ government that is committed towards the betterment of society – a government that is just and with the serious will to eradicate corruption and abuse of power.
Now what if a new government were to take shape after the election? This will be an ‘inexperienced’ government so to speak. And can we be assured that this new government can perform better than the previous government? If we were to look at the performance of the opposition held states today, we could be safe in our mind that we can expect the semblance of a fairly good ruling government. But how will they perform ruling the entire nation is something that I do not wish to predict.

Whatever be the outcome of the elections, the future of our nation for 2012 and the years after will rest upon the government that the people elect. Let’s vote wisely to put in place a government that truly serves the people.

Finally, I wish to take the opportunity to wish you all my avid readers a Happy an Prosperous New Year.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION