(Seremban, Sunday) : The 12^th General Elections would decide whether Malaysians wants good governance that is clean, just respects truth and rule of law. Fears of a stock market collapse world-wide as a result of the United States sub-prime mortgage crisis, the need to increase fuel and gas prices following the rise in oil price to record levels of more than US$ 81 per barrel has sparked talk of an early election date. However the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that the 10% toll hike in the North-South Highway due on 1^st January 2008 has not been approved has pushed forward the likely poll date to March 2008.

The Information Ministry only concedes that the people are concerned by rising prices, deteriorating crime and the action against pig farming in Melaka. Unfortunately no action is taken to resolve such problems. The real issues that need attention towards good governance that is clean, just, respects truth and rule of law are:

·        The future of mother-tongue education following the refusal of the government to restore the teaching of Math and Science from English to mother-tongue or refusing to build new Chinese primary schools or not giving fair development allocations to Chinese and Tamil primary schools ;

·        The refusal to clean up rampant corruption where United States financial house Morgan Stanley estimated that since the 80s, US$100 billion has been lost to corruption and Malaysia has performed worse under the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as Prime Minister at No. 37 as compared to now when Malaysia has declined to No. 43;

·        The lack of equal economic opportunities following the insistence of the government to extend the New Economic Policy (NEP);

·        The refusal to share our nation’s wealth in natural resources with the people by giving RM 3,000 yearly to every working Malaysian who earns less than RM 3,000 per month as is the norm in countries with good governance such as Singapore which has given every distressed family S$2,500 yearly;

·        Emphasizing mediocrity over excellence in the education system by sticking to the quota system;

·        Establishing a Royal Commission of Inquiry to take steps to restore judicial independence and uphold the rule of law following the scandalous conduct in judicial appointments which are manipulated by senior lawyer VK Lingam instead of the King and the Prime Minister as provided for in the Federal Constitution;

·        To discard racial discrimination and religious distinctions by moving towards a Bangsa Malaysia “as people being able to identify themselves with the country, speak Bahasa Malaysia and accept the Federal Constitution”; and

·        Failure to reduce the alarming rise in crime, especially sexual violence against women where almost 9 women are reportedly raped a day and refusal to clean up the police force by setting up the Independent Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPSMC) to ensure Malaysians the four basic rights of security – to live, work, study and play in a safe neighborhood.

We do not want Malaysia to be known as the land where a woman can be murdered by elite police force with C4 explosives nor where the government sues DAP for highlighting victims of medical malpractice by government doctors instead of suing doctors who cause babies to lose their arms or transfuse contaminated blood. Neither do we want our children to grow up in a society without equal economic opportunities and political equality.

Not many Malaysians, whether Malay or non-Malay are rich like UMNO, MCA or MIC millionaires. How many Malays own APs or shares or are millionaires like UMNO Youth Deputy President Khairy Jamaluddin who can own RM 9.2 million worth of shares or like Datuk Roslan Hashim who can spend RM 3.5 million for his wedding or Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi who can afford to give RM 50 million worth of properties to his former wife in a divorce settlement.

This coming general elections decide the destiny of our country and not as claimed by UMNO Deputy President Khairy Jamaluddin as deciding only the future of the Malays. Khairy is wrong and irresponsible to say that the next general election decides the future of Malays when it also determines the destiny of all Malaysians, including non-Malays. How can UMNO ignore 40% of the population who are non-Malays?

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting is naïve to think that the Chinese community is so gullible as to believe that the negative and extremist remarks of the few do not reflect the views of majority Malaysians or the government. Ong should realize that these remarks by the few were not ordinary people but leaders such Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, UMNO Youth President Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn and Khairy. Najib had insisted that Malaysia was an Islamic state and that our nation’s education system was based on Islam, Hishamuddin threatened non-Malays with the Malay Kris together with UMNO Youth delegates who called for the killing of Chinese and destruction of their homes. This is not acceptable not only to non-Malays but Malays as well.

Not only was the Chinese community upset but MCA Youth even demanded in the Chinese press that Hishamudin and Khairy apologize. Of course MCA Youth played double-faced politics by talking big in the Chinese press but differently in the non-Chinese press and Cabinet. Malaysians are upset because these remarks were made by policy and decision makers and not by deranged individuals.

However DAP retains hope that ordinary Malaysians are not influenced by the racist actions of BN leaders but harbor respect and acceptance that our fates and destiny and inextricably intertwined where we either sink or swim together. The case of Tee Hui Yee who received two heart donors from a Malay and Chinese is a heartening reminder that we are all Malaysians whose blood is red despite the color of our skin and the different gods we pray. Let us move forward as one Bangsa Malaysia!