Well, well…the election results have been known and a lot of us are still in a daze…BN and the Opposition alike. The people have made their choice. The Opposition got more than what they actually asked for! The power of Makal Sakthi. Like it or not the people had crossed the ballot papers in a way that had never happened before in Malaysian election history.

I believed the main reason is that the masses are fed-up with the way things are happening in the country which led to pent-up anger and dissapointment enmasse.

If any MCA or Gerakan big-shots are reading this (or someone who has any communication with any MCA/Gerakan leaders do read this message) please consider the following observations because they are obtained from the ground where things are happening.

The issues may not be new, but because of oversight and short-sightedness or perhaps over-confidence or even arrogance on the part of MCA/Gerakan/UMNO, mundane and everday issues were much overlooked.

DAP/PKR/PAS had their heart and soul and hands and feet on the ground. They are the underdogs. AND because of this they cannot afford not to know the rakyats’ sentiments and immediate needs.

Eventhough the BN had the machinery..whatever you name it , they have it, as opposed to the under-privileged Opposition, who had to depend on hand-outs and donations and volunteers, they cannot match the hard-working Opposition’s tremendous effort.

As such, the Opposition deserve the results they had achieved 8 March 2008.

A lot of ordinary people had been victimised in their everyday life, which the people of MCA/UMNO/GERAKAN/MIC thought they knew very well. But they may not have seen the whole picture. Why? Simply because they DON’T really have the WHOLE picture! Do they know that for every person whom they helped, there are many more who were overlooked? It is NOT just about giving out financial aids, though that may be necessary in specific cases. It is NOT just about having just better roads / facilities. It is CERTAINLY NOT just about knowing that you are influential / have the political clouts, that you can help out! You don’t have to show your muscles and power, because we would be grateful and thankful if you can just render assistance whenever we need it.

Now, who are some of the people who are victimised? And quite a considerable number of them. If one cares to go to the morning and night markets and observe those traders who are making a living, you may see who and why. These are the people who do not expect much from the government but are willing to work very, very hard to make ends meet. Due to lack of opportunities in the job market and a lack of capital, a lot of people turn to doing small/part time business in those markets.

However, licenses are diffficult to come by to even do such small businesses. Some lucky ones have them and are able to earn a living without hassle. Of course these people do not have much complain; a portion of them may even have connection with local authorities or political parties to help them obtain the licenses.

Do you also know that for every licensed trader, there are many more who do not have the license from the local authorities to do so??? These unlisensed traders are victims of circumstances. They do not have / know any connections to help them to be licensed. LIFE IS DAMN HARD FOR THIS SEGMENT OF THE CITIZEN. DAMN HARD, if the powers-that-be care to know.

When the “penguat kuasa” from the local authorities (everyone in the market knew them as the so-called “bandaraya”) come around , those unlicensed traders would run helter-skelter, their wares/goods being confiscated and also being issued summones. POOR, POOR people. It is so sad and pitiful to see these already down-trodden being ‘man-handled’ in this manner. Afterall, they are only trying to eke out a living. They have mouths to feed, debts to settle (perhaps from “alongs”), and a lot of other expenditures to meet, for example, highway tolls, gasoline, and their capital to purchase goods/wares , etc.

People who are not in their shoes will not be able to empathise with them. They are REALLY suffering literally everyday! Of course don’t compare this category of traders with those who are already established and who had already made it. Consider this: for every succesful trader , there are MANY more of them who are just making ends meet! DO the Yang Berhomats know about this? Do they really care?? From my observations, NO!! That’s the reason why a lot of these traders protested through the ballot box. You cannot blame them because they have no other channels. When they tried to get help from MCA/GERAKAN/UMNO/MIC to get the licenses of any sorts of permits to trade, they are more often than not TURNED DOWN! The LOCAL AUTHORITIES are of no help either. Believe me! They are not “prihatin” at all. They just couldn’t care less. They are, more often than not, the “little napoleons” that one has to contend with. Anyway what can you expect from them. They are the ones whom the unlicensed traders detest, because they are just like thugs, robbers and gangsters with the license to do as they wished. The poor traders ,besides having their good confiscated, have to fork out ther sweat money to settle summonses.

Does this makes to anyone? On one hand, the federal government is encouraging the rakyat to be independent and venture into doing their own business or trade. BUT, on the other other hand the “Bandaraya” are doing all they can to put a stop to any such entreprise. ANGER..raging in the people’s heart and mind…translating and cascading into PROTEST votes. Do they, the powers-that-be, know this?? What are the wakil-rakyats doing?? Normally they know only some of the traders, especially the more established ones. They do not know the plight of those poor , poor chaps and aunties who are slogging so hard to make ends meet.

Where are the YBs when the “bandaraya” are raiding the morning markets, the night markets? It is so pitiful, it is so sad. Goods gone ( sudah dirampas ), besides “kena saman”. How to survive?? Family suffering; maybe have to consider looking for an “along” to make ends meet, thinking about the interest of the last borrowings, maybe from another “along”. Sad and angry and helpless… and anger turns into protest votes. This scenario is VERY, VERY real, take note YBs, YABs from MCA/GERAKAN/UMNO/MIC/DAP/PKR/PAS.

There must be a revamp in the manner traders are being treated, be they licensed or unlisensed. The Local Authority cannot go on with the way they had been carrying out their operations. JUST CANNOT GO ON LIKE THAT. There must be a more humane, viable and people-friendly approach. Considerations must be given to alleviate the plight of the small-time , honest and helpless traders.

Action must come from the state government and the local authorities. THE rakyat are suffering and their interest must be protected , especially the small/medium traders. The big timers have their resources and can take care of themselves; of course that is another matter.

With the change in the Selangor government, it is hoped that the local authorities are replaced and the enforment arm be revamped to better serve the rakyat. THe councillors also have to be replaced as some of them have interest in the running of the markets. Rubbish fees should not be allowed to be collected from the traders ( by associations/individuals/other parties be it UMNO/MIC/MCA/GERAKAN) as the collection of rubbish had been outsourced already by the local authorities and paid for in the form of yearly licenses.

The above is one example of the tasks the YBs and YABs need to look into seriously and address as it involves and affects the livelihood of a lot of the rakyat. To them, it is a rice-bowl matter. And alot of Malaysians are trying to make ends meet and cannot afford to let matters fall into the hands of opportunists and the little napoleons.