By P. Ramakrishnan September 08, 2012 | The Malaysian Insider
SEPT 8 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s warning that the country may never see a Barisan Nasional (BN) government again if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is voted into Putrajaya, would provoke the response, “Good riddance to bad rubbish!” from many Malaysians who are totally fed up with BN rule.
After 55 years of BN rule, it is time to say, “Enough is enough! It’s time to go!!”
Dr Mahathir should stop whining that the federal opposition would do “everything possible” to stay in power forever if they were to form the next government.
What’s wrong with that, Tun?
Didn’t you do that, Tun, to stay in power forever? Why is it when you did “everything possible” to cling on to power, it was the proper thing to do but it is utterly wrong now for others to aspire to, as you did.
Didn’t you refuse our beloved Tunku Abdul Rahman, the honest Tun Hussein Onn, the fearless Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and others admission into Umno Baru so that you could remain in power forever without any opposition from within the party?
Didn’t you introduce the system of 10 bonus votes for every nomination you received from Umno divisions to ensure that you would continue to be the president of Umno without any threat of a challenge?
Didn’t you fix a minimum number of nominations from Umno divisions to be eligible to contest the president’s post? And didn’t this effectively prevent Tengku Razaleigh from challenging for the president’s post?
Didn’t BN amend the Federal Constitution to disqualify those who resigned their seats and thereby force a by-election so that you could not be put to the test again? The amendment came soon after Shahrir Samad resigned as a BN parliamentarian in 1988, forcing a by-election in Johor Baru, which he won convincingly as an independent, thus embarrassing you in the process.
Didn’t you have absolute control of the party and government so that your position would remain unassailable as long as you chose to stick around?
Wasn’t BN guilty of gerrymandering to ensure that it had the best advantage to win the elections so that you and the coalition could lord over the nation forever?
Didn’t you destroy the judiciary in 1988 when you played a role in the sacking of the then Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas? Wasn’t it to preserve and perpetuate your position?
Didn’t you shackle the powers of the royalty by holding semarak gatherings throughout the country to run down the royalty and by amending the constitution so that you and BN could remain in power forever without any obstacles or obstruction?
Didn’t BN deny allocations for all elected MPs and state assembly members — unfairly and unjustly — so that it could continue to rule forever by pulling the purse strings?
Didn’t BN engineer the overthrow of the legitimately elected Pakatan government in Perak ignoring the choice of the voters so that it could forever continue to be in power by whatever means?
Isn’t BN hounding Anwar Ibrahim through trumped up charges and all other foul means to prevent his political ascendancy, which threatens BN’s greed to remain in power forever?
Isn’t it because BN wants to be in power forever — and by any means — that it is going after the brave Bersih leaders who had inspired Malaysians to march in their thousands demanding free and fair elections?
Aren’t you, in your desperation to ensure BN remains in power forever, indulging in undemocratic actions to deny the opposition the space and opportunity to form an alternative government that would guarantee the demise of BN?
Why is it, dear Tun, that only you and BN can have the licence to do everything possible to remain in power forever? Why are you denying the loyal opposition the same opportunity to protect and preserve their position?
Haven’t you heard of the saying, “What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”?
Your hypocrisy is really nauseating, Tun!
* P. Ramakrishnan is an Aliran executive committee member