why we need a change

In my heart lies a lot of hope and an equal amount, if not more, of despair for what lies ahead of us. It seems silly to be so emotionally invested in something I singly have no control over, yet hope is all I have.

For more than 55 years our country has been ruled by the BN coalition. While our country has seen much progress under the leadership of Tun Dr Mahathir, the recurring mandate has also made the government of the day complacent, so much so that even the 2008 political tsunami did little to change the way our elected leaders conduct themselves.

Based on the 2 paragraphs above, some of you may now think I'm pro-PR or even anti-BN, or that I'm here to preach my political views. Far from it. To be frank, I have none. What I am though, is anti-corruption and pro-efficient and effective government. I'm here to convince you, if you are not already, on why we need a change.

I have an early fascination with politics and government policies. I learned that the Malay votes will usually go to BN and that as a Chinese, we should vote for the opposition so that there's a check and balance. But you know what, in my first elections, in that year when Tun Abdullah Badawi became our PM, I voted for BN. He was after all the much needed breath of fresh air. While he hit all the right notes and started off rather promising, things more or less reverted to "status quo" towards the end of his term. I truly believed he was sincere about the changes he promised, but he obviously lacked the support.

To say I was disappointed was an understatement.

Corruption became a norm. How many of us bat an eyelid whenever a policeman asked whether we want to "settle"? Year after year, without fail, the AG will report findings on overspending in government agencies. Everyone knows winning big contracts from the BN government is mostly about who you know, less what you know. What happened to PKFZ, the missing jet engine, Scorpene, National Feedlot Corporation? All these involved billions of ringgit - our hard-earned ringgit. Why is there no transparency on how Petronas spend its money?

In the newspapers we read about victims of snatch thefts being slashed by parang or laying in coma or worse, dying, again. Every time university admissions roll around, there'll be some poor kid with perfect or near perfect results who couldn't get into his university or faculty of choice. Do you remember that a big portion of your salary goes to your first car because public transportation is not reliable or easily accessible? Did you realise that there are still people who earn just enough to survive and there are hard core poor in big, modern and progressive KL?

How many times have you heard all that? It's so common to expect nothing serious to be done and we Malaysians are a forgiving and forgetful lot. But let's just sit down and really think about it for a bit. Is this something you want from your government? Can things be better?

BN has asked us for another 5 years, but how many more 5 years can we afford them, and at what cost? I have no answer as to whether PR can do a better job or whether they will end up equally corrupted. They may make a huge mess of things but I'll take my chances. I think BN should be given an opportunity to reform, and that can only happen when they are not in power. It takes time and effort to get rid of old habits, as any good man who tried to quit smoking will tell you.

Not too long ago, I decided I wanted to work overseas and leave this country for good, like many of my peers. I was made to feel like I don't belong here and it all gets very old, very tiring after a while. It doesn't seem like anything is going to change ever, and I fear that it can only get worse by the time I have children of my own. Other than my family, there doesn't seem to be any compelling reason for me to stay on.

Just when I was so sure, my dad said to me, if you really want things to change, you must stay and be part of that change.

He's right. Running away is not the solution. This Sunday, when I go to polls, know that I will bring with me all my hopes for this country. My vote is for our children and their future generations. Malaysia is not perfect, but we have so much potential, don't you agree?