These messages are important to wedge against the BN pre-election strategy of soothing the rakyat until they're lulled into some soporific complacency. The thrust of the present government is to time the lulling of the rakyat until polling day so that they will mindlessly vote for BN forgetting all the woes of the past that remain entrenched in the present.

Thus it surprises no one that of late the spinmeisters have been working overtime pushing new promises that target the hot buttons and burning platforms, getting more photo-opps, even selectively showing some stats that purportedly list nascent progress, with a bit of shock-and-awe thrown at the rakyat just by using the word 'billions' while working behind closed doors to knock off some of the crusaders for rakyats' causes; meanwhile all appears to be quiet on the umno front; the ultras are out of sight for the time being while you are also told for the first time that umno has reinvented itself.

But what is the key issue at the heart of all matters? The key issue is for the rakyat to have an insurance against abuse of power by the incumbents. That insurance is to create more opposition presence in every state so that umno's majority will be whittled down. Granted the present govt will win again but let it not be forgotten what they had done with unfailing regularity against all sane rakyat once they wield power. If leopards don't change spots, will politicians? Will they change themselves to be less malevolent practitioners of malignant neglect?

There are KPIs for GLCs and now KPIs for the civil service. It's time to have KPIs for the politicians. KPIs for politicians need not exclusively be numbers and sigmas. They can be opposition voices against general and specific grouses in the absence of which we would not be seeing today even the remotest attempt by the incumbents to lift a finger to improve the lot of the long-suffering rakyat. Left to their lazy selves, they will do nothing to right the wrongs that were engineered to serve their own agendas and ensure their political futures. Any improvement that may be accounted for so far has been prompted by right-thinking rakyat, and principle-minded journalists. Let this not be forgotten - the role of the rakyat and taxpayers in creating waves of change.

This key issue of creating a power equilibrium in the governance of this nation is the only issue that is non-controversial to all voters. After all, a stronger opposition will make sure the incumbents work hard and be more just for if the incumbents don't, those who vote for them will also suffer; if the incumbent loses 30-40 percent more, it will have to be on its toes all the time for the next five years; losing 30-40 percent will not diminish its ability in any way; if anything it will make it challenged enough to go to the next level of performance. Isn't that what everyone wants, the only win-win situation for rakyat and nation? Even Najib didn't realize he had indirectly inferred this when he asked the MIC to reinvent itself after its aura of apparent invincibility was summarily demolished by the poor-man's efforts of a hindraf. Complacency, racism and arrogance are the diseases of our national degradation. A stronger opposition provides the right antidote. The governance of this country needs a fresh and bigger dose of balanced opposition. BN will win but make it work harder for all in order to earn its position. Make transparency, accountability, just and fair governance and rational competitiveness the critical imperatives we have lost but must regain by tomorrow.

Some people have also said that if the opposition wins, the lot of the malays will be affected but one asks how an opposition leader in a minority which has won can afford to ignore the plights and conditions of the majority for even one minute if he wants to govern for two. At the end of the day, good governance will always be measured by what the govt has done for the maximum number of people using the maximum allowable amount of resources and wisdom. What we have seen is that the present govt had it all upfront but chose some over others until the situation is wrecked. The NEP targets were reached long ago, according to people who harvested the real data; yet they keep it on; the effect only weakens the people they should help, while making it harder for the others who have had to sacrifice so much for them to want to amically help them out of their own malaysianistic goodwill. Like the toll agreements and AP issues, the present govt cheated half the population of Malaysia, and almost all the taxpayers. Remember this when voting because it will come up soon enough when the public uni's decide again on intake after the elections.

And on the matter of development of corridors, it must be a second first in the world for this nation of body-snatchers to also see its present govt trying to use the duration of a development plan as a necessitating reason for the rakyat to continue to vote for the same people. Any govt would have to develop their country so what does a plan on paper, furthermore involving players that weren't even awarded by open tender, using financing schemes that are todate unknown to everyone, have to do with returning anyone to power? If a plan is good, it can be done by anyone capable. And not sleepy.

It's a quiet moment now but still one recalls what someone recently said, we can live for nothing or die for something. It's indelible. As for the darth emperor? nuff said.
Neil In Jeff Ooi's Blog