Bersih 2.0 leaders in being very much on the ground and taking
citizens’ interest to heart had convened a platform for both the leadership of
PR and BN to appear and expound their respective Election Manifesto at the
Chinese Assembly Hall on Wednesday, 17 April
2013. While the PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim turned up to
face-up to the jam packed audience in the hall, there was no sign of BN’s
leader Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Equally a letdown, was the fact that there was no representative
sent and what was rubbing salt to the wound was the fact that there was not
even a whisper of apology for not being able to attend and engage in the dialogue
to expound and defend BN’s Manifesto to the rakyat. Yet BN parades about transformation.
What kind of transformation are we talking about if
political party leaders do not recognize the importance of political maturity i.e.
to engage in dialogues and discussions before the electorate in a run up to
general election? It
all seems so strange to comprehend really. On the
one hand Najib goes about the length and breath of the nation begging
“You help,
I help you”, and that the rakyat is "didahulukan"; and on the other end,
when the rakyat come to hear him out on his party’s manifesto,
he gives the snub.
So it is no surprise that the rakyat are increasingly of the opinion that BN has far too much to fear and hide. The rakyat keep asking, why is he keeping his
distance when Bersih
2.0 organizes a platform without any shades of favor or color? Does he
or his
seemingly prudent advisors not recognize that Bersih 2.0 represents the
rakyat’s
aspirations and would give any political party that chance to win in the
elections, for as long as its leadership can convince them on a
gentleman’s playing field
that they are party to free, fair, clean elections and transparent
governing?
Perhaps BN thinks that its stage-managed events of compulsory attendance are enough
to win. Perhaps BN thinks that the rakyat’s platform does not justify the
elitist status quo of BN entourage. But Anwar Ibrahim was quick to recognize that Bersih 2.0 is
the very voice and conscience of the rakyat. The truth is that the rakyat give their support to the
movement’s co-chairs, Datuk A. Samad and Dato’ Ambiga because Pak Samad represents the soul of the nation’s
quest for freedom and responsible democracy while Ambiga is the crowning glory
of the rakyat’s penchant for justice and accountability.
Disregarding Samad and Ambiga is tantamount to rubbishing
off the rakyat. Accusing Bersih 2.0 as an agent of sorts is short of telling
the rakyat that they cannot be trusted. Period. So for BN to downplay or even dismiss Bersih 2.0 will be a
liability come GE-13. Najib should have appeared on that platform that the
rakyat offered. His appearing all over the country on a ‘government-platform’
holds no credibility in contrast.
And the main stream media patronage may all just as well end as the fable of 'the emperor and his clothes'. It is a pity if not a blessing that BN is trapped in its own
tunnel vision. Having a barrage of pro-party main-stream media support and
endless access to funds to stream the party warfare does not deliver votes.
Certainly not in this age of the networked society.
And if BN continues to accuse Bersih 2.0 of being an
opposition party tool, it will only anger the rakyat even more. Well, it is crystal clear that BN has not learnt fast enough
despite the rakyat’s lessons through three Bersih events. And it has now shot itself in the foot and mouth
as well this time around by squandering the salvation platform offered by
Bersih 2.0.
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