By J. D. Lovrenciear
For a moment, let us take two, sit back and check things out
logically. Cut the emotional temptations for a moment. Forget about the
opposition party coalition, their allegations, some of the proofs they produced
beyond doubt, their ceramahs and what have you. Just take BN’s actions and inactions. It is no small wonder
why even a humble security guard shakes his head as he ponders aloud in
disbelief, “Apa sudah jadi sama ini BN?”.
Yes, what exactly is happening to BN? That is what is most
puzzling – especially when it had the unique advantage of being at the control
box of governance for well over five decades. Here is what is even puzzling the staunch supporters and
fence-sitters:
Why did the PM not take the Altantuya’s case by the horn
from the very start and demand on behalf of all concerned citizens including
our Mongolian friends, answers to all the pivotal questions surrounding her
mysterious murder? Why did he as the man at the helm of the nation not demand
and ensure that the justice that is to be dispensed is universally acceptable
and dealt with within reasonably acceptable time frames?
Why did he allow by virtue of his silence, his spouse to
launch a website that had to be removed only after public outcry? Why did he as the President of his political party allow the
screaming of “Over our dead bodies and crushed bones!” long before even when Malaysians
were not thinking of GE-13? Why did he allow others to raise the kris in a
militant and threatening manner? Was there no other civilized and honorable
means to express support and defense for party allegiance and priorities?
Why did the PM start that band-wagon of campaign-appeals
with the credo of “You help me, I help you”? Why could he not think of
something to the effect of “Only with your support, we can serve you better”? And why is BN now threatening on the last lap of the
election’s campaign that if the voters do not bring back BN, they the rakyat will
stand to lose everything? Why couldn’t BN say, “We want to be able to finish
doing all the good things we have begun for you. So your vote can enable us to
do just that – help us to fulfill our promises”?
Instead, they went on that sweeping, senseless beat,
“Promises Fulfilled!” and ended up with the rakyat asking what have you
fulfilled? Why couldn’t BN paint the streets red with something more humble
like, “we may not be perfect, but we are determined to correct as we move on
with you”? And in the first place why did BN allow an extremist block
to holler unrestrained, fiery threats anchored on race and religion
divisiveness? And to add salt to frayed wounds, BN even at the eleventh hour
put two names on the nomination list.
And if that was not enough, BN further saw
no evil, spoke no evil and heard no evil when someone from their den publicly
proclaimed that the two nominated candidates are also part of BN’s flock. It is also unbelievable why on earth is BN spending so much
money paying all kinds of publicists and political campaign advisers when each
action or inaction by BN is bringing more brick bats to its turf? Why? When Bersih took to the streets, BN could have harnessed the
people’s power and used it optimally. But somehow it took the opposite turn,
taunting and brutalizing the rakyat, only to be confirmed by SUHAKAM that there
was excessive use of brute force on civilians.
BN had every golden opportunity to swing the pendulum and become
the people’s hero despite so many civilized invitations for dialogue. But it
did not. Instead butt-performances went unchecked. Why? Even so late in the hour, it continues to peddle the same
smut stories; the same old labels on the opposition front leaders; the same
heart-wrenching threats on the voters. It seems not to want to subscribe to the
principle of leadership by example. Why?
While
on the one hand BN leaders are singing Do-re-me
successes that BN has created all these years, they are also giving out
rice
bags, T-shirts and caps, free food, cash, very expensive entertainment
and what
have you in every nook and corner of the nation to show that they are
coming to
aid the rakyat (though not commensurate with all the huge profits raked
by monopolies and cronies, yeeah), as we have been suffering from long
years of hardships.
BN had every opportunity to take the thunder off the
opposition by being the first to announce their manifesto. But they did not.
They criticized the Orange Book by the opposition pact, but ended up announcing
similar benefits for the rakyat. Why? There was expose after expose from international
organizations and outfits on the alleged corruption in East Malaysia. BN had
every opportunity to push for a clean, fair and quick investigation and not
wait for an NGO to expose the filth. But it did not. Why?
For years the people have been complaining of the influx of
naturalized foreigners in Sabah. BN could have cleaned and mopped up the stains
and not wait till an RCI had to pressed on. And now when the shit hit the
ceilings, BN even allowed one man to get away with the atrocious claim that
even Bapa Malaysia had allowed it. Why? Mat Rempits were terrorizing the streets and BN instead of
being firm on the scourge, went the full distance to embrace them. And today,
Mat Rempits terrorize opposition ceramahs. How come?
These are the questions that people are trading on the
ground - not the full blast of advertisements and campaign promotions on TV,
Radio and the print press. Oh yes. In fact the reverse is happening. People are now
asking why is BN pumping so much money in all these advertisements? And BN
should also not be surprised that people are now asking, “whose money is BN
spending and does it come with the rakyat’s approval?”
Why is BN doing all these to itself? So if BN loses in the
GE-13, do we blame the Opposition leaders or do we blame the ‘ungrateful rakyat’?
And even if BN wins, how will it go down amongst those who had voted otherwise?
Already the international media is beginning to say many not
so nice things about BN these days despite all the money paid to foreign
publicists.
Now how do we explain all these? Maybe there has to be some
truth in the ancient wisdom which says: Your wealth does not stay with you
beyond two generations.
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