Outstation/Young Voters Expected to Swing Elections – Go home to vote! Iâ€™ll even drive you up myse

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Apr 6, 2009

People as diverse as Kian Ming and Sayuti Omar are saying that the outstation, returning young votes might just swing these by-elections.

I’m not really into predictions and punditry, but my gut tells me that these are going to be close fights.

If any, any of you are registered to vote in these three constituencies, you are carrying the hopes, dreams and aspirations of millions of Malaysians.

It’s not too late to take leave!

If there are a few takers, I’ll even make the slightly absurd offer of driving you north from KL if transport is a problem. Just leave a comment here, or e-mail me at nat[at]jelas.info. (if anyone else is willing to be a driver, can also let me know?)

To recap what’s at stake here: If BN prevails, a strong signal will be sent to the BN leadership that –

a) That it is ok to usurp power via unconstitutional, morally bankrupt ways.

b) That it was ok to intimidate Arumugam (ex-ADUN for Bkt Selambau) to the point where he had to resign just to safeguard his life and family.

c) That it is ok to rape Sarawak repeatedly and live like kings while its natives live without running water or electricity.

And that’s just locally.

So much remains at stake. Dozens more ISA detainees linger in permanent detention, water scandals threaten to cost the rakyat billions, hundreds of Kugans still lie at the mercy of the police, Umno grassroots still call for the blood of non-Malays.

I have some thoughts on Najib, that I hope to share by Wednesday, but for now:

Some may be encouraged to hope that Najib is ushering a new era; he’s certainly taken some pains to give that impression. I’ll elaborate more later, but wanted to highlight this: let’s not forget that all the announcements that Najib has made have been made under pressure.

Let’s remember that the release of ISA detainees, the call for a more genuinely united, non-racial Malaysia, and so on, were all things that Pakatan has been calling for for years and years.

I don’t think any of us can claim to peer into Najib’s heart and say for sure whether he is sincere or not, or whether he plans to truly see these reforms through.

That said, I don’t think any of us can deny that his actions are the *direct* results of the March 8th general elections and subsequent by-elections.

Najib felt the heat that you helped to create, and has finally responded to safeguard his political survival. Let us search our hearts and ask: would these announcements have been made if not for the electoral success of Pakatan?