The morning after…
To an uninformed observer like me, my conclusion is that the Christian population in Sarawak are not upset over this bullying by the UMNOputras.
By Educationist
Despite the discriminations against other religions by the UMNOputras coming to the forefront in the run-up to the Sarawak state elections [SSE] and the fact that 47% of the Sarawak population is Christian, Taib & his cronies retain the 2/3 majority in the state assembly.
PBB seats only number 35 of the 71 seats contested. This may not be a valid observation but to an uninformed observer like me, my conclusion is that the Christian population in Sarawak are not upset over this bullying by the UMNOputras. Make no mistake about it, the discriminations are not a recent phenomenon, yet when offered this chance to send an unequivocal message of protest I can only surmise the majority have decided to turn the other cheek!! To be more blunt I will even venture to say they have betrayed the cause of justice!!
Taib’s corrupt rule and his 10 streams of income are now in the public arena courtesy of Sarawak Report. This is, perhaps, the spectre of the urban-rural divide alluded to by Terrence Netto. By and large the urban population has sent an unequivocal message of disgust at the UMNOputras’ inaction in this respect. Perhaps sitting in the comforts of my modern home with most of the conveniences money can buy, it is easy for me to talk of ideals, to use my vote to send a message of protest and disgust in an election. PR has been crying foul over the open money politics so rampant in our elections and condoned by the UMNOputra institutions responsible for controlling it namely the Elections Commission and the MACC. And so we see the rural seats all in the firm grip of Taib and his cronies.
How much has the fear of a non-Malay Christian CM played on the voters in the SSE? We will not know the real extent but I’m sure it has a part in the clean slate of the 35 PBB seats. On the other hand most of the urban voters and predominantly Chinese ones, have shown the middle finger to the UMNOputras threat of no Chinese representation in the state government!!
A high-5 to them. Let us thinking and rational voters of all races show the UMNOputras that we will no longer play ball with them. We shall vote with our conscience, we shall no longer be intimidated by their threats of not putting wagging dogs and puppet figures in their administrative structures!!
How have the PKR –SNAP non-agreement split the votes? We’ll know soon enough when the full analysis is done. But, that notwithstanding, I believe it’s time PKR does some soul-searching. Their big-brother attitude their leaders adopted from the times they were UMNOputras should be discarded especially in Sabah and Sarawak. Though I acknowledge PKR’s role in the political tsunami of 308, they should realise theirs is a leaking boat and unless they discard their egos, the agenda for change shall continue to be stymied by the UMNOputras superior machinery and money-politics!!
And so, I shall continue to pray and hope even as the SSE has shown prayers and good wishes cannot match hard cash and the full weight of the federal and state machinery. Yet, as the saying goes, hope springs eternal from the human heart.
Change, we can!!
Change, we must!!
