Dear Paprika: What Could Happen After BERSIH 4
Let’s say, fresh elections are called after PM Najib steps down. Who will become the next PM? Anwar Ibrahim is in jail, remember? He cannot run for public office for another five years.
Pepper Lim, Loyar Burok
There are lesson to be learned from history. Pepper gives a warning about being too busy working without taking time to ensure that the work is on track to meet its goal.
Dear Paprika,
I have always known I would get praise as well as criticism for my articles published on LoyarBurok. I do not like answering the critics directly, but instead hope that they will write a proper article to refute my writings. Then, I will be able to see my critics’ thoughts in their entirety.
My last letter to you about BERSIH 4 has attracted some criticism. Uncle Ren Ching and Uncle Shanmuga (LB: Uncle Shanmuga is one of Lord Bobo’s most loyal minions, and we hope he will take Pepper’s advice and write a proper article so we can all read his views) have pointed out some things I seem to have misunderstood. For example, the call for PM Najib’s resignation is due to his alleged use of funds from 1MDB to run his elections machinery during GE13, which is against the law. Thus BERSIH, in the interest of free and fair elections, is calling for him to step down.
However, when I tried to check the validity of that claim, I could not find any concrete proof of the allegation. Investigations are ongoing as I write this to you. Sure, 1MDB stinks of corruption, misuse of public money, and political shenanigans, but do we really want to go with just “I think”, “could have” and “maybe”?
To understand further why I have my doubts about BERSIH 4, I am going to tell you the story of the Arab Spring that happened in Egypt a few years ago.
In 2011, 300,000 protesters occupied Tahrir Square in Cairo demanding their prime minister, Hosni Mubarak, to step down. This tyrant and his family stole millions, if not billions, from the Egyptian people. They lived in luxury while the average Egyptian struggled to make ends meet.
The opposition parties in Egypt helped by supporting the protest, mobilising their party members to stand with the people. The Egyptians stood their ground despite being beaten by gangs supportive of the ruling government, dragged off by the police, intimidated by the military and much more.
In less than a month of protesting, Mubarak stepped down! At the next general elections, the Egyptian people voted in the opposition. Mohamed Morsi was the first democratically elected Egyptian president.
That’s a happy ending to the story, right? Nope.
Morsi was a lousy prime minister too. He introduced new laws that further encroached on the freedom and rights of the Egyptians! All the promises he made during his elections campaign were put aside while his party’s ideals were pushed forward.
So the people had to take to Tahrir Square again in 2013, just two years after ousting Mubarak.
Sigh. Will this fate befall us in Malaysia too?
Let’s say, BERSIH 4 achieves its aim and PM Najib Razak does resign, what then? DPM Zahid Hamidi would be the new prime minister of Malaysia. This is the person who told everyone who was unhappy with the GE13 results to migrate. He calls the banned Tiga Line gangsters his friends. As Home Minister, he worked to censor the internet including YouTube.
Do the rakyat want him as the new prime minister?
Let’s say, fresh elections are called after PM Najib steps down. Who will become the next PM? Anwar Ibrahim is in jail, remember? He cannot run for public office for another five years.
Would the rakyat accept Hadi Awang (PAS president) or Lim Guan Eng (Sec. Gen. Of DAP) or Wan Azizah (PKR president) as the new prime minister of Malaysia?
You and I know, it is virtually impossible for a Chinese or a woman to come the prime minister. So that leaves Hadi Awang.
