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.
Tahrir Square during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution | Source: http://rameshsrinivasan.org
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.
Wait, isn’t Hadi Awang the man whom everyone was raging about because he pushed for hudud laws in Kelantan? Didn’t everyone complain about him not playing ball with DAP? Isn’t he the man who was hated because he supported Khalid Ibrahim when DAP and PKR wanted him out?
Source: irenicon.files.wordpress.com
Would the rakyat accept Azmin Ali as prime minister? He “snuck in” as menteri besar of Selangor while PKR and DAP tried to install Wan Azizah as the first female menteri besar. As far as I can see, Azmin is having a tough time filling in the big shoes left behind by Khalid Ibrahim. How would he fare as PM?
What about Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li)? The rakyat have talked about him being PM but do you think UMNO would let this man who holds no special position within his party to be prime minister? In any case, he has not indicated his desire to be PM in recent times.
It is quite a conundrum, isn’t it?
Dear Paprika, I want a change just like the supporters of BERSIH 4. I am tired of a corrupt government who bullies its people, mismanages the country and gerrymanders its way into power. However, I am wary of the big picture too. I want to be able to see past the end of my nose. I want to consider all angles lest we jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Your loving father,
Daddy
Pepper is the father of two adorable children named Paprika Lim and Saffron Lim. "Dear Paprika" is a series of letters written for posterity. When Paprika is 20 years old, he will be 61. He prefers to use logic and evidence when presented with seemingly miraculous events. He supports LGBT rights and believes a person’s sexuality is no concern of others. In his spare time, he authored "The Troublesome Prince Lucky Mole"; a best-seller children’s story book. His family lives in beautiful Malaysia, a country rich in natural resources and unlimited potential. He moves with UndiMsia and APOSL. He has plans to make his family proud.
Posted on 11 August 2015. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
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