YOURSAY | With Umno back in power, expect 2MDB next

YOURSAY | ‘The thieves are poised to return with a vengeance.’

Four takeaways from Johor polls

MS: The one and only takeaway from Johor for me is that Malaysia, a godforsaken country bereft of good governance, morals and values, is on its last legs.

There is really no light at the end of the tunnel, no sign of a charismatic saviour and definitely no hope for a revival. Instead, the thieves, supported by a largely semiliterate population, are poised to return with a vengeance.

As the country continues to fail in all measurable aspects, the battle will not be between the proverbial good and evil but between the thieves and the bigots we know, with the former maintaining their stranglehold only because thieving is a lesser evil than unabashed bigotry.

The country will continue to slide into darkness as crook after crook will nibble away at what little is left of the country’s dignity and its diminishing assets.

The end when it comes will not be painless. It will be a protracted struggle where the weakest and most vulnerable will suffer most, where the might of the majority will justify its persecution of minorities.

With the support of just 43.1 percent of those who chose to participate in this engineered election, kleptocracy won.

The fact is, this was really a tale of a fractured opposition, divided by ideology, religion, personalities and enabled by apathy.

Nothing short of a charismatic unifying personality holding up a galvanising vision of a morally upright and equitable country will help change its trajectory.

That, however, is not on the horizon. There is no such leader (not among the Malays) while morals and fairness don’t sell in endemically corrupt Malaysia.

Which only means the country will continue to plummet towards its ignoble destiny.

OCT: It is not surprising that BN won the Johor state election hands down. BN wants to go it alone. This was the main reason that a snap election was called.

With three comfortable wins in a row, the general election is definitely on the way.

BN is very confident that with its convicted felon rising like a rock star and bankrolling all the resources, he will be prime minister once again. Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s dream of staying at the top is just wishful thinking.

As for the opposition, they can be forgotten. There is no unity among themselves.

Lim Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng are becoming have been. They should gracefully teach and impart their skills to the youngsters so that the youngsters can become leaders of tomorrow.

The opposition would rather prefer to fight among themselves rather than their common enemy BN. It doesn't have deep pockets to give out incentives at ceramah, unlike BN.

Malaysian politics is all about money and corruption rather than honesty and transparency. For a few ringgit, you can buy votes and nobody objects.

Politicians care only about how to enrich themselves and remain in power. There is no vision as to how to make Malaysia great again. Instead, they scheme about possibly starting ‘2MDB’.

BlueShark1548: Bersatu chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin has accepted responsibility but have PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and the Lims? Shouldn't they make way for younger leaders?

Their parties' annual general meetings would be the right forum for them to name new leaders. If Anwar steps down, PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli would throw his hat in the ring for president.

Let GE15 be fought by younger leaders from all opposition parties. The results from the Johor election clearly showed that the disunity between the opposition had split the votes.

If the opposition could unite and fight GE15 under one coalition so that the fight would be one to one with BN, then it may win but not with Anwar as the prime minister candidate.

Anwar and the Lims should step down for the sake of the nation and rakyat so that corruption and the rot of moral values could be arrested and the court cluster meets its end.

Way To Go: I agree. Harapan leaders are unable to move forward ever since the Sheraton Move.

Not only are they unable to get their act together as proven in the string of by-elections and state elections, but they are also a lost cause as an opposition since the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Umno/BN.

How long more can the DAP survive on the waning Chinese and Indian votes?

It is telling that Anwar can’t even strike a deal with newcomer Muda while the DAP and Amanah are able to do so. He can’t even get a consensus for a common logo.

Traditional opposition voters have lost all hopes in Harapan as a formidable opposition, let alone an alternative ruling outfit.

It will be the same in GE15 unless leaders like Anwar, the Lims and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu are willing to accept the writing on the wall and make way for younger leaders that have the potential to bring change.

How are the people to see changes if our leaders keep doing the same thing and expecting different results?

Harapan and PKR in particular have to make way for younger leaders like Nurul Izzah and Rafizi. Who will want to be under the big tent with proven losers and dinosaurs calling the shots?

Headhunter: Harapan on the whole is still a formidable force. Their problem is PKR, which has become an albatross for Harapan. As many had said, PKR using their own logo was a stupid mistake.

It's time for Anwar to step down and hand over the leadership to another component party. He failed miserably and his position is no longer tenable.

After he stepped down, the party can rebrand itself with new leaders. With three consecutive failures, it can no longer persist in making demands from the group.

Johor has shown that even BN with its tainted past can succeed when fielding young and fresh leaders. It goes to show that people’s loyalty is more to the party itself and not the personality alone.

Muda as the new kid on the block can be proud that they had considerable success in spite of so many limitations. I believe they can do well in the coming general election.

Personally, I would like to see them go into partnership with Harapan provided they are given respect and a fair and equitable number of seats to contest.

JusticeNow: For Warisan, it is a clear message that Peninsular Malaysia is not ready for it. It would be wise for it to focus on Sabah and build a strong base before further forays into Peninsular’s politics.

It’s also clear that as an opposition party, they need to work with other opposition parties, or they will just help BN win more seats.

They need to wake up to these facts and put their motto "unity" to work.

Enlightened Globalist: With BN in power, Malaysia will align even closer to China, probably become a vassal state in return for investments like the East Coast Rail Line (ECRL) and strategic reclamation of land; such as in Malacca and Kuantan, where China can have a strategic naval presence.

Look for the revival of Forest City and for Chinese investors getting PR (permanent resident) status, which will be good for the Johor economy. China has the financial power to kick start our moribund economy.

We might even cut a deal with the Chinese to share the resources off the coast of Borneo with the Chinese, such as joint exploration of oil and gas. It will be a win-win situation for both countries. Also, cutting-edge telecom company Huawei will again be invited to build our 5G network.

I don't think the Chinese government will be too concerned about the rights of Chinese Malaysians. For them, geopolitical strategy and the needs of mainland China are more important.

Between the needs of the ruling Malay elite and Chinese Malaysians, don't be surprised if China favours the former.

Billy The Goat: I take some consolation from this election results that DAP is able to hold its fort and withstand Umno’s purportedly indomitable momentum.

PKR must reform and perhaps have a change of leadership. Amanah needs time but will survive because their leaders are respectable and will in the long run become more and more relevant whilst PAS will soon become a poor shadow of its “Tok Guru” phase.

I have this to say to BN: the true test will come in GE15 because in a general election, national interests will be paramount.

I have asked myself, are my fellow Malaysians so forgiving and perhaps dumb to practically allow criminals, kleptocrats, corrupt politicians to helm and destroy this beloved country?

It was a resounding no.

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