If BN cannot be kicked out at the polls, will Malaysians do more to reclaim their country?

The end of regimes is never orderly
Jul 26, 11 8:14am
your say'There is no need for anybody to oversee BN's sordid decline. No end of empire is ever orderly or managed; there is no such thing as managed decline.'

Needed: Someone to manage BN's decline

Multi Racial: If you look around the world, you will notice it has changed significantly. In the political arena, there is no exception too.

Go back 20 years, who would have believed that communism would fall in Eastern Europe, that Golkar would be the opposition in Indonesia, and the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan, that Americans would elect a black into the White House?

But in Malaysia, Umno remains in power since Malaysia got its independence. To the politicians in Umno, they still think they can continue to be in power for many years to come. At least, this is what they believe and they intend to do anything to hold on to power.

But the truth is, the inevitable is happening. The change of federal government will happen and this time, it is going to be in the next general election. So to all government servants and BN politicians, be prepared for this change.

Kgen: There is no need for anybody to oversee BN's sordid decline. No end of empire is ever orderly or managed; there is no such thing as managed decline.

That said, kicking out BN is much harder than it seems because we do not have free and fair elections and BN cheats. Just like Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, BN can be massively unpopular and yet win elections by manipulation. Before Mubarak was kicked out, his party won 90 percent of the parliament seats.

We really need to reform the electoral system to have a chance of voting out BN. But BN sees the danger of a fair system, hence their disproportionate response to Bersih 2.0. Real reforms are not likely because they endanger BN.

If BN cannot be kicked out at the polls, will Malaysians do more to reclaim their country?

Artchan: Umno warlords will go into attack mode to remove PM Najib Razak. They cannot have someone with baggage of Scorpene submarines and Altantuya Shaariibuu to lead them into the elections.

The writing's on the wall, and the beneficiaries will be Mukhriz Mahathir, Muhyiddin Yassin and Najib's cousin, Hishammuddin Hussein. All hell will break lose in Umno.

Swipenter: BN's decline is due to its inability to manage and adapt to changes; changes in values, perceptions and technologies in the Malaysian society. One has to ask this question whether Dr Mahathir Mohamad really 'resigned' from Umno/BN.

Look at how he was actively undermining Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and now Najib. Of course, Abdullah was sleeping too often to notice the changes taking place around him and do something about them. Maybe Najib is not that sleepy as his predecessor. And the kingmaker wants to continue his legacies.

But in reality both of them do not want to change but to preserve the status quo to continue milking the country's wealth and resources for themselves, their cronies and political allies with fanciful slogans and empty promises to the raykat.

BN's decline started at the tail-end of Mahathir's tenure at the time of the Asian financial crisis in 1998 and is still continuing. You cannot manage decline just like you cannot stop growing old. You can only grow old gracefully or bow out gracefully.

Tok karut: There is no 'Islamic spring' (aka renaissance) in Umno and BN, only decadence (power and corruption) and decline. Unfortunately Umno is taking down with it all decency and whatever remnants of institutional democracy.

Oh My God: A two-party system is imperative and for Malaysia to start having a two-party system begins with Pakatan Rakyat taking over Putrajaya in the next general election. BN must survive and be a good opposition. For BN, to survive they must change their mentality. To them, being an opposition is a crime.

BN, I hate you, but I do not want to lose you. This is because I may vote for you again in GE14, if Pakatan falls into the same trap when they get a chance to manage the country after GE13.

Whoever can eliminate corruption, create an independent judiciary, PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police), Attorney-General's Chambers and EC (Election Commission), will get my vote irrespective of their political ideology.

Klangboy: I don't think that once fallen, the public at large will tolerate anything that resembles BN. When expose of sleaze and corruption that will evidently surface conveniently when Pakatan comes to power, the public will not tolerate anything BN.

I have always said that I will always vote opposition, but I cannot bring myself to vote for a party that has been tainted in so many ways and guilty of ruining many a lives with their inept inability. Not for a long time.

Quigonbond: I thought there was hope for BN after the 2008 general election, when they received a walloping. Abdullah immediately instituted the twin demands of the opposition and civil society - a judicial appointments commission and the elevation of the Anti-Corruption Agency into a commission.

However, things quickly crashed when the changes are merely cosmetic, without real independence or integrity in the process, when everything still leads back to the one who dictates everything - the prime minister.

Since Umno is corrupt, so is its leader, and the leader is also none other than the PM. That makes the entire system corrupt - from the executive branch to the judiciary, and all the way down to the commissions, the latest casualty being the Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry, whose report raises more questions than closure.

Today's Umno is starkly different from Mahathir's era - at least there was still pretensions of propriety back then - now it's just naked abuse of power.

OZ: Whatever you all said, my strong opinion is that BN will still win this coming general election, unless voters can check who others are registered at any address.

Check the SPR (Election Commission) website, you can no longer extend your checking beyond the known ID numbers. Only the ID number is requested, address is not welcomed in its system.

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