YOURSAY | ‘Our greatest wish is to see a new PM installed for 2016.’

After 'annus horribilis', can M'sians look forward to a better year?

Asitis: "Annus horribilis" means a horrible year. It has nothing to do with the bodily aperture down there, although Malaysians cannot be faulted for making that association.

We have indeed had our butts handed to us by the government, not just this year, but for many years prior. And it is not because Malaysians are not God-fearing .

It is more because many Malaysians are Umno/BN-fearing and thus, still buy into their numerous propaganda.

As long as we remain so easily hoodwinked by them, we are still largely to be blamed for electing them back into office every election to screw us for another term.

And let's not put all the blame only on the government and ourselves. The opposition pact has promised so much, but delivered so little with their lack of direction and leadership. They have proven themselves to be a lot of hot air that amounts to nothing where it really matters.

At the rate things are going, we would need more than just prayers. We would need a miracle, if indeed a miracle is possible at all.

The Analyser: No we don't, Koon Yew Yin. Kicking the government in the backside will achieve exactly the same result that “we” have achieved over the past 30 to 40 years of feeble attempts at butt-kicking.

Instead, you should aim your kicks in a direction where they will do most good. Preferably, the butts of the sundry opposition disasters that are slowly becoming more and more irrelevant by the day.

Give them a good hard kick into oblivion, then set about creating a truly democratic, religious and race-free political entity that is attractive to Malaysians.

Odin Tajué: I disagree with Koon only on one point - that PM Najib Razak deserves pity because “much of the RM2.6 billion has had to go to Umno leaders, including members of parliament, state assemblypersons, supreme council members, division leaders, bloggers, media experts, etc” - for two reasons, as follows:

1) A small portion of the amount would be sufficient to buy the loyalty, and to pay for the services of those people; and

2) the RM2.6 billion must surely not be the only ‘doh-nay-shun’ that he has received.

1MDB has been having deals with many “Arabs”, such as Goldman Sachs and the owners of the recently bought independent power producers (IPP) project. Best wishes for 2016, Koon.

Roguekiller: Well said, Koon, but the PM should not be included as a sufferer among Malaysians in this horrible year. He is not suffering at all, and he doesn't even know what suffering is all about.

Had it not been for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad haunting him, Najib would be the most joyful man with billions of ringgit - plus the RM42 million from SRC International recently added to his accumulation.

FellowMalaysian: The metaphor “the country has gone to the dogs!” summarily described Malaysia's dire and despondent state for the year 2015.

Thirty percent of our export is oil and gas and its value has dwindled by 55-60 percent since May this year.

The government justifies charging GST on goods and services, and increased highway tolls and utility rates by blaming it on its fall in revenue due to the drastic drop of commodity prices. Plus, the ringgit went down to its 17-year low just two months earlier.

So, it is the people who are at the receiving end of the country's malaise as they have to shoulder the increase in cost of living.

This has put an enormous strain in running a Malaysian family as the median household income is only RM4,000 and this year alone, their take-home income must have dropped by some 20 percent after paying for these additional costs.

The failures of the country's economy have been translated into greater burden and hardship for the people, who are faced with a stark reality of making enough to feed their families.

Ah-hah!!!: Malaysia desperately needs salvation from what 2015, the "annus horribilis", is but the start of. As things stand today, there promises - darkly and ominously - a terrible slide further downhill in 2016 and beyond.

The nation needs a leader for all Malaysians, one who walks the walk and not just talks only. One who serves the people, especially the poorer Malaysians with integrity, wisdom and fairness.

Certainly not one who cannot even answer for RM2.6 billion deposited into his personal bank account, aside from uttering empty "answers".

And not one who is on the threshold of dictatorial powers - courtesy of the unconstitutional National Security Council (NSC) Act bulldozed through Parliament.

Headhunter: Our greatest wish is to see a new PM installed for 2016. May our wish come true.

Jaycee: Unfortunately for some of us, there is nothing to look forward to. And we have resigned to the fact that this evil regime is here to stay.

Doc: 2015 was ‘annus horribilis’ for Malaysians. 2016 appears to ‘annus terribilis’, followed soon after by ‘finis’.

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