More responses from our readers on the unexpected outcome of Saturday’s polls with many urging the winning parties to deliver on their promises to the rakyat .

On BN denied 2/3rd majority, lost five states, M'kini blocked

Wilson: I think by now, it's clear that the rakyat and people has spoken and decided. It is important for both the winning and losing parties to review their results and act positively. The winning parties should be starting to work to fulfill the wishes that they promised to the people that elected them.

On the other hand, losing parties should be reviewing their weaknesses that caused their defeat this time and take this lesson positively. Racist incidents like those involving Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir, Hishamuddin, Badruddin Amiruldin should be acted upon sternly.

They should be made to apologise publicly or face punishment. Otherwise, the people will always remember their ‘contribution’ to BN’s losing in the 2008 general election.

My View: I see the 12th General Election as the beginning of the 'real sense' multi-racial politics. We can see this from the trend of voting from all races of Malaysia, particularly in the land of 'Tanah Melayu' (Semenanjung Malaysia). Hope to see this trend in East Malaysia. I hope this trend will be followed with 'fair play and merit base' in states under the opposition. Bravo, True Malaysians!

Mr Eugene: The rakyat have sent you a loud message for your big ears Pak Lah! ‘ Rakyat Malaysia pantang dicabar! Kuasa pemerintah diberi oleh rakyat dan boleh diambil semula oleh rakyat !

The rakyat is the Boss and all BN and Umno representatives better believe it. Hidup Rakyat Malaysia ! Makkal Sakti! If Malaysian politics can be likened to a game of chess, the rakyat has given the gomen a check. Will it be checkmate the next round? Let us wait and see.

I Feel Great: The just concluded 12th General Election is indeed a 'revolution' for Malaysia. Lim Kit Siang and Nik Aziz liken it to a tsunami . Perhaps no other word best describes the just concluded general election. To me, it is the beginning of a new era for Malaysia where we realise race-base politics is definitely not the way we should go for. We should not look at problems 'race first, problem second' anymore. A problem is a problem irrespective of whether it is faced by Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban or lain-lain .

Hopeful: The 12th GE proved that Malaysians have finally awaken from the deep sleep plague that has been around for the past few decades. It was heartening to see that most ministers that have been misusing their position have been voted out and it was a proud moment to see a concerned opposition braving the incumbent ruling party for the benefit of all Malaysians, irrespective of race.

We opposition supporters truly hope that the selected representatives will fight against all the wrongdoings and unfairness of the current system. We Malaysians have opened our hearts to a new era for the country - the last thing we want is another string of empty promises that will make us all lose hope in this country for good. My best wishes and congratulations go to all the Opposition winners. Only you can make us believe in this country again.

Sunnie: The results were shocking but in a positive way. Both me and my mother had to drive all the way back to my hometown in Perak at 10am in the morning on the election day (I stayed up late till 2 am after attending Nurul's final ceramah in Bangsar and went to analyse about the situation with my friends after that), cast our vote and drove back at pm on the same day so that we can catch the results in time.

This has been a very meaningful election for me and all my friends and family members. My mom said even if the sky falls on us, we would have to go back to vote to save the country! Never have we been so united regardless of colour, race and religion. Never have we been so physically and emotionally involved to make this country a better place for ourselves and the coming generations. Thank you Malaysians, you are a lot more intellectual and courageous than I thought!

Atacorn: Today, I have never felt more proud to be a Malaysian. The general elections that came and went like a typhoon or some said like the tsunami had certainly wrecked damage in the Barisan Nasional front in shocking fashion. Those of you who had made a difference in different ways through disseminating information via email and voting for change- a BIG thank you.

The challenge for the opposition is to deliver on its promises and presenting a united front that will make Malaysia truly Malaysia. Finally, please avoid corruption and greed.

YC: After 50 years of independence, we as citizens of this country shall be matured enough to form another coalition party namely Barisan Rakyat comprising mainly PKR, DAP and PAS to have check and balance in the parliamentary, judiciary and government administration. This country needs another strong coalition besides Barisan Nasional - just like many other developed nations around the world - in order to progress further.

March 8, 2008 marked an important day in our national history. Never before BN in its entire history has been beaten so badly except in 1969. Even with all the irregularities in the EC, the people's power has succeed in bringing down the corrupted, oppressive, manipulative force that has hindered the nation progress in the last 50 years.

Let's work together irrespective of race and religion for a better Malaysia so that our children's children can continue to call this place home. God bless Malaysian! Well done fellow Malaysians!

Kumar: I truly believe that the people don’t like Barisan Nasional. This is what we call as people's power. When BN is in power, they didn’t listen to us. When we Indians gathered together to voice out our rights, they chase us. When we gathered together to give roses to the prime minister, they chased us and hurt our small children.

What was the prime minister doing? He was busy cutting cake in Kepala Batas. Why we should bother about him if he doesn’t bother about us?

Mooshie Mooshie: The colors are now shown that we, the people, of Malaysia are very capable of making a change. People power is also widely shown and can be exercised by all in Malaysia. This very time the working class and the not-so-well-off voted to tell the government that enough is enough. That the wealth of the nation is to be used for the nation and ts people and NOT by a few for the few. To the current winner for the states, we are also watching. Both you BN and BR One term passes very fast.

Rad Cliffe: First of all, congratulation to all winning parties. I am very shocked with the result. To the Opposition parties, you deserve it. I hope you can fulfill all your promises that you had made before the election. Do it now, and prove to us that you can lead Malaysia to be a better country. If you fail, I am very sure rakyat will throw you out in the next election.

Anak Malaysia: Time and time again, history keeps telling us; "The higher you are, the harder you fall!" In this election, it has spoken true once again. BN must come to realise that it cannot keep on duping us with their promises of anti-corruption, fair play, and words like "it’s for the best interest of the public" when all the rakyat ends up with is rising inflation, project grants given to their cronies, and worst of all, treating the ethnic minority like it doesn’t exist in this country.

To the Opposition ‘coalition’ or Barisan Rakyat (BR), You been calling us for the past 40 decades or so to listen to you and give you a chance. Now, the rakyat has spoken and you have been given the chance and the responsibility in shaping a new Malaysia. Prove to us rakyat that you will do as you promised. We, the rakyat , are fed up with empty promises, race and religion conflicts, and favoritisms. This is your day, make the best of it. We, the rakyat will definitely be watching you closely.

Tej Fernandez: The slim majority win by BN speaks volumes of a country that is aching for a government that is for the people, by the people and of the people! Despite the money politics, electoral rigging and tonnes of money spent on advertisements in the mainstream media (wonder which budget allocation this came from?), nothing worked. At the end of the day, it was the people's call! I for one have given up reading the print media, which have given the most inaccurate account of the elections. Transparency and accountability ruled over BN's call for security and stability!

SN: The need for race-based political parties must come to an end. The whole concept of communal politics must be re-examined for relevance to current race-based needs and quotas. We must endeavour for a mind shift leading to nuturing patriotism for Malaysia. All race-based politics only promotes polarisation due to communal interest and this is bad for building of patriotism for the country. Any leader of any race should be able to provide for the needs and aspirations of the entire citizenry of Malaysia. This is real democracy.

Satisfied Rakyat: I'm no fan of corrupted practices and its bunch of people, however, looking back at the general elections it looks like finally the government concerned got its due repayment. They now just have to listen to the voices of the rakyat for once. Stop making us pay for their riches and making the nation a mockery of the world.

Anyway, congratulations to the coalition of opposition members for their cooperation during this time. You are truly Malaysia and we hope that you guys will continue to fight for the rights of Bangsa Malaysia, not Malay, Chinese, Indians or other races

To Tan Sri Dr Koh Hsu Koon, sad to let you leave but we salute your gracious manners. You are a true gentleman who took responsibility like a true champion, unlike some guys who refuse to admit their wrongs but instead tried to give excuses and defend their wrongs.

And at last we have the departure of Mr. Sg. Siput and many more who reaped what they sowed all this time. It’s truly a time of reckoning. May Malaysia prosper now with the availability of a "Check and Balance Team". Malaysia Boleh!

A Ravethran: This is a majorr victory for Malaysians and democracy The time has come for changes. It was not that BN was not doing its job but just that some of their MPs and ministers became to arrogant and greedy. I would say this what made them fall.

My opinion is that if DAP, PKR and PAS want to retain and improve their position, then they should start to work from now. Bring down the toll rates for a start if possible.

Ag Kamarul Ariffin: Today, I am a proud Malaysian. I am proud that we as a nation have finally reached a stage of maturity in our thinking by voting for a multiracial based alternative government. I share the aspirations of my Indian and Chinese brothers for a cleaner and more accountable government that cares for the people. Let us hope that this is not a one-time event and the alternative we voted so hard to get in power will not end up the same as the one we booted out.

On behalf of my Sabahan brothers and sisters that worked so hard for the opposition, I am sorry that we could not join in the celebration as we have a long way to go. We will carry on the battle to 2012 and we will not falter. My hope is that the people of Sabah will open their eyes to the changes happening all over the country. To the leaders of the opposition front, don't let us down. Malaysia needs this change to move forward.

PN: We truly live in remarkable times. The magnitude of March 8 upset was a shock to the ruling party, the opposition and even the voters. I personally feel renewed; I have faith now that competition between the BN and the Opposition will finally breed the elusive efficiency that we all wish to see. I now see opportunity for change , to no longer be jaded with the way things are only because we couldn't do anything about it. Today I feel that we as a people are stronger than the tyrants who used to rule us. People power in its truest form. But it doesn't end here , not for anyone.

Here's where the hard work begins. We all have new responsibilities; the Opposition, the Government and ourselves. The Opposition, besides getting to grasps with its everyday job, has to now unearth the corruption, the wastefulness and the sheer stupidity of the last state governments. The Government has a little more to do. Revamp, relearn how to listen to their rightful masters; us. We dictate, you follow.

Finally, it comes down to you and me. We have to start being the change we want to see. How many of us have cursed corruption? Yet how many of the same have bribed a police officer? It will be a drastic shift in our way of life, where we no longer seek to be excluded from rules.

Let's fight to uphold what we believe in, let's live the life that we all desire. We are the agents of change and together we will build a better future. Now I have hope again.

Eing Hai: Now that the dust is settled and BN is licking its wounds, the Barisan Rakyat is faced with a huge challenge. It has to show the rakyat in the coming five years that they can work as a coalition and present themselves as a viable alternative to Barisan Nasional. They have to deliver what have been promised to the rakyat who put them where they are now. Even if they fail to deliver some of the promises, be honest to tell the rakyat why they failed.

Sincerity and the rakyat 's well-being should the topmost concerns of the state governments formed by Barisan Rakyat. If they do that, then in due time the rakyat will give them the mandate to replace Barisan Nasional at the national level and no amount of election gerrymandering will be able to rob the rakyat of what they wish for.

A Concerned Voter: So, finally the fiesta of the election is over and I must say that many of us including myself were taken by surprise of the power of the people in this general election. What more the opposition taking over the five states from BN. This is something that caught all of us by surprise.

Well, I must congratulate the people for their honest opinion and I do hope that the current BA (Barisan Alternatif) parties will sincerely do their part in maintaining their manifesto that was declared before the election.

Congratulations again to BA but please do remember that the people who voiced out their dissatisfaction through the 12th general election will be watching your performance and our future vote for BA will be based on the above concerns. One people for one nation!

AK Han: The joy and delirium of all right thinking Malaysians are understandable, after so many years of frustration and oppression. But I notice that they have overlooked one crucial factor for this convincing victory.

Had not Anwar Ibrahim and all the other enlightened Malays urged all the voters to transcend the racial lines, would his victory be possible? The Brainless Nincompoops have delineated the electorate in such a way to incorporate many fail-safe measures for them. DAP has not been very successful in the past due to this.

I am not belittling the roles played by the victorious parties but in our euphoria let us not forget some of the heroes ( Malaysiakini included) who have contributed to this astounding success.

Please do not ask our PM to quit. Imagine the belligerent Najib Razak (who threatened to bathe his kris in Chinese blood) as PM. I shudder to think of this. His talents will be put to better use as the ambassador to Mongolia, possibly send him there in one of our submarines or in one of the Sukhois.

Kenny: I do believe that the results obtained on March 8 are the best that can be hoped for. The Barisan Rakyat cannot be expected to run a country without first working together at the state level. Perhaps, even four new states is a bit more than ideal to start with. However, BN and the whole of Malaysia is watching to see how the Barisan Rakyat works together at state and the parliament level.

BN will certainly be all out to cause chaos within BR. How the BR reacts to this and works around it, as well as their cooperation in running the state governments will be so important to ensure that they are not just a one-election success.

For the sake of the next generation I really hope that Barisan Rakyat passes the tests with flying colours.

TS Tan: Yes, It was a joyous day for all Malaysian, be it Chinese, Indian or Malay. Justice is served! Nobody expected the opposition to win more than 20% of any of the state seats. To win outright is godsend! I, like most Malaysians, stayed up all night to wait for the official results. But none was reported!

I was disappointed! The election results for Selangor was blocked! What kind of live coverage is the media doing? Was it done on purpose? Why did the Election Commissions not announce the results after it became official?

Well, the people have spoken. Let the elected representative get on with their work. Let them show that not only BN knows how to govern a country (now only confined to the state level). DAP, PKR and PAS are no longer the opposition. They are now governing five states (out of 12).

My advice to DAP,PKR and PAS - do it well and the people may vote them in to run the country at the next election! Now, there is a balance.

White Fan: Yes, the election day is over, please let everybody move forward. After this, there is only left one party which is Party Malaysia. The rakyat has already spoken, so let’s move along.

JC: It appears that the whole of West Malaysia has woken up to the fact that one party and a one race party is not good for us but Sarawakians and Sabahans have chosen to remain undeterred. Maybe we should wake up during our next state election?

Frank Wong: To the general public, stock prices are not their main concern. And Malaysians should bite the bullet and think of the future generations. We don't vote for a bull market in the first place. We are voting for a clean and transparent government which serves the people. It's only a small wonder that most companies whose stock prices suffered were from the property sector.

They know their dirty secrets are going to be exposed, soon or later. So they wanted to pull out as soon as possible. As long as I still have a breath, I will hold on to my vote and I urge Malaysia people to look at the picture from a critical angle.

Sanib Said: It is too early to make a conclusion that race-based parties and voting along racial lines as history and a new two party system emerged after last weekend’s general election. The Malays might have crossed racial lines but the Indians and Chinese simply shifted to another race-based party, DAP.

PAS and Umno may come together again like it did decades ago. There is nothing wrong with voting along racial lines just as the American are doing right now. So do not be so quick to jump to any conclusion yet. Nonetheless I wish every Malaysian the best of luck.

Benn: Remember the movie ‘Wag the dog’? After wining the presidential race, the US president had a quiet moment and suddenly ask his campaign manager - ‘What do I do now? I just hope the opposition learns fast how to run their states and fulfill their election manifestos. All the best.

Panda: I always wished to be a Malaysian. I'm fed up being a non-bumi anymore. I'm sure most of us have the same feelings right? Racial-based politics have proven wrong with this election. Lets change it, ok? Lets’ be Malaysian, ok? Stop dividing us into bumi and non-bumi, ok?

Anak Malaysia: As Indians, our role in this land (even though we are born here) had been questioned by the powers that be. Now that people have' voiced out' through the proper channel, the hope is that the people we put into power - PKR-DAP-PAS - will deliver what they promised by sharing their responsibility to bring Bangsa Malaysia into reality.

Richard: As a Malaysian, I'm very proud of the result of the General Election and of my fellow brothers and sisters who have decided that they have had enough of BN and cast their votes in favour of an alternative government.

Race and religion should not divide us. We should take charge of our nation for our future and our children's future and work together shoulder-to-shoulder to build a brighter future with the wealth of the nation shared by all the rakyat so that the gap between the rich and poor will diminish gradually.

With four years to prove that the rakyat has not made a mistake in voting in PKR, DAP and PAS, we should work extra hard to deliver the promises and I'm sure by next General Election, Barisan Nasional will be history and a new multiracial party called Barisan Rakyat will have the 2/3rds majority. I love my country Malaysia -Truly Asia.

Eric Lou: The rakyat’s mandate is a bit overdue but it came at last, what a feeling! I feel so much a Malaysian now. I have migrated to Australia but I have this strong urge to come back. Hopefully we will be able to contribute to the development of a renewed multiracial Malaysia.

Ting Ung ' 08: I feel touched with the wins of the opposition (especially PKR and DAP which support Malaysia for Malaysians). Malaysia can only grow if all Malaysians can really unite as Malaysians. The word ‘Melayu’, ‘Cina’, ‘India’, ‘Iban’, ‘Kadazan’ and others must be wiped for the future of Malaysia.

Now, the opposition has won. The dream of a Malaysian Malaysia will be the truth. We all are one family. We can call ourselves Malaysians. And proudly tell others ‘I am Malaysian’. The fight for a Malaysian Malaysia has just begun.

Hidayah Wanismail: What the country really needs is a new coalition, one which is not segregated according to race. For as long as Umno fights for the Malays, MCA for the Chinese and MIC for the Indians, we will keep going around in circles.

it is a shame that none of our leaders realise this, they are all are too busy ensuring their place in the new government. The country is dying. 50 years of independence unraveling. We are almost back at square one. Hypocrisy is now second nature. Scholars and thinkers should unite and try to save what is left of the national dignity. We need to do something for the sake of the future generations. Speak out and be heard Malaysians!

Dr Lee: I write with great joy on hearing the news of Malaysia's recent elections. Although I am far away from home, and could not participate in the elections, I celebrated with my fellow Malaysian expats on hearing the wonderful news. Indeed, my colleague had hour by hour updates from his brother-in-law, such was our passion for our country despite being denied our right to vote.

The people of Malaysia have indeed spoken! You, the government, must buck up or you will not remain in power! The politics in Malaysia must move away from race-based politics. We are no longer only Malays, Chinese nor Indians, we are first and foremost Malaysians!

Although I am abroad now for economic reasons, after this result, I am thinking to heck with the money, there's a better reason for me to go home. I hope with this result I am finally able to go home and help my country without prejudice. Syabas Malaysia!

Capt NSR: The rakyat has spoken, they shown the exit door to many BN candidates, not because they are in favour of the opposition but because they are upset with the government. There were many capable and good candidates who voted out and well, this is basically a way to protest against the government, it was not personal.

If the new state governments make amends and restructure the systems and listen to all the complains and grouses from the people, we will have an excellent election in 2012/2013. A good opposition is important in Malaysian politics because it will keep the ruling government on its toes.

GE2008 shocker: What you said (Pt 1)

GE2008 shocker: What you said (Pt 3)