LETTER | I refer to TK Chua’s letter “What is Gerak Independent up to?” to the editor on Feb 18 and would like to respond.
Allow me to simply speak for myself and explain my reasons, since TK Chua fails to understand the “what and why of Gerak Independent (GI) candidates”.
I served 33 years in the public services of the government of Malaysia. Yet, after a life of service with faithfulness, and writing for another almost 17 years, in one form or another, apart from running an NGO for good governance. The country is now steeped within a culture of corruption.
Whose responsibility is to clear up the mess that our generation has created over the last 50 years? Our grandkids? Really? I will leave that agenda to Muda's president and their cohort of younger members!
My simple reasons for contesting in PJ as an MP are as follows:
Corruption like cancer will destroy this country; if we get any more careless! I become very worried when the MACC are themselves being charged with corruption. It is a bad indicator or how bad the rot is. The tip of the corruption iceberg is already quite visible.
I have lived, studied, and worked in PJ and KL since 1969. That qualifies me to know, understand, and appreciate the concerns and causes of much of this rot within our region. I have lived and breathed KL/PJ air. I can smell foul air.
Furthermore, I own a home in Kampung Tunku; and all my taxes by way of assessment are paid to MBPJ, and yet I am still not convinced that either MBPJ or the state government through the Land Office is taking care of my and our public space interests. Rape and destruction of the rule of law are evident everywhere. I am recording and uploading all this.
Therefore, when the GI, as a group, got organised to become a movement, it is only natural that I got involved to try and make that “qualitative change vide the green and clean agenda”.
We have since launched an app that allows citizens to interact with their current MPs and also future MPs and to begin a process to make them accountable and answerable to citizens and to be able to engage with them.
Finally, when we had to choose to contest to gain a seat in Parliament. It is only natural for me to stand where I pay my assessment and wherein I see and observe much abuse of the rule of law.
Unfortunately, TK Chua assumes we are a political party and therefore the need for us to take sides. He is wrong. We are only a movement for change and are working to mobilise the idea we need wakil rakyat who represents the rakyat that votes for them, and not simply the party and their party positions they represent, especially in policy issues and concerns.
We are all ordinary citizens who believe that we cannot wait for the next Tunku Abdul Rahman to build unity with integrity for our nation-state.
We are here to do that, and we must start by GE15 before it is too late.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
