LETTER | The biggest political blunder BN made after the 14th general election (GE14) was to actively participate in the Sheraton Move. The people had made their voices heard in the last polls and BN should have accepted the verdict.

The results of the GE14 were a strong signal to BN that it was time to take a breather and rebuild itself. It should have respected the will of the majority and accepted that the people had consigned it to another role - namely to become the opposition.

Thus, BN should have had the magnanimity to accept the decision, take up the role of an opposition and start a process of rebuilding itself and to proof itself as a great opposition.

After all, in a vibrant democracy, people will choose whom they want as the government and whom to become opposition. Both are key and important roles for a good democratic government.

The results of GE13 itself were a strong message to BN from people but it did not change from 2013 to 2018. And since BN was not prepared to change while being in the government, voters decided to give them a clean break in the GE14 from the responsibility of governing to that of the opposition.

The idea perhaps was to give them time and space to reflect and evolve to gain the confidence of the people to be elected as the next government.

But alas, this was not meant to be. Instead of pushing the reset button and putting it on a path to resurgence, BN was “seduced” to be part of a conspiracy to topple a legitimate government and become part of an unelected government.

That act, in hindsight, was a fatal move.

Today BN is in a pickle. The stink in the form of leaders embroiled in corruption is still part of its main leadership and this appears to be repulsive to voters.

The change in BN that the people thought they would undertake after the defeat in GE14 did not materialise.

So, BN has some “unfinished business” in the form of a makeover, and it needs a clean break from governing one more time for a period of five years.

Hence, voters should deliver a clear message to BN on Nov 19 that they should take time off from governing and take a different role which is to become opposition.

They should use the next five years to rebuild themselves, bring fresh young talent into their fold and start preparing for the 16th general election.

I do not believe there are angels in politics, only devils. The choice voters have is to choose the lesser of the evils to be their leaders.

For GE15, that “lesser evil” is Pakatan Harapan. And maybe in GE16, after a clean makeover, BN would have a chance to regain their lost lustre.

All that, they will need to prove to voters in the next general election that they are the “lesser evil” compared to the rest.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.