YOURSAY | ‘When we vote in GE15, we must be wise.’
COMMENT | Malaysians, do we care?
BluePanther4725: Former Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan is absolutely right that we must be vigilant in protecting our institutions and that we must care.
Focusing only on bread-and-butter issues is a strategy that won't help the people and the country in the long term.
Without rule of law, democracy and proper governance, Malaysia is a failed country. When we vote in the 15th general election, we must be wise and think of our long-term future.
Don't end up like the Philippines.
Dr Suresh Kumar: But what was Ambiga doing when her friends were ruling the country from 2018 to 2020?
Did they make an attempt to educate the illiterate, the ‘ignorami’ and the less educated on how strong institutions, human rights and good governance matter if we are to progress as a nation and enhance the well-being of all in the long term?
All they did was promise the stars and the moon to the voters and failed miserably to keep their promises after winning.
They were riding on the 1MDB issue and Umno/BN's other malfeasances instead of educating the masses on the importance of good governance and integrity in our institutions.
Yes, the sly old fox should be blamed, but he was one man in a mosquito party that took control of the entire cabinet. Did she voice out then?
IndigoJaguar7545: Indeed, Ambiga was one of the first to criticise PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli for speaking out against then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's one-man rule in Pakatan Harapan.
Mishmash37: Strong institutions are the foundations of a nation. Without it, our nation will fall and the people will suffer.
I hope this message by Ambiga gets across to all Malaysians, even if it is coming from someone you may not like or agree with.
Even if we're numb from the successive blows, it's time to get back up and get back into the ring before time runs out. It's time for Malaysians to care about these issues before it's too late. Our fall has already begun.
VioletKite5133: Actually, it is the majority of the majority that is the problem. Many prefer ‘cash is king’ rather than institute reforms because money is shovelled down their throats regularly and it has become an addiction.
This is the reason why if any of them do wrong or commit crimes, nothing happens. This is because almost all are on the same boat and nobody wants to rock the boat. Those who do will be damned and given a hard time.
The majority have systematically been turned into addicts, and they seem to like it.
Ambiga regrets Najib invited to palace
MS: Ambiga, the disbelief, anger and frustration you refer to is true where most of the minorities are concerned. Many of them constitute the portion of the population which still has a working moral compass and one with an acute sense of what is right and wrong in public life.
But to generalise it to include the Malay majority which the convict and the other accused are banking on is unrealistic.
Unlike the times when their religious sensitivities are purportedly ruffled by non-believers which cause them to take to the streets and use the various weaponised agencies to go after those they seek to punish, neither the invitations to dine at the palace nor to declare open conferences appear to have upset them as much, if at all.
Other than a minority of Malays who have expressed their disdain and disgust openly or in closed circles, the rest, arguably, are nonchalant at best.
Given this mood and seeming indifference among those who really matter to the country's immensely wealthy political elite, its backers and benefactors, invitations whether royal or business, are par for the course. It is business as usual.
And if you believe in and are sensitive to hints and coded signals coming from those who seldom address the rakyat, it should be clear how this is all going to end.
Hang Babeuf: “Without mincing words, the former Malaysian Bar president contended that these episodes were ‘disrespectful to the courts’.
“‘I am given to understand that at another gathering, judges were apparently present, thus putting them in an embarrassing position.
“‘These are, after all, His Majesty’s judges,’ she pointed out.”
Exactly so! Spot on, Ambiga. Tepat!
Lord McTavish: Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s appeal is being disposed of at the Federal Court as we speak and he is the Orang Besar of Pahang state. How is that inviting him against the law or decency or disrespectful?
The law fraternity is getting very touchy-feely and butthurt unnecessarily.
And yes, the rakyat will never forget the lies that Harapan has fed them in winning GE14. Another election will be held soon and the rakyat will choose. You will be surprised.
P Dev Anand Pillai: Until and unless the Malay masses see this as a blatant abuse of power in the system of governance, nothing will happen.
The feudal vein is simply too entrenched in the Malay mindset, it is a tool which can be used to divert, convert and re-align thinking.
This, our politicians have learnt well and use it to their advantage. Therefore, until and unless the Malay masses rise, their leaders will eventually get away with whatever they do.