Opinion: General Elections 2008

I, a Malaysian citizen, will exercise my constitutional rights this coming general elections to vote in a government that shows the following qualities:

1. Accountability
It is high time the Datuks and Datuk-wannabes in our local councils, in our government, in our Parliament, all realize that they are 'elected'. It is a privilege to be elected, not a right. You serve us, the electorate, the people. You hold the keys to our hard-earned taxes, again not by right. So please think twice before you fling the ringgits to the wind on hare-brained roundabout beautification projects or superpricey screwdrivers.
Show some sincerity. Show us that you want to be elected because you truly want to serve the community. Support your tin kosong press conferences with hard data: accounts and statistics. I want to know how my money is actually used, and how much goes into your pocket. I want to know how efficiency is measured in your department, and whether all the counters will be open when I'm there rather than the solitary Kak next to the row of empty chairs beside her. I want to know if complaints are properly recorded and acted upon.
All these issues are pretty commonplace in any decent corporation. Yet why do our elected officials still get away with everything (some say even murder)?
I want accountability. Black and white.

2. Respect
Malaysia, whether you like it or not, will always have different races. We will not end up as one blob of similar-coloured flesh and pray in the same way as the homogeneous Japanese are. We are diverse.
I want leaders who lead Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or title. When the leader speaks, it is for all; not to kiss the asses of ringgit-heavy towkays or to stoke the carnal bloodlust of racist communities. Unite, not divide.
I will no longer stand for any one-community champion. If you want to represent one race and one religion at the expense of the others, Malaysia has no place for you. Get out.
I'm not a majority race, and I'm not a majority religion. But I'm Malaysian. Please respect me as one.

3. Intelligence
Talk is cheap. Hence we have asinine ministers making asinine comments. What do you take us for? Idiots who only read sanctioned KBSR and KBSM textbooks? You humiliate us in the global arena by demonstrating how shamefully shallow your knowledge is. But in Malaysia, you can still pretend that you're smart. And sadly, we still gobble your dumbass remarks whole.
Not only that, we have unnecessary sexist remarks making the rounds in the Parliament. No, the comments are not funny. They are not smart either. They are plain stupid. I didn't put you in the Parliament to make general comments about skirts, and toilets and broken dams. You are in Parliament to debate! Intelligently! Why don't we hear statements that are supported by hard facts and research? Why do we have to cringe everytime an MP speaks, because they'd rather engage in childish banter and name-calling?
We look to the Parliament to engage in high-level discussions, not for embarrassing Punch and Judy rip-offs. So yes, intelligence is definitely a must-have. Buy a brain, if need be.

4. Separation of powers
Montesquieu defined this doctrine in the 17th century. Yet here we are, in the 21st century, still grappling with the basic concepts of a democracy. Is it really that difficult to comprehend?
Restore our judicial, revive our legislative, restrict our executive.

5. Vision
Enough of corridors flanking all corners of our country. Tell me, in simple terms, where are we heading to?
Are we focusing on agriculture again? If so, how much are we investing in this and how much do we stand to gain in the near and farther future? Will this be a sustainable economy for us in the long run? How are our various agriculture-based institutions being involved? Are we growing for our own consumption or for the world? If for the world, are we even sure they want what we're growing?
These different corridors - how do they contribute? Are we looking at biotechnology as the next frontier, or rocket science? What about software development? Are we also considering Malaysia as the outsourcing centre of choice?
Too many vague terms, too little details. It leaves a feeling of dread, actually. If our highest echelons of power do not know where to navigate us to, we may end up hitting an iceberg or Titanic proportions. We need a Vision. Now, we're just plain lost.

Reading thus far, you may think I'll be voting for the Opposition. That's not a foregone conclusion.
With that many Blue Clowns making decisions for the country, I'm not sure that Red Clowns would do any better.
In the end, I guess the vote has to go to the best of the worst. That makes me sad for my country.