Even the title was a punch in the gut for me. We pay so much toll, so much tax in way of GST, and so much in terms of effort to overcome the obstacles.
While the average joe is struggling to make ends meet, one elite group of people blow $41 million at the casino. It is sheer insanity.
Haris says:
Go to your houses of worship and pray for 3 revolutions.
First, that your heart be filled with so much love for our downtrodden, that your heart be filled with so much determination to ensure that this travesty never ever happens to our people again, and that, by this, we may overcome all fears that may come our way.
Second, that our minds be steeled enough to face whatever adversity may be thrown our way.
Third, that we will bring a tsunami of change to our land such as has never been seen before.
I couldn't agree more. On this blog alone, I have lost count of the number of protests/rallies I have covered. I have tag-teamed with fellow bloggers and reported from the ground while they uploaded photos and typed out my reports.
I have been tear-gassed. Sprayed with acid-laced water from intimidating water cannons. Pretty much done it all.
And yet, even I fear. I don't want to be arrested. But after having travelled around the world and lived in multiple countries, I see the flaws in them and grudgingly admit that I am best suited to living in Malaysia.
Barring the anathema that is BN politicians, this is the best country to live in. Do we want to sacrifice that just to live in some foreign country "for the sake of the children"?
The talented and courageous cartoonist, Zunar, says:
“We need to cross the line. This is the line of fear we call it. It is not a normal line. It is a line of fear. If you don’t cross it, we are trapped in there forever. The system will be very happy. The government will be very happy if you don’t want to cross the line.
"I hope more and more people will cross it (the line). We must break the system. If not, they (the government) will be very happy. Now Malaysia has been governed by the same party for more than 60 years. If we don’t cross the line, we will give mandate for another 60 years to them. I don’t know if I will win or lose, but if I don’t fight, I’ll definitely lose."
We need to wake up. There are so many injustices happening in our nation. Lim Guan Eng is facing legal action over something so trivial (and conjured), while Najib goes scot-free over such a ridiculously gargantuan embezzlement.
Our legal system is frayed. We have draconian laws in place, the worst of them being the National Security Act.
Sarawak Report says:
To give just a single example of the evil intent of this National Security Act, consider the clause that cancels the formal inquest into the death of anyone killed by army or police in any crackdown under its provisions.
Someone must have thought closely to insert such a sinister detail in advance. That someone must have decided that they are tired of being inconvenienced by all the paraphernalia of the law when it comes to murder cases. That person wants to be freed from questioning and investigation, when someone who gets in his way is ordered dead.
Does Malaysia want to place such a dangerous law in the hands of a desperate thief and liar like Najib, who is furthermore himself personally associated with a string of murky, half-solved murders?
And yet, the mainstream press in Malaysia has been almost as silent on this deadly law, as over the shocking revelations by America’s Department of Justice about their Prime Minister’s thefts from 1MDB. The story which has been headlines for the past two days in every other country in the world has remained virtually unreported where it is most relevant – Malaysia.
We need to lose this fear of the government. The fear of rocking the boat.
But there is also one more thing that we need. Co-operation from all facets of society. Most of the Malaysian minorities have some cohesive bond going for us. Especially those of us middle-class, educated ones. We need to rally the support of our Malay brethren.
They need to stand next to us as well, to say, "Enough is enough!"
I am not suggesting that you strike up some fake friendship with random Malay people just so that you can convert them to your cause.
I am saying that you need to find common ground, something that can overpower the indoctrination that our government has so successfully implemented. In the words borrowed from some book written a few thousand years ago, we all need to love our neighbours.
Other countries have, and are still making that same mistake. Brexit happened because poor people were sidelined, and they felt they had so little to lose, that they were willing to cut their nose to spite their face.
Donald Trump is making waves in the USA for the same reason. He talks so much crap; he contradicts himself on a regular basis, and in no way does he practise what he preaches.
But people deliberately refuse to see that.
Just like the racist and uneducated Malays will refuse to see that Riza, who is officially Muslim, should not have been gambling the money away because it is haram, to begin with.
The good news is, not all Malays are racist and uneducated. There are respectful, dignified ones out there who dislike the politics being played out, but who find no common ground with DAP stalwarts and gung-ho opposition die-hards.
We are too polarised. Really, we are.
What we need to do is come together and fight against common evil.
Come together and cast aside our fear.
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