I do not want to be shamed and ridiculed for welcoming back the kleptocrats who have only brought utter disgrace to this country.
I may not know a lot about politics. I only had my “political awakening” during the 2018 general election when Pakatan Harapan toppled Barisan Nasional to form the federal government.
Like many of my peers then, we were caught up with the anti-BN wave and backed PH all the way in the hope of bringing change after over six decades of rule by the same coalition.
Sadly, PH did not quite live up to voters’ expectations during its short rule. I remember driving all the way from KL to my hometown in Simpang Renggam all caught up with the desire for renewal. The MP whom I voted for, for instance, was more concerned about the colour of students’ shoes when he was Education Minister and he was a huge let-down.
And here we are heading to the polls once more. As I make my way back from the Klang Valley where I live, to my hometown next week to exercise my democratic right, I’d have a lot to think about.
But one thing is for sure: My vote will certainly not go to the BN. The opposition like PH or Perikatan Nasional may have their lapses. But they do not have the track record in stealing and plundering the nation like BN does.
Look no further than the scandalous revelations from the trial of Roger Ng in the United States. The prosecution’s star witness Tim Leissner openly said that ex-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak was one of those people who had to be “paid off”.
How embarrassing can that be to hear something like that? Do we want to continue to be an international pariah by voting in a coalition that is backed by a man who has been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and a fine of RM210 million for abuse of power and corruption? How do we answer our kids on why a disgraced convict has returned to power?
Let’s not go into some of the wrongdoings perpetrated by this man and those he’s in cahoots with. Dozens of countries have probed this international heist. But here he is, swaggering in public like his criminal conviction was a badge of honour.
Worse of all, if Johor BN makes a clean sweep or a convincing majority, the likes of Bossku and Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi may make a comeback, not just to interfere in the judicial process involving their court cases, but continue with their unfinished shady business cut short by the 2018 polls.
I don’t know about the rest of the Malaysians. But I for one, do not want to be shamed and ridiculed for welcoming back the kleptocrats who have only brought utter disgrace to this country.
People like me may have misgivings over the opposition. For example, I cannot understand why PKR is not using the PH logo as I am not a seasoned political observer. But I understand at this juncture, it’s a choice between the lesser of the evils. And in this case, the answer is crystal clear.
The views expressed here are strictly those of The True Net reader Jonathan Fernandez from Subang Jaya.