The Times They Are A Changing ?
In the year of the rat, the longest night was casted on March 8 2008. The opposition parties ( aka Barisan Rakyat ) never has it so good. They managed to ride on the changing of the 12 years cycle of the Chinese Zodiac, the first zodiac sign of rat gave them a windfall to wrest control of 5 states from the Barisan Nasional government. At the Federal level, For the first time in 50 years, the BN government came close to defeat, but was saved by the solid support from Sabahan and Sarawakian. But a win is still a win. After all, the general elections results are a manifestation of all Malaysians' decisions of wanting the present federal government to remain in power but with stronger opposition presence to do the “check and balance”.
It's been almost a month now, but the after shocks of the General Elections still ripples through the many corridors of power. The federal government has been formed. The Barisan Rakyat have resolved their differences and successful formed the state government in Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Perak, and Kelantan. But the Barisan Rakyat is basically an informal alliances of PKR, PAS, and DAP, as long as the alliance is not formalized, the possibilities of dissolution is political eventuality waiting to be unfold. On the BN side, things are not that rosy either, Perlis has just resolved their differences of who should be the Chief Minister, but the state of Trengganu are misfortune to be tangled with the possibility of constitutional crisis. At the Federal level, the Prime Minister is being bombarded with calls for his resignation, not from the opposition parties, but from within his party ! The ship is not even sinking, but mutiny already begins to brew. Remember ? The Prime Minister did once warned “Saya Pantang Di Cabar !”. How about giving the Prime Minister a peaceful mind and a chance to captain the troubled ship out from the stormy waters, and to right all the wrongs of the past ?
On the streets Penang, I was told a small group of ill informed Indian Muslims demonstrated on the streets shouting protests and waving slogans, because they feared the newly formed state government may end unfair practices and abuses in the New Economic Policy ( NEP). Perhaps, to them NEP means unlimited priviledges for Never Ending Plunderings. The demonstration angered Penangites resulting in Penangites boycotted their once famous and favorite Indian Muslim's food, Nasi Kandar. It was reported by the MSM that, the boycott resulted in 10% to 15% drop in Nasi Kandar business. Well, what can I say ? When come into racial politics, insane people tend to have tendencies for creative insanities. I said, despite all over natural tendencies of racial preferences, let's give the Penang State Government a fair chance to rule and bring prosperity to Penang. We had been shouting Malaysia Bolih for far too long, let's give words of encouragements and support to the new state government by shouting Penang Bolih !
The political climates in Malaysia has changed significantly. Gone are the days where racial pariahs can shout racial rhetorics to gain supports. Malaysians are now more educated and universal in appreciating the posture of a united nationality of being Malaysians. For those politicians still harping on the misguided hope of the bygone era of racial politics to seek political powers and relevancies. The words of advise here is, the world has changed. Politics is about fairness, equality, human rights, sustainable development, and advancement of human values.
Perhaps, this old song of Bob Dylan rings a bell to all of us ?
It's been almost a month now, but the after shocks of the General Elections still ripples through the many corridors of power. The federal government has been formed. The Barisan Rakyat have resolved their differences and successful formed the state government in Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Perak, and Kelantan. But the Barisan Rakyat is basically an informal alliances of PKR, PAS, and DAP, as long as the alliance is not formalized, the possibilities of dissolution is political eventuality waiting to be unfold. On the BN side, things are not that rosy either, Perlis has just resolved their differences of who should be the Chief Minister, but the state of Trengganu are misfortune to be tangled with the possibility of constitutional crisis. At the Federal level, the Prime Minister is being bombarded with calls for his resignation, not from the opposition parties, but from within his party ! The ship is not even sinking, but mutiny already begins to brew. Remember ? The Prime Minister did once warned “Saya Pantang Di Cabar !”. How about giving the Prime Minister a peaceful mind and a chance to captain the troubled ship out from the stormy waters, and to right all the wrongs of the past ?
On the streets Penang, I was told a small group of ill informed Indian Muslims demonstrated on the streets shouting protests and waving slogans, because they feared the newly formed state government may end unfair practices and abuses in the New Economic Policy ( NEP). Perhaps, to them NEP means unlimited priviledges for Never Ending Plunderings. The demonstration angered Penangites resulting in Penangites boycotted their once famous and favorite Indian Muslim's food, Nasi Kandar. It was reported by the MSM that, the boycott resulted in 10% to 15% drop in Nasi Kandar business. Well, what can I say ? When come into racial politics, insane people tend to have tendencies for creative insanities. I said, despite all over natural tendencies of racial preferences, let's give the Penang State Government a fair chance to rule and bring prosperity to Penang. We had been shouting Malaysia Bolih for far too long, let's give words of encouragements and support to the new state government by shouting Penang Bolih !
The political climates in Malaysia has changed significantly. Gone are the days where racial pariahs can shout racial rhetorics to gain supports. Malaysians are now more educated and universal in appreciating the posture of a united nationality of being Malaysians. For those politicians still harping on the misguided hope of the bygone era of racial politics to seek political powers and relevancies. The words of advise here is, the world has changed. Politics is about fairness, equality, human rights, sustainable development, and advancement of human values.
Perhaps, this old song of Bob Dylan rings a bell to all of us ?
The Times They Are A-Changing
Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth saving
Then you better start swimming
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changing.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no telling' who
That it's naming
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changing.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is raging'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changing.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changing.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fading
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changing.
Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth saving
Then you better start swimming
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changing.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no telling' who
That it's naming
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changing.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is raging'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changing.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changing.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fading
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changing.
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