TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE OPPOSITION
by Aneel David Kannabhiran [DeadAlienX]
According to the Sun today, "35-40% (3.2 - 4.4 million) of voters have not made up their minds as to who to vote" (or if to vote at all).
According to NST yesterday: "Registered voters: 10.9 million, of whom some 25 per cent aren't expected actually to vote." (2,725,000 of them).
Instead of the usual "BN is horrid – here's proof, so vote Opposition", which EVERYONE with half a blog or email address (including yours truly) has been indulging in for the past year or so, let's not bash BN for once, and ….
Look at what the Opposition is capable of giving us if we vote them in:
1) ABOLISH RACE-BASED POLITICAL PARTIES – this will go far in eradicating racial polarization and hegemony.
2) REDUCE CRIME + ERADICATE CORRUPTION IN THE POLICE FORCE
How?
· Increase salaries of policemen across the board.
· Increase the number of patrolmen and crime investigators – right now the bulk of policemen are involved in desk jobs, escort and "Special Branch" (read Opposition and dissident surveillance).
· Set up the IPCMC
· Address root causes of crime – ie: marginalization, disenfranchisement of certain sectors of society.
· Restructure prison and drug rehabilitation programes.
2) ERADICATE CORRUPTION IN CIVIL SERVICE
How?
· Turn the ACA into a completely independent body accountable only to Parliament.
· Promulgate a "Whistleblower's Protection Act".
3) FREE THE JUDICIARY
How?
· Continue the Royal Commission and widen their terms of reference to include past high-profile cases where the outcomes were suspect.
· Set up an independent Judicial Appointments Commission.
4) RESTRUCTURE THE NEP
How?
· Affirmative action, job opportunities and education based on need and merit, not race.
5) UPHOLD FREEDOM OF RELIGION/CONVERSION AS PER ART. 11 AND PLACE "ISLAM IS THE OFFICIAL RELIGION" [Art 3(1)] IN IT'S PROPER PESPECTIVE as per Art 3 (2-5) and Schedule 8, Federal Constitution (FC) – ie: under the purview of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong and for ceremonial matters only.
· Repeal Art.121A of the Federal Constitution which gives prominence to the Syariah Courts over the Federal Court.
· Set up a Constitutionally enacted "Inter-Religious Council" accountable only to Parliament.
6) UPHOLD FREEDOM OF SPEECH & ASSEMBLY AS PER ART. 10 FC
How?
· Repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act
· Repeal S.27 Police Act requiring the issuance of "permits" for peaceful assemblies.
7) INCREASE THE BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION – to increase the extent of training and remuneration of teachers.
8) RESTRUCTURE THE EDUCATION SYLLABUS
– away from exam orientation and rote learning, towards nurturing thinking skills, research capabilities and analytical prowess.
9) RE-ESTABLISH LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS
- to make Municipal Councils accountable to residents in order to eradicate the "Little Napoleon Syndrome".
And the biggest one of all:
10) REDUCE THE COST OF PETROL – which will result in a reduction of inflation across the board.
How?
· As an oil producing and exporting country, Malaysians should BENEFIT when the prices of world oil prices go up. The RM80 BILLION in oil profits can be channeled to subsidise local petrol prices above and beyond the present subsidy – economists assert that if world petrol prices have gone up five-fold in the last 10 years, local petrol subsidies should also go up five-fold…
· …instead of going towards military equipment, space programmes and the pockets of those in power.
IF YOU PERSONALLY KNOW OF ANY FRIENDS/FAMILY WHO ARE STILL "SITTING ON THAT FENCE" OR PLANNING TO SIT QUIETLY AT HOME THIS SATURDAY, PLEASE SHOW THIS TO THEM AND PERHAPS THEY WILL RECONSIDER…
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O.C. Lim, SJ had this comment [6 Mar 08]:
The problem is that even if the Opposition is voted in to form the next government, it will not be able to deliver simply because it is not ready. It does not even have a shadow of a "shadow cabinet" to take over. OC.