Dear Leader, Is Everything Alright?

I can’t help but noticed the growing tension in the blogosphere, particularly in pro-government blogs. Pressure is increasing for the PM to do something about everything. On one part, the people see nothing is right, and on the other part the leaders said everything is alright.

When people see nothing is right, things cannot be alright, can it?

Let’s just be frank and not beat around the bush. I’m not a politician, anyway, so I don’t say you look fine when you actually look ugly. I say things as it is. I just hope you can appreciate my honesty.

From where I’m sitting - that is on my decent swivel typing chair in this very dull messy room - it looks to me that the government is having a denial syndrome.

From my conversation with friends and neighbours as well as relatives, they seem to believe that the government has come to a dead-end, that it doesn’t know anymore where to go or what to do in order to regain the people’s confidence. Everything that comes out from the Ministers mouths seem to backfire.

After all the publicity stunts and promotional slogans and alphabetical games of transformation, confidence among the people keeps running low fast, to almost zero.

Why so? The government asked. What else do the people want? What do the Malays want? What do the Chinese want? What do the Christians want? What do the Muslims want?

Well, here’s the news. The government aka the dear leader is asking all the wrong questions. The right questions should be: What do you want? Where are you taking us?

On the other hand, the questions that the people have for the leader are: Who are you or what are you? Are you a liberalist? Are you a Muslim fundamentalist? A PKR, DAP or UMNO?

So, we heard that the dear leader is a moderate Muslim. Fine! Malaysia has always practice moderation. When Tun Mahathir laid out his stance as a Muslim fundamentalist, I believe it is all about moderation because Islam is about moderation. Am I wrong? I don’t think so.

I understand that being a moderate Muslim doesn’t mean that you have to be less Muslim and more liberal, or less UMNO and more PKR-DAP. It also doesn’t mean that you have to embrace enemies and appoint them as your ‘DRIVER’ or Secretary. It definitely doesn’t mean that you have to honour the liberals by appointing them as your Consultants for Unity.

This is where you lost it. You don’t dare to stand on what you believe in. Therefore you expose yourself of speculation and perception. People see you as a liberal who is pressured to prove yourself among your DRIVER and your consultants and your friends. They are all liberals, aren’t they?

In case you forgot, this is a democracy country where the majority has the most rights. The majority in this country is Muslims, and they don’t approve liberalism. Whether or not you agree with them, you have to lead by their voices. Believe me, you can never lead by the majority’s voices when you have all these liberals advising you, pressuring you and telling you what they think is right as according to their liberal beliefs.

That is one point for you to ponder.

Secondly, it seems that you insist that your DRIVER (PEMANDU) has done nothing wrong. You also defended yourself saying that appointing consultants is a necessity because the government officers of today don’t have the capability to handle the job.

Okay, if this is true that the DRIVER is so capable, then why do we see wrong moves, stupid decisions, flip-flops, racial and religious crisis and bloodshed (Lahad Datu)? Whose fault are they? It cannot be categorized as ‘natural disaster’, can it?

Abolishment of ISA and Prevention Act was wrong. You have seen the result of its abolishment. Being forced to come out with another act that is said to be harsher, does not help. Your credibility to make decision has already been questioned. You only proved that you are only too eager to impress the enemies. It makes you look weak. Damage done!

No matter what the government said about Lahad Datu, people know that the Oppositions are behind it. No action taken against them is another proof for the rakyat, that something is wrong. Damage is undergoing!

Being too concern about international agency’s ratings and giving it as an excuse on every unpopular moves, strengthen the perception that the government has no other means of generating income except from foreign investments.

What makes it worse is that the foreign investment that you targeted is mainly in development – whereby the investors come and build commercial centers, houses, shops etc. Don’t tell us that suddenly Malaysia don’t have the expertise to build buildings? So, people take this as silly. Damage is done!

You know, getting investment through development projects doesn’t bring much benefit to the people. It only encourages more problems of illegal immigrants and higher unemployment rate for our people. We don’t really bring money in, but instead push the money out. People take this as stupid. Damage done!

And then the minimum wage. You should know that it will only increase the price of everything. It will also lead to problems of immigrants and unemployment for our people. You cannot shift the blame on the businessmen as you, and your economic advisors should have known the after effect if you have done the study first. No matter where you shift the blame, damage is done!

Now, whose ideas are these? ‘The’ DRIVER? Your incapable government officers? Or the consultants?

The people know for a fact that the liberals whom you invited to be around you belong to the world of business - the corporate world. They can never understand the lives of the real people out there. The policies and ideas they proposed usually lack of touch to the ground. That is why you hear screaming every time a new policy or action is announced. Or haven’t you heard? Have they closed your ears too?

You see, whether or not the minimum wage or whatever announcement you made has been implemented, it doesn’t make any difference. Like I put it, damage is done or undergoing. Confidence level can only be raised when you admit that these are your problems and correct them. Still, there is no guarantee to it, but you can at least try.

I am writing this with good intention to see things get better. I believe my life won’t change much whoever is in power but I hate to see Malaysia go down the drain under the hands of the Oppositions.
So, I need to help in whatever I can to see that BN stays in power.

My conclusion would be that you will need to accept the fact that the majority of Malaysians reject liberalism, so please get rid of the liberals around you. The DRIVER has failed, get rid of them too. Get capable officers and get rid of the useless ones. By doing this, I guess you can stop the flip-flopping and start making the right decisions.

If you really need consultants to advice you, get the ex Officers, Ministers and Leaders with proven track record to act as think tanks or advisors. FYI, here, in the real world, when we need an advice we will seek it from our ex-CEOs or GMs with proven record – not the young officers.

I’ll tell you what, in the real world, the young officers of 20s or 30s are only fit for junior Executive jobs no matter if he or she is the world’s best student because without experience, their brilliant brain cannot be that brilliant. They are not wise enough to handle crisis and problems, what more the size of a country.

But most important of all, a leader in the real world, makes decisions and take the blames on every fault made, regardless of whose advice or whose doings.

I just hope you read this my dear leader – with an open heart and open mind. Time is running short for you and for the country. With all due respect and with lots of love, I’m asking you for once, be wise.