by Dato' Sri Ong Tee Keat
on Sun, 2012-01-22 23:27
AS MALAYSIAN Chinese celebrate to welcome their lunar year of the Dragon, their future is at the crossroads of sorts.
For the majority of the ethnic Chinese, they believe the Dragon Year is the best time to have babies.
For some reasons or others, they believe that Dragon babies are superior and that they have a brighter future than others.
A baby boom is expected but the fast growing debts of Malaysia at RM455 billion or up 11.9 per cent last year compared with 2010 must be the biggest worry for all Malaysians this year.
This is compounded by the recently released Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report that Malaysia was identified as the 4th most corrupt nation in the world, losing a total of US$338 billion (RM1.08 trillion) in illicit outflows over the first decade of the century.
The country’s astronomical capital flight activities show how devastating corruption or ill gotten gains can inflict on a nation’s health.
Beyond doubt, politicians who govern this country are to be held responsible for the sad state of our financial standing in terms of international reserves. However, we are equally responsible for misplacing our trust on the wrong leaders in high public offices.
I need not dwell into the details because the mounting expose of financial scandals is public knowledge and testimony to the erosion of integrity and competitiveness of our nation.
Graft is no selective “terminal disease” to a nation or any quarter or political party. It has been a long existing malaise perpetrated by individuals or a group of individuals at certain levels of power or positions of influence.
Similarly, we don’t need leaders who merely excel in finger pointing and point scoring. Indeed, trouble-shooting a nation's problems has never been an easy task. To reform the system sufficiently mired by some deeply entrenched norms is another enormous challenge.
Any notion that mere change of guards is the only way out in resolving the issues at hand is nothing but mere partisan propaganda that is being drummed up prior to the poll.
Mere change of guards without evolutionary changes in the prevailing partisan culture and the minds and psyche of the people at large could hardly bring us to the desired destiny.
In realising healthy bi-partisan / coalition politics aimed at providing meaningful check-and-balance within the political system, we truly need partisans of high integrity and good aptitude from both coalitions be elected to serve the populace.
In view that, the 13th General Election is likely to be called within this Dragon Year. Malaysians, especially the Chinese community, must therefore put more thought into the choice of their leaders to ensure their Dragon babies’ future is secure.
Malaysia needs to be healed – socially, politically and economically - and this can only be carried out by honest and trustworthy individuals or leaders.
Gong Xi Fa Cai to Malaysians, particularly my community, with the hope that we are wiser by another year in making our choices.
ORIGINAL POSTING : OngTeeKeat.net
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