Warkah to the people of Kuala Terengganu(1)

The enfant terrible of Blogsphere, RPK has written an open letter to the people of Terengganu. His exhortations are based on the following reasons:-

1. The people of KT need to send a message to the BN government because they are not happy.

2. He insists that the BN government, in particular UMNO have not heeded the people’s message.

3. 51 years is enough.

4. The permatang pauh was proof that UMNO remained belligerent.

5. BN gives out money which are the people’s anyway.

6. BN will spend at least 250m and yet gave out only 80m this January. BN siphoned 20b in oil royalty.

7. He suggests that the BN will use phantom voters to win. Suggest usage of IDs to vote on behalf of the 25,000 who he believes, will not come out to vote.

8. UMNO and Islam.

9. UMNO and other religious faiths.

10. Vote for pas because it cannot establish an Islamic state anyway.

What message? Are the KT people, RPK’s errand boy?

This 17 January 2009, the voters in KT will come out to exercise their democratic choice. I am urging the people of KT to vote as they did when they voted the late Razali. You will find the same reasons why you will want to vote for the BN candidate. The main reason being, the people of KT are pragmatic enough to hedge their bets. They already have the services of the 3 PAS ADUNS in the state. They want to have access to the federal government through a BN representative. This is a wise decision and let us keep it this way.

It’s all business . It was a decision based on pragmatism and common sense. Why do you want to gamble it all by insisting that you need another PAS wakil rakyat for parliamentary seat? The rational voter will want to have a balance. Yes, you are going to elect a BN candidate for the simple reason you want balance.

Of course this election is like what RPK said. ..it is a proxy war between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. But it is more that what RPK wants us to believe. This election is an exercise in sensibility and pragmatism. Yours and no one can take that away. You must not allow it. Definitely not because the postmaster RPK wants you to send a message to the BN government.

It will also be a celebration of our own independence.

What independence? What did the verdict of the recent General Elections represent? When the KT people voted 3 PAS ADUNS, one MCA ADUN and one UMNO parliamentarian? It can only be a manifestation of the independent mindedness of the KT people. It can only mean, that KT people do make rational decisions, weighing the costs and benefits of making a pragmatic decision. They were willing to allow 3 PAS ADUNS and allow one MCA to take care of the Bandar area. But they also knew of the benefits of voting into office, a BN parliamentarian to network with the federal government. Indeed their pragmatism was rewarded by having the late Razali appointed as a deputy minister. Now, RPK wants to destroy your independent mindedness. Do not let him do this. He wants to make fools out of the KT people. After the elections, he will go back to KL to enjoy his time.

Barisan Nasional stands for a democratic and sensible government. It would be a stupid thing to do if your decision is grounded on a desire to just send a message to the Barisan Nasional. The people of Terengganu are not RPK’s errand boy. You are not cheapskate postmen used to bring messages on behalf of RPK and his gang of morbid anti BN motley crew.

You have already sent your message!

In the 2008 general elections, you have already sent a message which was loud and clear. Among the most prized outcome is, you have forced Abdullah Badawi to make way for Dato Seri Najib. That is sufficient proof of a genuine desire for UMNO and BN to listen to what the voters say. Abdullah Badawi owned up to the people. The person who has not owned up is the PKR chief, Anwar Ibrahim. He has craftily excused himself from owning up. The people who have not owned up are the PAS people for not admitting that it is impossible to establish an Islamic state.

It is travesty of reason to imply that UMNO has not learnt its lessons. Having heard the messages, where does it say, that UMNO’s admission must be validated by RPK? We don’t owe anything to RPK. We can’t be running around proving our transparency and truthfulness being validated by RPK in order to make ourselves believable. Because deep in your hearts you know UMNO as a whole is a decent party.

Which makes Wan Farid being the BN candidate a non issue really. He is here as an instrument for the BN government. He will also appreciate the responsibility being entrusted to him. One, to continue serving the KT people as BN rep. Two, to provide comparison in the study of effectiveness as representatives for the rakyat. He will also be aware that his actions will be subjected to watchful supervision of national leaders. It is most decent then for KT people to give Wan Farid a fair hearing.

Our decision on who to vote must be based on a wider perspective. UMNO has ruled the country since 1955. That’s 53 years. The people of Terengganu must question whether UMNO has squandered all the mandate it received such that, there are no redeeming features at all with UMNO’s rule. That is simply not true. UMNO has given democracy and development to the country. One cannot dismiss the whole on account of clogged monsoon drains and on account of different houses the leaders chose to live in. living in folksy houses can be signs of pompous piety as do living in mansion like homes be signals of ostentatious gloating. That is not for RPK and his cohort to judge, is it?