http://dapmalaysia.org
|
Abdullah should ensure the end of the traditional 3M abuses in his first general election to demonstrate that he has the political will to usher in a clean, incorruptible, accountable and responsible system of governance Speech - at the Wanita DAP Melaka general elections operations centre by Lim Kit Siang (Malacca, Thursday): The Barisan Nasional is banking on the “feel good” euphoria generated by the first months of office of the new Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his promise of a clean, incorruptible, accountable, efficient and people-oriented government which wants to hear the truth from the people for a landslide electoral victory - and their leaders are so confident of a landslide victory that they are talking about a “zero-opposition” in many states! Abdullah is a good, decent and clean leader, but his first few months in office have shown that unless he is committed to a fundamental overhaul of the system of the governance which had spawned the rampant corruption, cronyism, abuses of power, inefficiencies, injustices and inequalities in the country in the past two decades, not much that could be accomplished in a scenario best described as “One Man versus the System”.
The question Abdullah must answer is whether he has the political will and commitment for a complete overhaul of the system of governance to usher in the multi-faceted changes necessary so that his pledge of a clean, incorruptible, efficient, people-oriented and trustworthy government would not end up as empty promises with corruption becoming more rife and rampant at the end of the day - as happened to the very same promises of a clean, efficient and trustworthy government made by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when he first became Prime Minister in his first general election 22 years ago.
As a first step of Abdullah's seriousness in wanting a fundamental overhaul of the system of governance, DAP calls on Abdullah to ensure the end of the traditional 3M abuses in his first general election - politics of money, media manipulation and abuses of government machinery and resources - to usher in a clean, incorruptible, accountable and responsible system of governance with the first “free, fair and clean” general election in the nation's 46-year history.
If Abdullah does not have the political will to end the traditional 3M abuses in his first general election, and to rise above partisan interests to fully respect the independence, integrity and professionalism of the Election Commission, where can he find the political will for a complete overhaul of the system of governance to fulfill his pledge of a clean, incorruptible, efficient and people-oriented government ready to hear the truth from the people?
* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |