Turning Point

• 1 April 2016
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Just as the regime in Kuala Lumpur teeters on the edge of total melt down an election has had to be called in the East Malaysian State of Sarawak. In any normal democracy the 1MDB scandals and related vast scale thefts of public money by its criminal Prime Minister would ensure an electoral wipe out for current governing BN.

But in Sarawak? It is clear from the last State election and what has happened since that the Chinese community ought to give massive support to the DAP. But that, while it provides a substantial minority in the State Assembly, cannot oust BN from power.

Ever since independence in 1963 Sarawak state politics have been governed by a culture of corruption. To its everlasting shame Britain junked its Borneo colonies years before they were ready to manage their own affairs and a developing process of democratic education gave way to a wave of corruption fuelled by a criminal massive de-forestation.

Sarawak politicians have colluded with the criminal BN regime, headed by arch criminal Taib Mahmud, to steal the proceeds from a virtual total deforestation of the State, while at the same time buying the compliance of BN in Kuala Lumpur by giving away, for almost nothing, Sarawak’s massive oil resources.

This wave of corruption has been extended throughout the State by trading on the ignorance of many of its native inhabitants (dependant on a “slash and burn” agriculture unchanged for centuries), by buying those few native politicians educated enough to see what was going on.  And by play-acting the role of the former colonial administration. “Residents” and “District Officers” abound and their diktats are still accepted, as though Rajah Brooke was still living in the Kuching Astana instead of international criminal Taib Mahmud.

The question must be will the same scenario play out once more in this election? The probable answer is Yes. Unless PKR finally wake up to the fact.  BN in all its manifestations is no longer acceptable to Sarawakians. They should refuse the paltry bribes they will be offered for their votes, kick out the corrupt BN administration and take the management of their own affairs into their own hands.

None of that will happen spontaneously. PKR/DAP can win this election. All the facts are on their side, But do they have the organisation and the guts? Time will tell.