Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
The usual line used
to silence those who question Anwarās administration is, āWould you
rather the Green Wave?ā With that sort of retort, many of us learn to
keep our mouths shut for fear of being ostracised, or of not being seen
as team players.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
Many
Malaysians are only too aware that the alternative, Perikatan Nasional
(PN), of which PAS is a component coalition member, is too awful to
contemplate.
PN is tainted with a number of its senior politicians facing
multiple corruption charges, such as coalition chairperson Muhyiddin
Yassin and former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan.
DAPās Tony Pua, who mentioned the elephant in the room (corrupt coalition partners), was criticised unfairly for what most Malaysians know, but fear speaking out loud.
Any
Malaysian who dares to criticise the make-up of the coalition
government, with its corrupt members, will face a barrage of insults
from other Malaysians.
āDo you want to be ruled by PAS? Anwar is the voice of moderation. He is the one.ā
āIf you donāt vote Harapan, PN will be in Putrajaya.ā
āDonāt be stupid. Remember the Green Wave.ā
Most
people are subconsciously acknowledging that the most important result
of the state elections is the life-changing outcome of which type of
Islam will govern us.
The Green Wave is used to hijack free speech. We are held to ransom by the Green Wave when meaningful discussion is stifled .
Which Islam is being promoted? Is our only choice between PASā hardline Islam and Anwarās more moderate Madani Islam?
What does the Green Wave have to offer Malays? Are there really fifty shades of green?
Non-Malays
must feel that they hardly have any rights left. How will the Green
Wave contribute to their wellbeing? Or nation-building?
Under
PASā more rigid Islam, how will the non-Malay/Muslims fare? They
already feel alienated in the land of their birth. Will they feel at all
welcome under PN rule?
What about Malaysian women? Or Malay/Muslim women? Do they have a choice? In 2019, Maryam Lee
was accused of trying to persuade other women to remove their tudung
when all she did was to organise a discussion with two other women.
Does
each administration have its own version of Islam? There was Abdullah
Ahmad Badawiās Islam Hadhari (civilisational Islam), which Abdullah
claimed would empower the Malays by raising their competitiveness in a
globalised world, thus making Malaysia a model Muslim nation-state.
Islam Hadhari was short-lived.
Strong government needed
The
nation faces enormous challenges in the years to come. The economic
demands we face are tremendous. Whichever government is in power needs
to stabilise the economy and stimulate growth in the private sector.
It
has to deal with its burgeoning debt, cut subsidies and rein in
borrowings if it does not want to risk bankruptcy. Most importantly, it
must address the cost of living crisis.
Our problems
are not just economic. We are faced with a rising tide of extremism from
Malay groups, porous borders, a rise in Islamic fundamentalism, a rise
in racist incidents, problems in our schools and hospitals, the
destruction of the police and judiciary, babies being abandoned, high
levels of corruption, and a weakening of civic society.
These
problems demand a robust solution and a strong government to tackle
them. The burning question is āwhich party is best suited to lead us out
of this quagmire?ā
Harapan has warned of an economic
crisis due to crony capitalism and corruption; a social crisis due to
narrow racial policies; and a political crisis due to democratic fatigue
arising from BNās past abuses of power.
Corrupt
practices only bring benefits to cronies and hefty losses to the people.
Malaysiaās failure to attract foreign investment shows a desperate need
for change in the management of the countryās economy. Both good
governance and a need to improve its competitive edge are vital.
Any
government would do well not to stifle criticism. Anwar may be going
after politicians who are corrupt but the punishment must be severe to
serve as a deterrent.
In previous administrations, corruption went unchecked and both the judiciary and police were mere stooges of the state.
In
order to make the necessary changes to this country, Anwar and his
administration must have a clear mandate to govern. The best choice for
Malaysia is in your hands. Vote wisely!
