Rudyard Kipling"
“When 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 soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It 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."
COMMENT - How to salvage DAP's political fortunes? By G Vinod
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Malaysiakini : Growing up in a semi-rural area in Kedah, my family always looked to
DAP as the voice of reason during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first prime
ministership.
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and the late Karpal Singh
were the voices of courage who dared to take on Mahathir despite his
autocratic tendencies, making the duo legendary to people like me, who
believed Malaysia has more to offer its people if we could only get rid
of its self-serving politicians and replace them with the right people.
Former MP and DAP leader, the late Karpal Singh
And
that’s why I still believe that many within DAP’s rank-and-file want to
make things right, in line with its founding ideals, but are unable to
do so for the time being.
So, here are my suggestions, as follows:
Slash the number of candidates
What I mean is simply this: field a bare minimum number of candidates in GE16, be it for the Dewan Rakyat or state assemblies.
For
example, if you can only identify 10 safe parliamentary seats
(hopefully, there are still some left), then nominate candidates for
those seats and pray to providence that you can win at least half of
them.
Why this suggestion? Very simple. To minimise the party’s embarrassment when voters punish them at the ballot box.
Initially,
I wanted to suggest that DAP sit out GE16 altogether, but after further
thought, a minimum level of representation is needed to ensure the
party is kept abreast of happenings in the august house.
And we
also need some opposition members (yes, I am expecting DAP to head this
way) to sit in the parliamentary special select committees to scrutinise
bills.
The same goes for state assemblies. Just nominate candidates for safe seats and pray for the best.
Being
in the opposition would allow DAP time to do some soul-searching and
reconnect with its grassroots, which it had long abandoned after tasting
federal power.
It will also help the party reassess ties with its allies, which brings me to my next point.
Leave Harapan, or ditch PKR
PKR is now a liability for the entire Harapan coalition, and we can thank the PKR president for this.
DAP
leaders have stood by Anwar since 1998, rain or shine, only to get a
raw deal despite having the power to make or break the coalition
government.
DAP leaders with Prime Minister and PKR president Anwar Ibrahim (second from left)
While
DAP did its best to keep the coalition government intact, to the extent
of not only embarrassing itself but also alienating its voter base,
Anwar took the party’s sacrifice for granted and did his best to
squander it.
Plus, ditching PKR would also help DAP find new
allies that are more in tune with its progressive principles and perhaps
be part of a new coalition that is truly committed to taking Malaysia
forward.
And we desperately need such leadership and new ideas as
the geopolitical scenario has changed dramatically, and we need leaders
who can prepare the country for present and future challenges.
Loke must go
Removing Anthony Loke from the secretary-general post is a no-brainer, and there is little need for further elaboration.
But in addition to Loke, all DAP leaders holding cabinet portfolios and state exco posts should also be removed.
DAP secretary-general the loser Anthony Loke
Let’s
be blunt here. While Loke should take responsibility for DAP’s current
predicament, the party’s ministers and excos are equally guilty of
throwing mud at the progressive forces that elevated them to power.
Following their departure, reorganise the party from top to bottom, go back to its founding roots, and move forward.
Now, I have given some ideas on how DAP could not only salvage itself but also become stronger for the 17th general election.
The question is, would the party listen? I doubt it.
