Saturday, March 7, 2009

An Open Latter to Pak Lah - malaysiakini

Dear Pak Lah,

Re : No Najib as PM, please

____________________________________________________________

God’s peace be with you.

You will not remember me.

I moderate a blog called The People’s Parliament.

I am also one of those who gate crashed your Hari Raya bash last year at the PWTC to deliver a ‘Free all ISA detainees’ message to you.

We also spoke briefly at the MCCBCHST annual dinner last year where you promised to get a member of your staff to get in touch with me to see how I might assist you in resolving certain issues of mutual concern. As no-one got in touch with me thereafter, I assumed that you did not need my assistance. Yet, those issues still persist.

And as you might already know, I have, since I first launched my blog in April, 2007, been highly critical of you and your administration of our country and had, in the run-up to the 12th general election, urged readers to work hard to boot you and your coalition partners out of office.

You may therefore find it amusing now to know that, for the moment at least, I would like you to stay on as PM and to not carry through your transition plan that, as envisaged by many, will see Najib become PM in April this year.

I am not alone in hoping that you will stay on as PM and not make way for Najib.

From 28th January, 2009 until 4th February, 2009, I ran a poll in my blog. The question to readers : Should Pak Lah stay on as PM or make way for Najib?

In that short period, the poll elicited a whopping 10,918 responses.

Of those, 10,299 or 94% voted for you to stay on as PM.

You may view the poll results yourself at http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/5986/

Please do not misunderstand this massive support for you to stay on as a sudden surge of confidence in your leadership.

The truth is that many still feel that you were weak and not forceful enough in pushing forth the many reforms you spoke of in your early days.

We do not, however, think that you are evil.

Najib is.

This, you also know.

See how his drive to displace a legitimate state government has left Perak in a state of shambles.

Many fear today that this man has no conscience and will stop at nothing to achieve his insatiable desire for power and wealth.

How, many ask, will this impact on our nation, should this man ascend to the office of PM?

Sir, you have failed us in not putting into place the many reforms you promised us. I say this, not to deride, but to state plainly what you yourself, in your most private moments, I’m sure, must admit to be so.

Yet, the people of this nation will see it as an act of complete redemption of your past failings if you will now rise to the occasion and stand in the way of a monster seizing the governance of our nation.

It is rumoured that you are in fact contemplating moves to block Najib’s ascension to power.

If this is indeed so, know that many good people are with you.

I had, some time back, launched a petition to get people to register their opposition to Najib becoming PM. That petition can be viewed at http://www.petitiononline.com/pmbersih/petition.html

Many have not signed the petition because they fear possible reprisals, given that personal particulars are required to be furnished when one signs.

Who do they fear?

One who is seen by many to have blood on his hands!

Is then such a man to run this country?

Could you make way for such a man and thereafter still take to your prayer mat five times a day with your conscience untroubled?

You have time and again said that you are a PM for all Malaysians.

Now, more than ever before, is the time to show it.

I thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule to read this letter.

I am, as always, anak Bangsa Malaysia,

Haris Ibrahim

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