March 16th is a defining moment for the DAP

By Kalimullah Hassan

IN the past, even party members were not excited about their own polls. As long as Lim Kit Siang was there, they thought, someone would swing the cudgel.

But things have changed. They are in power now. Power makes you heady.

I am not a DAP man. I have always been an Umno supporter. Not in the last 15 years though, disgusted by Umno’s total decay. Umno has never been perfect, even when the great Tunku Abdul Rahman was president and Prime Minister. But Umno helped build a nation.

My chat groups chatter negatively about LGE.

He promoted his sister, he attacked his successor Chow, he’s cocky, abrasive and offensive. He’s been there too long. (He is 65, not 99).

In fairness, LGE and LKS have done a lot for Malaysia and for DAP. They made mistakes but the intention was always pro-Malaysia.

Who’s perfect? Who amongst us does not try to help our friends or family if we can? Look at ALL politicians and businessmen in this country – they all try to create a dynasty and most fail.

Being cocky and abrasive is a weakness for a politician but if you are sycophantic, you get pushed and shuffled around. Not many Hassan Karim’s and LGEs in Malaysia.

I suppose there’s a time in history you need an LKS and a LGE. Perhaps LGE’s time was over and he didn’t know how to let go.

That doesn’t make him bad. It just makes him human.

I sound like a broken record – but imperfect as he was, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was a good, decent prime minister.

He was the best choice after 22 years of an abrasive, tumultuous, battle riven, though economically successful, reign of Tun Mahathir.

Yet, they drove Pak Lah out of office and what did we get – every prime minister since is being investigated, one already jailed, for massive corruption, nepotism and abuse of power.

So, I don’t say this because Guan Eng or “Tokong” is my friend for more than 40 years. I still am not a DAP adherent.

I say it because, as I remind my friends who fought for the ouster of Pak Lah, Khairy Jamaluddin and Tengku Zafrul AZIZ and their likes, “be careful what you wish for.”