Dear Voter,
I trust this letter finds you in good health. You probably already know why I am writing to you. So please allow me to dispense with all the bullshit and cut to the chase, as much as this may appear extremely abrupt and not within Malay culture. I feel I should not labour too much on Malay, Chinese or Indian culture when our mission is to see the emergence of a new culture, a Malaysian culture, a melting pot of cultures if you like.
I am not a politician. I am not a political party member. Neither am I holding any position in any political party, association, movement, or whatever. I am just, what the government calls me, a Blogger. Why they call me a Blogger I do not really know. But I suppose it is because they view me as being behind Malaysia Today and they consider Malaysia Today a Blog.
Anyway, what the government chooses to label me as is not important because what I am going to say to you is not about me but about the future of this country. So, maybe what I would like to be called is a Malaysian. That’s right. I am a Malaysian, just like you, and I am addressing you as one Malaysian to another.
On January 17, 2009, you will be coming out to vote in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. Nevertheless, while you may view this as merely a by-election, it is not really a by-election as much as it is a proxy war between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. Yes, it is an election to decide whether you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, are happy with the federal government or whether you would like to send a message to Barisan Nasional that you are not happy with the way Malaysians are being treated.
On March 8, 2008, half the Malaysian voters voted for Pakatan Rakyat. Granted, it was not a vote in support of Pakatan Rakyat as much as it was a vote against Barisan Nasional — a protest vote, as some would call it. But whether it was a vote in support of Pakatan Rakyat or a vote in protest of Barisan Nasional is not really the issue. The objective was to send a message to Barisan Nasional that the people are not happy. And the people demonstrated this by not voting for Barisan Nasional.
But did Barisan Nasional get the message? Did they take pains to change? No! What happened instead was that Barisan Nasional became even more arrogant. They did not understand that Malaysians have had enough of the arrogance of power and the result of the 8 March 2008 general election was meant as a medium to send a message to Barisan Nasional that 51 years was enough. No more arrogance! But the arrogance continued. Barisan Nasional did not repent. Instead, they demonstrated even more arrogance.
The Permatang Pauh by-election, again, proved that Barisan Nasional had not repented. The dirty tricks they pulled off managed to reduce Anwar Ibrahim’s majority from almost 20,000 to just 15,000. Okay, Anwar Ibrahim still performed better than Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the general election just five months before that. He still got two out of three votes or 66% of the votes. But what would have happened if the vote-majority had been razor-thin like what happened in Kuala Terengganu on March 8, 2008 where the UMNO candidate won by a mere 600 votes? The almost 5,000 votes that they robbed Anwar Ibrahim off would have turned victory into defeat.
I am aware that many of you have received RM300 over the last few days. Some have received RM500 and others as much as RM1,000. This money is aimed at buying your votes. They hope that once you take this money you will feel obligated to vote for Barisan Nasional and that you will feel guilty if, after taking the money, you vote for Pakatan Rakyat.
Well, don’t feel guilty. Take the money by all means. But you need not vote for Barisan Naisonal even if you do take the money. The money does not belong to Barisan Nasional. It belongs to the people. It is your money. So you are just taking back the money that was originally yours in the first place.
Do you really think Barisan Nasional would hand out money that belongs to them? No way! They took this money from you. Over 25 years, from 1974 to 1999, they siphoned out an estimated RM12 billion in Oil Royalty due to Terengganu. Then, from 2000 until 2008, they siphoned out another RM8 billion in the guise of Wang Ehsan. That comes to a total of RM20 billion. And how much are they throwing back at you in this January 17, 2009 by-election? Yes, that’s right, only RM80 million.
Okay, RM80 million sounds like a lot of money. It certainly is when you consider that the law says you must not spend more than RM200,000 in the election. So RM80 million is way above the allowed RM200,000. And that is just the Ang Pows they are going around town to hand out to the voters. What about the posters, flags, banners, balloons, T-shirts, caps, food and drinks, vehicles, helicopters, police outriders, salaries, etc., which you, the rakyat, are ultimately paying for? Don’t be surprised if I tell you that the total amount spent is going to touch at least RM250 million and that this is probably the most expensive by-election ever. And we are yet to calculate how much it costs to station 6,000 police personnel in Kuala Terengganu over the two-week period.
But whose money is all this? Why, yours of course. They are spending your money, or should I say, wasting your money, just to retain the Kuala Terengganu parliament seat. And why the need to spend what may come to RM500 million in the end– if we take into consideration the total mobilisation cost — just to win a by-election? Well, as I said earlier, it is because the Kuala Terengganu by-election is not just a by-election but a proxy war between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.
Malaysians from all over the country are hoping that you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, will do the right thing. And the ‘right thing’ here is to send a message to Barisan Nasional that you can’t be bought, especially with your own money — which they robbed from you in the first place. Also, send a message to Barisan Nasional that you have had enough of the arrogance, the threats, the rampant corruption and wastage of the rakyat’s money, the abuse of power, and whatnot. Tell Barisan Nasional on January 17, 2009 that 52 years is enough. After 52 years it is time for change.
With regards to the 6,000 police personnel based in Kuala Terengganu over these two weeks, don’t be too alarmed. Sure, it is partly meant to intimidate you and to give an impression that trouble may be brewing over the horizon, especially if Barisan Nasional does not win the by-election. But this is not the real reason. Remember, when they handed you the RM300, RM500 or RM1,000, they asked you for copies of your identity cards on the excuse they need this ‘for the record’? Well, it is not really ‘for the record’. They want to use these copies of your identity cards to create ‘phantom voters’. And don’t be surprised if on Polling Day many of the 6,000 police personnel turn up in ‘plain clothes’ to vote in your place.
They are hoping that at least 20,000 to 25,000 of you will not come out to vote. This is quite normal because in any election the best we can expect is a 70% or so voter turnout. 30% of 80,000, therefore, comes to roughly 20,000 to 25,000 ‘no show’ voters. They can then always ‘safely’ increase the voter turnout to 75% and no one will be the wiser. This means they can pad the ballot boxes with about 4,000 to 5,000 ‘additional’ votes with no problems whatsoever. Now can you see why they need 6,000 police personnel in Kuala Terengganu? Take a wild guess and no prize for the right guess.
I urge you, therefore, to come out and vote so that you can deny them the opportunity to vote in your place. And come out early. Come out as soon as the polling stations open. If you go and vote after lunch you might find you are not able to vote because you ‘already voted’ — as many found out in the Permatang Pauh by-election on 26 August 2008.
In the Permatang Pauh by-election, at least 600 voters could not vote because someone else had already voted in their place. And that is only what was reported. Many just silently went home without complaining that someone had voted in their place. We expect the incidences of ‘sudah undi’ to be very high on 17 January 2009. And if that happens lodge a protest. And make a police report as well. In Permatang Pauh, about 50 police reports were made — and of course no action was taken.
One issue they are playing up to the hilt is the issue of the Islamic State and Hudud laws. This is aimed at frightening the Chinese voters. Why don’t you turn the tables on them and, for once, place Barisan Nasional on the defensive. Ask UMNO what their stand on the Islamic State is. Instead of allowing them to demonise PAS, ask UMNO to declare that they are opposed to the Islamic State and will never agree to Islamic laws. Make this a condition before you decide whether you will vote for the Barisan Nasional candidate. If Umno refuses to do this then why are they demonising PAS? Will UMNO, therefore, not also be considered in support of the Islamic State and Islamic laws?
Then ask UMNO why they are giving so much problems to the Christians. The Christians are very unhappy with the UMNO-led government’s policy on churches and the Bible. But all this is happening at federal level and only in the UMNO-run states. The Christians face no problems in Pakatan Rakyat-run states, not even in Kelantan. Is it not Umno, rather than PAS, that is intolerant of the non-Muslims? This is the reality. And almost 20 years of PAS rule in Kelantan lies testimony to this.
So why are they demonising PAS when it is UMNO that causes so much problems for the non-Muslims? Many reject PAS because they fear Islam. But PAS has been very tolerant and helpful to the non-Muslims. Kelantan offers the non-Muslims permission to build places of worship even when they did not approach the state government for permission. UMNO repeatedly denies non-Muslims permission to set up places of worship.
Yes, it is time that UMNO be asked to state very clearly its stand on the Islamic State and Islamic laws. PAS is not in power. PAS can never be in power. PAS has only 23 seats in Parliament. Even if it wins the Kuala Terengganu by-election it will still only be 24 seats. PAS can never win more than 30 seats in Parliament. Even in the best of times, like in 1999, it won only 27 Parliament seats. PAS can never go beyond 30 seats. Anyway, every general election, PAS contests only 60 seats. So how can it win more than that?
It is UMNO that leads the federal government. And it is Umno that decides the policies and makes the rules. And it is UMNO that is giving the non-Muslims all these problems. So why is PAS being demonised? Why do the non-Muslims fear PAS? This, I can’t seem to understand. You fear PAS because of what it MAY do if it comes to power — even though it can never come to power, not without DAP and PKR. But you do not fear UMNO when it is already in power and is the one giving the non-Muslims all these problems. Is this logical?
It would be very nice if the Kuala Terengganu voters, once and for all, force UMNO to state its stand on Islam. Let UMNO declare its stand openly and before 17 January 2009, if they dare. I dare bet that they won’t. That is because, while they are demonising PAS on its Islamic State stand, Umno itself does not dare state its stand. At least PAS is honest about the matter. Can we say the same for UMNO? UMNO whacks PAS but it is not PAS that is the problem to the non-Muslims. It is UMNO.
I would like to end by saying I hope you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, will not let Malaysia down. We are depending on you to teach Barisan Nasional a lesson on January 17, 2009. A message needs to be sent to Barisan Nasional. And you have the opportunity to do this in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. Do this for Malaysia. And, more importantly, do it for the future generation, your children and grandchildren. You owe them this much.
Yours truly,
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Syabas dan tahniah Raja Petra. Surat anda kepada Penduduk Kuala Terengganu amat berkesan sekali. Rakyat Terengganu amat bersimpati kepada anda yang pernah ditahan bawah ISA tanpa sebab yang munasabah. Mujurlah ada hakim yang jujur dan ikhlas dalam penghakimannya dan membebaskan anda. Teruskan perjuangan anda membongkar apa jua salahlaku pemimpin pemimpin Umno/BN dan kroni kroninya. Dalam RPK Kuala Terengganu saudara juga turut berkempen untuk memenangkan calon PR Mohd Abdul Wahid. Moga moga dengan izin Allah swt calon PR Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut akan memenangi PRK Kuala Terengganu dengan jayanya.
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Totally agree with Raja Petra Kamarudin, makes sense, rational & analytical, in reality, and hope & pray that Harapan Baru Untuk Malaysia will come true. Amin
The vision envisaged, is deeply felt by most humane sensitive minded voting & non-voting citizens in Malaysia in general, and to the Kuala Terengganu P36 eligible voters in particular, which can be translated into the voting box in this by-election on 17th January, 2009, InsyaAllah.
Every registered Islamic voter there, about 88% approximately, would be able to answer their own conscience, and deliver the winning votes to the PAS candidate in particular, and to Pakatan Rakyat i.e. PAS, PKR & DAP in general. Amin
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And to the Chinese, don’t vote for those who call you “pendatangs”. PKR/PAS accepts that you are all Malaysians. So you know who to ote.
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Benar sungguh kata bicara Yang Arif RPK . semoga mereka dicelikkan dari mimpi ngeri 51 tahun.
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untok saudara mara ditrengganu,merdeka bukan pada tarikh kemerdekaan,tapi pada minda,fikiran dan hati yang bebas dari ketakutan dan ditakutkan oleh pihak yang menindas kebebasan itu sendiri.Bangun tanpa ragu sangsi dan tidak takut untok menukar corak pemerintah.
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Nicely said dear sir.
All the best for the rakyat. May god be with us.
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DS,
Saya amat berharap sgt selepas PRK KT nati, segala isu atau dasar yg sering dipertikaikan terutama sekali isu berkaitan hudud dapat diselesaikan secara bersma diantara parti2 kompenan. Kebebasan bersuaran adlah satu halo..tetapi kekerapan sangat dan ulang kali diperkatakan oleh Karpal Singh yg menentang sepenuh hati hal2 yg bersangkut paut degan agama Islam kadang2 membuat saya merasa meluat dan menyampah dengan Karpal Singh!!!Harap pimpinan PR ambik serius hal ini..kerana saya yakin kalau isu ini tidak diselesaikan dan tidak ada kesepakatan mengenai dasar utama di dalam PR..yg untungnya BN!!
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layman Reply:
January 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Salam.
Zik, Karpal Singh tu non-muslim, kalau dia menentang hukum Hudud tak perlu anda bimbang. PAS dan DSAI kena kerja lebih beri penerangan kepada Karpal dan mana-mana non-muslim di dalam PR.
Kita patut meluat dan menyampah kepada orang yang mengaku Islam tetapi Menolak hukum Hudud. Betul kata RPK, UMNO mestilah memberi pendirian mereka tentang Hukum Hudud kepada pengundi-pengundi di KT, terutama sekali yang beragama Islam.
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Noh Reply:
January 13th, 2009 at 1:36 am
Karpal Singh pakar dalam undang2 sivil saja, tak faham dan tidak mendalami undang2 dan peraturan2 Islam. Tak kenal mana dia nak cinta. Itu sebab Umno manupulasi apabila ada kenyataan hudud yang ditimbulkan oleh ahli politik yang tak tahu dan tak mendalami apa itu hudud
sebenarnya. Umno sebenarnya menghina Islam kerana demi survaible politiknya sanggup menyongsangkan hukum hudud. Hudud ini bukan Pas atau PR punya, ia Allah punya. Kalau Umno tak faham atau buat2 tak faham hukum hudud eloklah diam, jangan cuba nak memperolokannya. Dari sirah Islam banyak musibah telah berlaku akibat memperolok-olokan hukum Allah. Saya berani mengatakan bahawa Umno tidak memperjuang dan membela Islam malah memperolok-olokan Islam.
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hidup rpk
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Way to go, Pete!! That’s the spunk and spirit every fair-minded Malaysian should display when their freedom and rights are brutally violated. Let us hope that the people will heed your call to gather under the PR banner as this will send a strong message to Putrajaya that their bullyings days are over. No longer can they sit on their fat asses and dictate terms and conditions to the people at their whims and fancies. No longer can they make all sorts of threats without repercussions from the people. THIS IS THE NEW MALAYSIA!!
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Salam Dato Seri/RPK
saya rasa surat sdr perlu juga dibuat dlm bahasa malaysia supaya pengundi2 di Kuala Terengganu lebih faham dan jelas terhadap tanggungjawab mereka semasa mengundi.
durham, UK
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Noh Reply:
January 13th, 2009 at 1:39 am
S E T U J U…
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RPK, for clarity of thought and lucidity of expression you must be added to the roster of literary paragons.
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Assalamualaikum
Dear RPK, you have a sharp mind. Your views are objective. You should be in politics, make a change. By asking others from outside the ring would not do much. You should stand for election or at least be “somebody” in the political arena.
Right know your just like, Chebby Singh commenting about the National Team,but would not dare to be the national couch.
You too need to prove your worthy of living. As you said to the Kuala Terengganu voters,I hope you would not let Malaysian down.We are depending on you to teach Barisan National a lesson. And, more importantly, do it for the future generation, your children and grandchildren. You owe them this much.
Ayuh bersilat digelanggang!!!
Yours trully
A Malaysian.
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Greetings Datuk Anwar & RPK..!
RPK you MUST be in politics…! You alone will make a big impact on all of us. You have a very BIG following. The General Elections will come again. So if you start now then PKR will be our next goverment!
I, out of 26 million Malaysians, want change…! We all know what BN & UMNO & goons have been doing all these 52 years under their rule. We, the rakyat are powerless to do anything.
Right…..??
So please take us out of our misery & led us to better governance..!
Lets hope that most of the KT people have computer so that they can see what you wrote.
Better ceramah them in person…!
Make sure all polling stations have PKR & Independant observers…!
Good luck!
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RPK. You have written a fine piece of article to convincingly expose the abuse of money politics and phantom votes committed by the BN machinery. All along they did it but we don’t know how serious and to what extent these abuses are. Now we know thank to your writing. The public are really sick of the toll highways that the BN govenment signed with the concessionaires. Again we in the past could only lament in not knowing how bad these abuses were because of the OSA the BN government slapped on us. OSA is just as bad as ISA that the incumbent invoked on some innocents and you personally experienced it. Had it not for your diligence into the accounting of the oil royalty for the State of Terengganu we took it the money were that of BN (Umno). Now we know these are our money and that of folks of Terengganu in case of the KT by-election. I thoroughly enjoy your expert write up on the issue of Islamic State and what the stand of Umno actually is, rather than pointing the fingers all the way at PAS. I pray the voters of Terengganu both Muslim and non Muslim, will vote for the PAS candidate, and send the message to BN not to twist the issue of Islamic State.
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To help PKR to gain some extra votes,probably an exposure of the Govt.hyprocratic policies in giving flexibilities to Israelis’ companies to operate in Malaysia but trying to tell the public they are doing something for the Palestinians are just too disgusting.
Please check out this weblink: http://www.zim.com and their local office is New Star Agencies,Tel 03-3361 5888
Regards,
T.Nathan
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MAJORITY RAKYAT SEMUA KAUM INGIN SUBJEK SAINS & MATHS
DIAJAR DLM BAHASA INGGERIS!
YG ANTI BAHASA INGGERIS INI TERDIRI DRP 2 PUAK:
1.KAUM MELAYU YG ADA PERASAAN “INFERIOR”,TIDAK ADA KEYAKINAN DIRI!
SETAKAT KONFERENSI CARA JAGOH KAMPONG..MEREKA INI BOLEH!
2.KAUM CINA YG MAHU SAINS & MATH DIAJAR DALAM BAHASA CINA
IAITU PERSATUAN DONG…….MEREKA INI AMAT ANTI BAHASA ENGLISH!
OLEH ITU KAMI MAJORITY RAKYAT SEMUA KAUM MENCADANGKAN MATHS &
SAINS DIAJAR DLM 2 BAHASA SAHAJA…i.e.BAH.MELAYU & ENGLISH!
MURID2 MUDA HARUS DIBERI PILIHAN…ENGLISH OR MALAY AS MEDIUM INSTRUCTION!
UNTUK MEREKA YG SETAKAT MAU JADI JAGOH KAMPONG…SURUH ANAK2 BELAJAR
SAINS & MATH DLM BAH.MELAYU!
BAGI IBU BAPA ESP.KAUM MELAYU YG MAU ANAK2 MEREKA MAJU KE HADAPAN,
TOLONG HANTAR ANAK2 TUAN/PUAN BELAJAR SAINS DLM BAHASA ENGLISH
DI SEKOLAH KAWASAN ANDA!
APABILA MEREKA SUDAH MASUK UNIVERSITY & MENJADI GRADUAN UNI.,MEREKA
TIDAK AKAN MALU BERDEPAN DGN RAKYAT NEGARA LUAR EG MIDDLE EAST,
CHINA, JEPUN, KOREA,AFRICA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, USA!
MEREKA BOLEH BINCANG PERKARA SAINS & MATH DLM BAHASA INGGERIS DGN
RAKYAT ASING!
SENARIO BEGINI MUNGKIN BERLAKU:
SAINTIS JEPUN TAU HANYA BAH JEPUN & SAINTIS MALAYSIA HANYA TAU
CAKAP MELAYU SAJA!SO HOW TO DISCUSS…
KALAU SAINTIS MSIA TAU BERCAKAP ENGLISH, AT LEAST DIA BOLEH SPEAKING
DGN SAINTIS DARI JEPUN ITU..SEKURANG2NYA SAINTIS JEPON TU PAHAM
ENGLISH TAPI TAK TAU BALAS CAKAP DGN BAH ENGLISH!
BAYANGKAN SAINTIS MSIA TAK TAU CKP ENGLISH…KAMU NAK GUNA
BAHASA APA NAK CAKAP DGN SAINTIS DR JEPUN ITU???
SO PIKIR2LAH SIKIT…JANGAN IKUT “EGO” SAHAJA!
MEGAT & RAKAN2
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mrkolumpo Reply:
January 17th, 2009 at 5:01 am
SETUJU DGN PENDAPAT AWAK…
CUMA BENDE NI MUSTAHIL BERLAKU..
TAKKAN ESOK NANTI UPSR,PMR,SPM ADA DUA VERSI???
CUMA NAK TANYA LA…
DULU AWAK SEKOLAH DULU BELAJAR MATHS N SCIENCE GUNA BAHASA APA????
JGN CKP ORG YG CINTAKAN BAHASA IBUNDA MCM ORG TAKDAK MARUAH
MCM ORG TAK NAK KEMAJUAN…MCM ORG BODOH
YG KO TU PANDAI TAK CKP OMPUTEH???
KALAU PANDAI..NAK TANYA DULU BELAJAR PAKAI BAHASA OMPUTEH KA PAKAI BAHASA MELAYU???
CKP TU PANDANG DULU KIRI KANAN…
AKU DULU SKOLAH KAMPUNG JERRR
BELAJAR MATH N SCIENCE PAKAI BAHASA MELAYU JER
BOLEH JE KEJE NGAN MULTINATIONAL COMPANY
KIRI KANAN PRG GERMAN,US,FINLAND,ENGLAND…
TAKDE HAL PUNNN????
ORG DAH BERBUIH CKP…KAMI TAK KATA BI TU TAK PENTING
KAMI TAK KATA PUN SUH PULAU BAHASA OMPUTEH
YG KAMI NAK PERINGKAT ASAS DAN PERTENGAHAN ANAK2 UTK MENGENAL HURUF, ANGKA, PRINSIP2 DAN TEORI SAINS…KENE LAH PAKAI BAHASA IBUNDA..KAN SENANG NAK PAHAM..JADI APA MASALAHNYA???
KALAU BETUL NAK PERKASAKAN PENGUASAAN BI PADA ANAK2 MALAYSIA, KENAPA TAK PANJANG KAN WAKTU BELAJAR BI????KALAU SELAMA NI SEHARI BELAJAR 2 JAM HAAA TAMBAH LA 3 JAM..SEKURANG2 NYA TAMBAHAN 1 JAM TU DARAB DGN 5 HARI DAH JADI 5 JAM…APA SUSAH SGT KE NAK PIKIR???
SATU AKU PESAN : SEBELUM NAK TEGUR EGO ORG…TEGUR EGO AWAK DULU
ASSALAMUALAIKUM
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ALHAMDULILLAH, ANDA SEORANG YANG JUJUR DAN IKHLAS. ALLAH BERSAMA-SAMA MU…..AMIN.
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RPK, you’re the REAL Malaysian Idol.
all my family will pray for your safety and good health.
Hidup RPK. Hidup DSAI. Hidup Bangsa Malaysia.
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Salam…
Buatkan surat ini dalam bahasa melayu dan edarkan sebelum hari mengundi….
Bukan semua pengundi KT ada komputer
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