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This morning, I read Bridget Welsh's analysis of the HS by-election HERE where she opined that the Hulu Selangor by-election "is a critical political litmus test for the country's future. It is a national contest, with national stakes." I agree with her! I am happy to see that she shares my opinion that this will be a very tough battle that could go either way. She believes that BN has the advantage because of financial resources which could persuade HS voters. However, I believe HS voters are aware of the situation but each one of us has to make extra effort to campaign. Those of you are can go to KKB, please do so. Going is one thing - talking to the voters is another. At this stage, there is always hope that HS will vote wisely.

In the long article, she gives many reasons as to why the HS by-election is a litmus test including how it can be a referendum on both the PM, the Selangor government, PR, non-Malays, Malays and young people while providing cues on rebuilding the BN and test new blood in MIC.

There are many articles in the MSM that provide reasons for voting BN. To help HS voters see the other side, I am posting the following comment by StraightTalking (with his permission) with the hope that Hulu Selangor will consider as many factors as possible before they cast their vote wisely and vote the best candidate who can best serve them with experience, integrity, principles, commitment and sincerity to make that difference to not only Hulu Selangor but Malaysia as a whole.

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My dear fellow Malaysians,

For 53 years, Malaysia has been governed by BN. Not one day less. Through these 53 years we have seen progress everywhere, villages became towns and towns have become cities. We no longer see bicycles on the road. Instead, we see BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Benz, and Camry etc, etc. Pre-war buildings became skyscrapers. Humble zinc roof houses became modern condominiums, terrace houses, or even bungalows. Retail shops became shopping malls. Mini-markets became hypermarkets. Family-run business became multi-national corporations. Private companies became public listed. Little factories became manufacturing giants. Simple farms became world-class plantations with state-of-the-art technologies and equipments. Roads became super-highways. We have our own airlines. We have monorails. We have LRTs. We even have super-bridges, and satellite TV.

We have come a long way. In every sense of the material world, we have arrived.
But are we happy? Are we proud of our achievements? We should be. But we are not. In fact we’re getting more and more, angry. Why? It’s because we have no unity. Everyday we’re fighting among ourselves as to who has more rights to our past and who has more rights to our future. If we let this fighting to continue, we’ll lose focus on nation building. We will lose focus on global competition. We will lose focus on our economy. We will lose focus on our future and the future of our children. THIS FIGHTING MUST STOP. Our country’s independence was built on the unity of our fellow countrymen – the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians and other minority groups. We must never ever forget that.

We all know the saying – unity is strength. But does BN really believe in it? Are they promoting it? To be fair, at one point, 40 years ago, in order to promote unity, we all decided, in true nationalism spirit, to make way for some of our countrymen who are perceived to be weak, to catch up with the rest, in the hope that we’ll all start as equals – to move forward from the same starting point, if you like.

Alas! 40 years today, that “starting point” is still nowhere in sight. And it looks like it never will be reached. In fact, during this past 40 years, we have seen a directly opposite outcome. Instead of maintaining our world-class standards at our schools and universities, our certificates and degrees are getting to the point where it is no longer accepted by countries that once recognized our qualifications Why? Because we never gave the best students the opportunity to learn and we never gave our students the best lecturers to teach them.

Our business enterprises are no longer as competitive because we never put the best man to manage them. We always say our youth are our future. Do we really mean it? Do we want another generation of unemployable graduates where no one except the government will employ? The fact is our human resources are no longer the best because the best have left our country. Foreign companies no longer rush to our country to invest because of “not business-friendly” conditions. You and I know what these conditions are. While many continue to praise our government, just as many have quietly relocated their business overseas. They have simply lost confidence in the economic future of their own country. We must stop wasting our time and energy fighting for that “starting point” because that “starting point” is NOW.

Just like you, Pakatan is made up of true Malaysians; true nationalists. And we will give you what you all rightfully deserve – THE BEST!! Give us the mandate and we will give you even MORE progress than those I spoke about – we’ll have more skyscrapers, cheaper and more beautiful condominiums, more luxurious cars than you can drive, more beautiful houses, more shopping malls, more hypermarkets, more multi-national corporations, more public listed companies, more foreign direct investments, more world-class plantations and manufacturing giants, more world-class infrastructures.

More importantly, we’ll bring back quality into our education system, we’ll bring back meritocracy. We’ll kick out corruption and cronyism. Malays are not stupid! Look at me - do I look stupid to you?!! Do not be afraid to compete with the rest. Not just the rest of us but the rest of the world!

But most important of all is – we’ll bring back UNITY. We want everyone, the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians, the Ibans, the Dayaks, the Kadazans, etc, etc, to compete as Malaysians, to live as Malaysians, to dream as Malaysians, to work as Malaysians, to love each other as Malaysians, to respect each other as Malaysians. We want our leaders to be proud to shout to the world, “HERE WE COME! WE ARE MALAYSIANS!”

Right now, we’re all standing outside that door – that door to UNITY AND PROGRESS. Now is the time to show the world that the Asian Tiger has awoken! Now is the time to reclaim our rightful place among the league of developed nations.

Join me to bid goodbye to the old and disunited Malaysia!

And join me to welcome the new Malaysian Malaysia!!

Vote Pakatan Rakyat and we will deliver!!!

written by StraightTalking as a comment in response to THIS POST

Dear Hulu Selangor voters, You can make that difference to the litmus test. Vote wisely!

Do leave a comment to share your thoughts/views. Thanks and have a nice day!