AUG 30 — It appears as if our government is terrified of yellow and the “B” word.

The current leadership has made numerous childish attempts to stop the common person from expressing their dissatisfaction with it. From threatening university students & civil servants, blocking roads/highways, blocking internet sites, declaring our right to march peacefully illegal, and trying to scuttle the event by a 11th hour t-shirt ban.

The response of the Home Minister to ban the yellow B-t-shirt is embarrassing. We expect our minsters to act with decorum and dignity, not make a fool of themselves. This action speaks of cowardice and fear which is sad. We want the peaceful removal of corrupt persons in government so that our nation can move forwards. Loving our nation does not necessarily mean loving our government.

Equally depressing is the behaviour of the rest of our leaders; the silent ones. Are they also terrified by yellow? When the people who claim to be our government suppress the basic rights of the average person, any leader who remains silent become complicit in this action/behaviour.

We are merely asking for what any good government should itself demand, espouse and champion - free and fair elections, a transparent government, the right to peacefully demonstrate, strengthening the parliamentary democracy system, and saving the national economy.

Instead of remaining silent, if our elected leaders had stood together with us in the streets to call for these fundamental freedoms and noble aspirations, they would have gained the respect and love of the rakyat. They would have stood up for our beloved nation.

Having spoken to thousands of average Malaysians, over many months, about our future and the fate of our country, none — not a single one — have praised or spoken well of the current government. Corruption is the front face of the current leadership and none have faith in it any longer. That many did not come to the public displays of support this weekend is not due to any allegiance to the government of the day, but a testament to the culture of fear that has been cultivated by our leaders. Instead of keeping Malaysians safe, our authorities abuse this power to harass people who speak up.

Our beloved nation is dying under the weight of corruption and the propagation of racial hatred.

The common man is suffering and worried about their ability to meet the basic needs of their family.

Our leaders now lead political parties, not a nation (even then part of party, rather than the whole).

Greed and suppression appears to be the ruling party’s modus operandi.

While our nation rapidly slides into decline our leaders are more concerned with themselves.

We are not fooled by fancy rhetoric or media spin.

Our leaders accuse us of tarnishing the image of our country when it is their very behaviour that brings us to moral and economic ruin.

Asking for our nation to have meaningful leaders is not seditious, it is a request after God’s own heart.

As we celebrate another merdeka day, let us remember the words of one of our true leaders, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj:

“We are all Malaysians. This is the bond that unites us. Let us always remember that unity is our fundamental strength as a people and as a nation.”

“Anybody who has any love for this country and wishes to make it his home must give his complete and absolute loyalty.” The loyalty he speaks of is a loyalty to the nation and the people not the leaders.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.