Change gomen first. Then we, the rakyat, reform our country

In May, 2013, I invested RM5,000.00

In April, 2016, I added another RM5,000.00 to that earlier investment.

RM5k invested for 3 years and then RM10k for another 2 years.

On Monday, 9th April, I cashed in on my investment.

I got my RM10k back.

The return on my investment?

 The return on my investment : 123.60!!!

What did I invest in?

My personal freedom.

In May, 2013, when I was charged in the Sessions court with the offence under the Sedition Act, I was freed on bail in the amount of RM5k.

My bailor had to open a savings account at the Maybank branch located at the basement level of the court complex, I deposited RM5k in that account, and the passbook was then handed over to the court.

Investment in place and my freedom secured.

In April, 2016, when I was convicted and sentenced to prison, the lawyers representing me requested bail pending the hearing and disposal of my appeal which they undertook to file in the High Court.

Bail was granted, subject to payment of a further RM5k.

Another 5k invested and my freedom, again, secured.

I was shocked to see the applicable interest rates Maybank offered for savings accounts when I was at the bank last Monday.

Yet, the Base Lending Rate (BLR) is 6%!

They take your money and pay you 0.3% interest, then they lend it out and charge 6, 7 or 8% or more, in interest.

I remember when I was 12 years old and opened my very first savings account with BSN, the interest paid against your balance was 5%.

Maybank has the largest number of savings accounts in the country, the bulk of which are that of average wage earners who will not have huge bank balances.

That means the majority of savings account holders of Maybank and, possibly customers of most other banks, earn less than 1% on their savings, whilst the banks use that huge fund obtained from the poorest in the country to earn 6% BLR + whatever that is topped up with!

Add this to a government that pays little or no heed to the most marginalised of our people, and you then begin to understand why the poor cannot get out of that inter-generational cycle of poverty.

The government does not care.

And the capitalist system continues to maintain that huge gulf between the super-elite few at the top and the impoverished masses at the bottom, with a middle class wedged in between, enamoured with their seemingly good life, reluctant to see change lest it rock their cushy life.

This coming election, as I did in the last two, I will work to see the end of UMNO and BN in Putrajaya.

When that happens, we, the rakyat, and not PH, will usher in a new beginning.

We, the rakyat, must take the lead and drect the reforms that we want to see.

We cannot leave it to the politicians.

For me, we get rid of BN, and our work of reforming this nation has only just begun.

Forget the BN Manifesto. Enough of lies.

I have read the Pakatan Harapan Manifesto, and taken note of the reforms and / or changes that have been promised to be effected within 100 days of their forming the government.

Let us give them 100 days to effect the following :

1. To appoint a Royal Commission of Inquiry to be spearheaded by Tan Sri Simon Sipaun and other commisioners who will enjoy the confidence of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, mandated to :to look into and report on precisely what was agreed to under the Malaysia Agreement, 1963. Thereafter, to recommend to the Agung what, when, and how to do whatever needs to be done to finally honour that agreement and to give to the people of Sabah and Sarawak all that they are entitled to thereunder.
2. To repeal all draconian laws on our statute books. If they need, we will draw up a full list of those laws.
3. All institutions of state to be returned to the rakyat. This includes the judiciary, police, MACC, SPR, AG. How? Sack all the bastards now in charge and appoint individuals who enjoy the confidence of the rakyat.

There are 2 more reforms that are very close to my heart that, in my view, are desperately needed. I will write on these in another post soon.

For now, you may want to check out the Manifesto for the 99% by Gabungan Kiri Malaysia.

 

Posted in: 14th GE, Asalkan Bukan UMNO, Bangkit, Bankrupt nation soon?, Defend our electoral process, Defending Our Institutions, Election Issues, Free the people, Laws awaiting repeal, Making This World A Better Place, Nation in Distress, People Are The Boss, People Power, Rakyat Reform Agenda, Return the judiciary to the rakyat, Right to know, Sabah & Sarawak, Say No to Racism, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia, Social Inclusion Agenda, Tak Nak Hudud, Taking back our country, The voice of the people, Third Force