YOURSAY 'There's no need for Mahathir to invoke a comparison between devils and angels. Just compare the Pakatan states with Umno-BN states.'

Sympathy for our Malaysian devils

your sayFerdtan: There are many holes in S Thayaparan's article, for example when he expresses his fears if Pakatan Rakyat were to take hold of Putrajaya.

The writer is obviously no soothsayer, but why ponder the imponderable when Pakatan has not yet formed the next federal government?

Could they do any worse than the BN government now? We have hit rock bottom and the only way is up. All the extrapolations of what Pakatan would do or not are all subjective - and it is best left unsaid, or issue it as a piece of advice and not tell it like gospel truth.

And isn't Thayaparan rather presumptuous (and unfair) on Obama's failure as the US president (according to him, in fulfilling his election promises)? What makes you think he has not? The evidence for any such notion is, and will always be, in the subjective eye of the beholder or supporter).

Thayaparan further unfairly added that, "We should not fall into the same trap as them." Would it make any difference to your view if Obama were to be re-elected again in November?

Please use something more concrete and definite to compare the situation here and in America.

Don't just follow blindly former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad's desperate grasping at straws aimed at his nemesis, Anwar Ibrahim, by using the Obama's opponent party, the Republicans' election theme (of not fulfilling promises) in the coming presidential race as his own.

Abasir: Malaysians, by far, know the country is ailing. But given the varying symptoms and severity, they are not in total agreement as to the best remedy. Nevertheless, they are in the market for a solution.

Some want urgent, temporary relief in the form of ABU (Anything But Umno), while others with a more analytical bent, seek a panacea.

The snake oil peddlers (of whom there are several) range in sophistication and finesse. Mainstream medicine offered by the official Pemandu pharmacy appears to be too little too late... and definitely profiting the connected vendors.

Alternative medicine has therefore become increasingly attractive to the desperate, long-suffering rakyat. Now who is to say what will work? Definitely not the armchair analysts.

Cannon: There's no need for Mahathir to invoke a comparison between the "devils" and "angels". Just compare the performance of Pakatan states of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor with the Umno-BN controlled states. Invite Malaysians to make the comparison.

The Pakatan states show no hint of financial scandals, cronyism and gross economic mismanagement. There's no attempt on their part to incite racial and religious polarisation by sowing discord through the deployment of proxies.

The states enjoy stability and inter-ethnic harmony. It is clearly evident the standard of governance of the Pakatan states is one cut above the level of Umno-BN states.

Pakatan offers Malaysians a hope for us to reset our country from the mess created by the present regime, and to restore what the locusts have eaten. With Umno-BN, there is no hope.

Dont Just Talk: Is it better to work with the devil that you know (Umno), rather than the angel you don't know (Pakatan)? I purposely left out BN because it is a wallflower used for rubber stamping whatever has been approved by big brother Umno.

Just to recap the top three wastages by the devil that we know: the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) cow-condos scandal of RM250 million, the RM500 commissions paid to Perimekar for two Scorpene submarines, and sending a Malaysian to the moon with no economic benefit to the country, for another RM280 million.

These three unnecessary expenditures incurred by the devil that you know has cost taxpayers over RM1 billion, which adds up to our national debt of 53 percent of GDP.

The angels we don't know have been running Penang and Selangor since 2008 with positive revenues. Mahathir, shall we still vote for the devil you know or the angels you don't?

Black Mamba: In a nutshell, Thayaparan is saying Pakatan is no different from Umno albeit a lesser evil.

Give me that anytime, at least it isn't a powder keg like Umno-BN, waiting to explode in due course. Thank God, Penang and Selangor have been saved by the lesser devil or angel as Mahathir calls them.

Jedi_Who: I don't believe that the old institutions and practices Umno had put in place would be any different when Pakatan takes over.

However, I think Selangor MB Khalid Ibrahim has done a very good job in Selangor, even when working in the face of ‘organised terrorism' by Umno.

Like changing diapers as it is with changing politicians, we will succeed in breaking the network of cronyism and instill a new structure. What that structure represents will be decided by capable people that we have in Pakatan.

Kgen: Thayaparan asks, "How exactly is jumping between these two parties every four years going to make a difference in the long term?"

My dear fellow, have you heard of democratic competition? If you cannot see the benefit of a two-party system, where each party fights for voter support as opposed to a one-party system, where the ruling regime has no fear of losing power, it is not for me to explain to you.

Dumb&Deaf: Thayaparan is becoming a bit of a bore with his political punditry. And Mahathir is being given way too much media space. He's a dinosaur and belongs in the museum, period.

Unspin: The fondness of some Malaysians to compare our political system with that of the US is both unrealistic and self-flattering. On one hand, you have one of the most democratic and free nations of the world. On the other hand, you have a pseudo-democracy.

The fact that Mahathir makes the news everyday clearly shows that we have not been able to shake off his dictatorial shadow even after 30 years. The check-and-balance that one finds in the American political system is second to none. (The only criticism is that their system can reach a point of self-paralysis sometimes).

In Malaysia, we have just started taking baby steps towards a proper check-and-balance system only four years ago. We are making good progress but we need to be patient.

In the next GE, we must ensure that we do not give the devil the opportunity to permanently transform itself into an even more undemocratic, corrupt, racist and vicious devil.

Dr Suresh Kumar: "Never has there been a time in Malaysia, as it is now, where political parties are at the mercy of the voters. It is a pity that so far, we have not made much use of this opportunity."

An excellent statement by Thayaparan. Unfortunately, partisanship is so strong on both sides of the political spectrum that whenever a statement like the above is issued, the fanatical supporters of Pakatan assume that it is against them.

For them, it's either you are with us, or you are against us. These people need a major change of attitude. Their often repeated refrain, "can they do any worse than the BN government" proves how naive and ignorant they are on what politicians in power can become when they are given blind support.

Politicians are like kids; the only thing is they don't fight over toys but power, so if you dote them excessively, you end up with insolent and spoilt leaders. May God bless Malaysia.