Tomorrow is 31st August, 51st anniversary of our country's independence.
51 years ago, our country was called Malaya. We had 11 states, and our population was about 7 million. The ruling political party was the Alliance Party, a combination of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno), the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malayan Indians Congress (MIC). The prime minister was the then Umno leader Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The Alliance also formed the 11 state governments.
51 years later, now in 2008, our country is now called Malaysia. Malaysia was formed on September 16th 1963, when the former British colonies of North Borneo (now called Sabah) and Sarawak (also in Borneo) and Singapore joined Malaya. Singapore was expelled in 1965.
Now Malaysia has 13 states, 3 Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan island near Sabah). And our population has grown to 27 million.
The ruling party is now called the National Front (consisting of 14 component political parties, including the original Alliance members) at the federal level.
Umno is still the premier party, and present leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is the PM.
But in the March 2008 GE, the voters of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan ,Perak, Selangor and the federal territory of KL rejected the National Front as their state governments .The NF also lost its two-third majority in parliament.
A month ago, the parliament opposition leader Wan Azizah of PKR, vacated her seat of Ptg Pauh, so that it will be recontested by her husband, one time DPM Anwar Ibrahim which he won convincingly on the 26th of August 2008.
Anwar is now the parliament opposition leader.
Tomorrow we will celebrate our 51st Merdeka, but I can't help noticing the lack of enthusiasm among our national and state leaders. Worrying about their political future, I suppose.
The rakyat is not so happy too. What with the rising costs of foodstuffs and transportation.
Abdullah's budget did not help most of us, only the civil servants, lowly paid pensioners and transport providers (meaning Scomi ).
What I thought was funny about this budget was how do you consume RM20 of electricity in this day and age ?
And why are the smokers punished and not the drinkers and gamblers ?
Happy Merdeka day and selamat berpuasa.
Versi Bahasa Melayu (macam Che'Det lah)
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Esok 31 Ogos, ulangtahun ke-51 kemerdekaan negara kita.
51 tahun dahulu, negara kita nama Malaya. Ada 11 negeri dan bilangan penduduk lebih kurang 7 juta orang. Diperintah oleh parti Perikatan ,gabungan Umno, MCA dan MIC. Masa tu Perdana menteri ialah ketua Umno Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Semua 11 negeri pun diperintah oleh Perikatan.
Selepas 51 tahun, la ni 2008, negara kita dah bernama Malaysia.
Malaysia ditubuh pada 16hb September 1963, apabila negeri-negeri jajahan British di pulau Borneo (Kalimantan) iaitu North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak (dari Borneo jugak) dan Singapura bergabung dengan Malaya. Singapura telah disingkir pada tahun 1965.
La ni Malaysia ada 13 negeri, 3 wilayah persekutuan (KL, Putrajaya dan Pulau Labuan dekat Sabah). Bilangan penduduk dah naik 27 juta orang.
Parti yang perintah dinama Barisan Nasional (gabungan 14 parti, termasuk yang asal dari Perikatan).
Umno parti utama dalam BN dan ketua Umno Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pegang jawatan PM.
Pada Pilihanraya Umum Mac 2008, negeri-negeri Kelantan, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak dan Selangor tolak kerajaan BN. BN juga hilang kelebihan dua-pertiga di parlimen.
Bulan lepas, Ketua pembangkang di parlimen, Dr Wan Azizah dari PKR, kosongkan kerusi parlimennya di Ptg Pauh, untuk membolehkan suaminya, bekas DPM Anwar Ibrahim, bertanding dalam p/raya kecil, dan Anwar telah menang kerusi tu dengan cemerlang pada 26hb Ogos 2008.
Anwar kini dilantik Ketua Pembangkang di parlimen.
Esok kita sambut Hari Merdeka yang ke51. Tapi saya nampak macam tak bersemangat saja pemimpin-pemimpin negara dan negeri. Dok pikiaq pasai masa depan politik depa kot ?Rakyat pun tak berapa seronok jugak. Harga barang, makanan semua dok naik, duit tambang pun dok naik.
Bajet Pak Lah tak membantu sangat. Yang untung - orang kerajaan, pesara pensyen rendah dan pembuat pengangkutan (Scomi kot ?).
Antara janji yang pelek Pak Lah ialah pengecualian bayar bil letrik kurang dari RM20. Di zaman dan masa la ni, boleh kah guna letrik banyak tu ?
Awat nak tambah cukai kepada rokok tapi tak naik pun cukai arak dan judi ?
Selamat Hari Merdeka dan selamat berpuasa.
