Thank you YM Raja Petra, and thank you my fellow Malaysian!

Asalamualaikum YM,

On behalf of my family, I wish to thank you for helping bring about positive change to our coountry in such a short time. It would not have been possible, I believe, had God not put blinkers on the BN leaders so that they could not gauge the true sentiments of the rakyat. It could not have been possible, if communal leaders like you had not had the courage and conviction to believe that change is possible, and to lend us the voters some of that courage and conviction too. I saw the Malaysia that I had yearned for from young, one that is united in spirit and one that places the importance of being Malaysian first, over and above other considerations. In Penang, I saw Indians and Chinese, carrying PAS and PKR flags and Malays carrying DAP flags and the variants thereon (a scene which I believe had been repeated right throughout the country) all united by a common desire for a better and a more just Malaysia.

I pray and I hope that our fellow Malaysians will be far sighted in their expectations of the new state governments. It will not be easy for any of these new governments, but as for me, I am prepared to undertake all the hardships, make all the sacrifices, bear all the burdens and swallow all the pains that come with living in an 'opposition' led state government where federal funds might be stifled and diverted to states governed by BN: just so that my children will not have to undertake, make, bear or swallow any of these hardships. God willing, our sacrifices will bring about a true Malaysian utopia where the country will be governed by the just, for the benefit of all Malaysians.

I look forward to the next 4/5 years where there will be a place for all Malaysians under this, the Malaysian Sun.

As always, may God bless you and your loved ones, and protect our fellow citizens from harm.

There is always room for improving the way in which we do things and get things done. Take this Bersih rally for instance. Do you honestly think that anyone would bother going out in the heavy pouring rain, face threats of arrest by the authorities, be either stuck in a traffic jam or walk for miles just to participate in an event; if they did not feel strongly about its cause and what the rally stands for? Surely, this is an opportunity for a responsible government to take stock and identify what these participants are asking for. It is not what the public does but how the government responds to the public's actions that determine whether it is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Compare the state of democracy in Malaysia to that of New Zealand. This is but one example:

http://www.tv3.co.nz/News/NationalNews/tabid/184/Default.aspx?ArticleID=38969

Never heard of "Mixed Member Proportionate" electoral system? Well, it is about time you find out.

Today, I finally crossed the line. Whereas in the past, reading the views and ideas of bloggers sufficed, today I proudly got off the fence and joined my brothers and sisters of the net. Why? In the past three weeks, I know and/or have heard of at least 20 people (family members and friends) who have died albeit in ways unrelated to each other. The truth is you and I just don't know when our turn arrives, when God will take us away. I want to appreciate and do what I can while I still can, and blogging is one of the items high on my to-do-list. Procastination is no longer good enough. the "will get it done tomorrow" attitude is no longer good enough, the time for action has arrived. I feel proud to now be a part of the blogging world, or in Khairy's words, a monkey.