Letter to Editor
THE current two-coalition system may have worked in the past, but as evidenced in the past 22 months by the Sheraton Move and other party hopping, it is now a broken system.
It is no longer productive for Malaysia and has resulted in a lack of both transparency and integrity.Candidates often place party affiliation above doing what is right, good and true in order to remain in the party.
Parties make deals that involve compromises and which maybe deviate from the original policies and promises made during their respective campaigns.Independents, on the other hand, are not bound to any party and have the freedom to serve the people they represent and speak up for truth for the benefit of the country and their constituents for good governance. They do not live in fear of party leadership.
Once Parliament is dissolved, no one holds a position. Elections provide a fresh start. Many constituencies have many candidates running and each could be considered a spoiler or a viable candidate.
Independents can be kingpins by casting their vote for what is good for the people without fear of party rejection or discipline.
Independents are not powerless. It is true they don’t have the benefit of party machinery behind them, but this is also their freedom and power to vote for the good of the people and change the direction of policies that influence the coming generations.Voters should always consider the qualifications, experience and moral character of each candidate whether in a party or otherwise.
There are a few Gerak Independent (GI) candidates running in the 15th General Election (GE15) who have publicised their manifesto, have a clean track record, operate based on conviction and principles and will not become corrupted or bought over because they are established in their own right. They are running to serve the nation and the people.I am one of these GI candidates who believe they may be more effective out of a particular party than in a party, and that is why I have put myself forward as an independent candidate for GE15.
My 33 years experience of working in the government gives me unique insight into how governance systems work in Malaysia. Moreover, my experience equipped me with perspectives that many candidates cannot offer.
Besides that, my track record is clean, and I have already demonstrated that I conduct myself with integrity and transparency based on principles and convictions that would make good governance for Malaysians.I hope the constituents in Petaling Jaya will give me the opportunity to represent them and their needs and views in Parliament. – Nov 17, 2022
Dr K.J. John is the Gerak Independent (GI) candidate for Petaling Jaya.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
