A new dawn brings with it a new beginning. And I am happy to say that ever since Pakatan Rakyat took over the helm three years ago, every new dawn that breaks in Penang is indeed a new beginning for all of us. Every sunrise is a celebration of a brighter future for the whole nation and every sunset marks another day of contentment, that finally; we have a government who listens to the people and works for the betterment of the people.
I am proud to say that we now have State leaders who listen to and respect the wishes of the people and in turn are respected by the people. Everywhere you go and everyone you meet in Penang these days seem to have an upbeat outlook of our future. There is no doubt that we are in for a rough ride to achieve our goals, but if the present government continues to stand for what is right and do what is right for the people, this ride will be a worthwhile journey.
Unfortunately, what is right might sometimes be unpleasant and unpopular with the public. Take for example the ‘No Plastic’ ruling which is now in full swing since the beginning of the year. There were some resistance at first and complaints of inconvenience and impracticality could be heard amongst shoppers. However, this is the right thing to do in order to curb wastage of plastic products and the ever increasing problem of its disposal.
I am glad to observe that with proper and gradual implementation coupled with continuous public announcement and education, this project has become a great success in Penang. It has managed to open the eyes of the people towards their environmental responsibility and to make us realize that each of us has the power to change the way we live and the world we live in.
In fact, the campaign itself has inadvertently conferred a sense of empowerment on the people.
The power to decide.
The power to choose.
The power to change.
I suppose this is precisely the reason why Penangites are generally more confident about their future nowadays. Before 2008, all we could feel was hopelessness and helplessness as we watch the previous leaders plundered our wealth and pulled our economy down into an infinite spiral. It was as if the whole State was out of control, and we the tax-paying public was being dragged into oblivion.
It became one of the major reasons why Penangites voted for change in 2008 because ‘casting the ballot’ seemed to be the only power that remained with the people and it appeared to be the only way out of all the negativity and foulness of that time.
CHANGE WE DID! And the rest, as they say, is history.
What I respect most about the present government led by The Right Honourable Mr Lim Guan Eng, is that it gives us a sense of empowerment. A government that is empowered by the people to govern, and in return, empowers the people.
Which other government, may I ask, has ever made us feel this way?
With that, I would like to wish everyone here a very Happy 3rd Anniversary Enlightened Malaysia and many more to come!
Edmond R
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1 comments:
nice article!
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