To be or not to be..

To be or not to be. This is perhaps the most recognizable phrase of all Shakespeare's literatures. A phrase immortalised by this one man, used by many - generations after generations. I must confess, i have not read any of his works. I tried once, a long time ago. But somehow, through other means - movies especially, i can proudly say i have heard of this man and his works. In fact, i visited his birthplace a couple of times. On the first trip, i went with my girlfriend (now my wife). By the time i went on a second trip with my family, i was like a pro, telling the family what's what and who's who. So if you have any money stashed away, i do recommend you visit Stratford-upon-Avon.

8th March 2008 is a day i will remember for a very long time. That day i woke up early and excited. I skipped breakfast so that i could be at the polling station as early as possible. By 930am i had performed my duty as a citizen and a father. A citizen - to ensure the country is put in good hands. A father - so that my kids can live in a country where they can dream and fulfill their dreams, with the hope they would one day inherit a better country, a better place. That is the sacred bond between us and the next generation. It is unwritten. But it is expected that we make it a better place . Otherwise, i have failed. otherwise, we have failed as a society.

So that nite after dinner, i started to receive smses from friends all over the country. Disturbing news. Then the pins began to fall one by one. First it was Penang. then Kedah. By that time i got a call from my good friend nazrein. He was very upset. In record time, he came by the house and off we went to PWTC. When we got there, the first thing that came to mind - where are the people? I was at PWTC back in 1999. It was buzzing with people. But this particular nite, not only the air was sombre, but the people, the members, the supporters are missing. So another question came to mind - is this the beginning of the end of PM Abdullah Badawi?

So while there, we deliberated, not only as UMNO members but also as citizens. No matter how we argued, from this angle, that angle, this side, that side - we came back to the same conclusion. The voice of the people is loud and clear. They are not in-sync with the government anymore. They have given the government a red mark for its report card. That is why they are willing to take the risk and give power to the opposition. DAP has never tasted power since its inception in 1965. Not even close. They couldn't even smell it. They have no experience in governing a state, let alone the country. And yet the rakyat is willing to give them a try.

In 2004, PM Abdullah Badawi won 90% of the parliamentary seats and 63% of the popular votes. In 2008, he won 63% and 51% respectively. At the same time, losing 5 states to the opposition (we have to consider Wilayah Persekutuan as a state, as it has its own Liaison Committee. Out of 13 seats, BN only won 3). From one of the biggest mandate in our history to the worst, amazingly in four short years. So what the h*ll happened? In 2004, although he is a BN man, with a clean and religious image, the rakyat gave him the benefit of the doubt. They thought this is the man that would bring change. This is the man that would take us to greater heights with "Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang'. That is why they gave him that huge mandate. They accepted his call - ' come work with me'. But over the years, that hope turned to despair. And despair turned to anger. well the rest is history, or is it HIStory?! The message is clear (at least to me) - the rakyats apparently do not want to work with this administration anymore. Their trust have been betrayed. And that is the worst feeling in the world. Now many quarters are asking him to shoulder the responsibility for this dismal BN performance. They say be accountable.

So to be or not to be...that is the question. And only PM Abdullah Badawi has the answer.