Got alternative or not?

My receptionist(S) told me yesterday that while she was buying keropok lekor the other day, the makcik selling it asked if she were an UMNO supporter because "kalau sokong UMNO hidup senang dik". She replied that she was not really a supporter of anything she termed "political" so she was not technically a supporter of UMNO. The only thing which stopped the keropok lekor aunty from snatching the keropok lekor back from the clutches of my receptionist and pelt her with the lekor dough was probably because S said "tapi mak saya penyokong kuat UMNO la makcik".

I then asked her if and when she decides to vote, will she vote for UMNO or well, the coalition BN?She hesitated and then said, "Saya beritahu mak saya kalau saya undi pun undi Keadilan kot." When asked why she replied, "Entahlah. Saya cakap je lah. Tapi bila saya betul betul pergi undi tentu undi UMNO/BN."

Hmmm...did the "hidup senang" propaganda the keropok lekor aunty spew hit home? Does UMNO/BN indeed give us citizens a "hidup senang"?

Now, my thoughts on these issue is quite simple (to me anyway). I attended a talk last friday where the likes of Anwar Ibrahim, Tun Salleh Abas, Sivarasa Rasiah and some other people of importance were in attendance. They all stood up at the podium and basically trashed the government, past and present (during Mahathir era to present day Badawi era)labelling the government "corrupted" as evident from the V K Lingam fiasco, and the ex and current PM having no respect for the separation of powers as they were "not lawyers like the earlier three PMs" and that the Government were basically hoodwinking us into believing they are DOING something for us when instead they are taking us for a ride.

So I nodded along with the rest of the crowd, interjected every once in a while with whooping and loud applause and the conversation of a very stupid chinese man who kept his mobile on the whole time which rang with his ah beng tunes and picking it up with "WEI? HAI? AH, HAI"- like seriously uncle. Have you no civic consciousness? (what made it even more frustrating was the fact that he raised his hand and clapped with enthusiasm when the talk ended- AS IF you heard anything!You were on the mobile the whole damn time!)

Anyway, I digress.(Stupid uncle in psychedelic shirt)

So, while I agreed with the undeniable fact that the current government (and the previous one too) was corrupt and running the country in their own interests, I ask the question in my head- "what alternative do you, as an opposition party, have to offer us?"

Many people tell me (which I agree wholeheartedly) that the reason why we vote for the oppposition is not because they GIVE us an alternative, but because we need to reduce the 2/3 majority that BN currently has. Of course, by reducing the majority of BN we can in fact keep the government on its toes, and remind them to pluck their noses out the air and actually SERVE the people and not their own interests.

But if the Opposition parties were created YESTERDAY, then perhaps we can forgive them for not coming up with an alternative. But has it not been too many years passing for opposition parties to say "Government= corrupt, Government= bad, but we dont really have an alternative but let us concentrate on GOVERNMENT BAD!GOVERNMENT CORRUPT!BAD GOVERNMENT BAD GOVERNMENT!!*spank*"

I think more has to be done by the opposition. Yes. I know you do not have the money. Yes, I know to HAVE the money you have to be in power. So it is a chicken and egg situation. But still? Come on, throw us a line here.

Got alternative or not?