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I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED

by Ong Kok Bin

The Malaysian elections are just round the corner. Formal campaigning has not quite begun as yet; but the hustling to be candidates in either the parliamentary or the state constituencies is nearly over. Already, some of the political parties have released their lists of candidates for the elections. There have been few surprises. But one notable shocker is the announcement of the deputy president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Chan Kong Choy, not to contest the elections. He cited health reasons for his decision. But this may only be cosmetic. Chan Kong Choy is one among a small group of old-hand politicians who have bucked the trend. Many others are still clamouring to continue to be the wakil rakyat despite they being past their 'shelf-life'. Perhaps, they find it difficult to part with the perks and privileges that come with the status of being a people's representative. Come Nomination Day, the whole nation will know who exactly will be wooing for their votes. And then, the campaigning will begin in earnest.

Every political party and every aspiring candidate will basically do one thing only in the campaigning period. They will ask the mass of electors in every crook and cranny to vote for them. Whatever language they may use, however they may say it, whichever tactic they may employ, it is 'VOTE ME!' - which, every voter should translate as 'believe me', 'entrust your future to me', 'commit your life to me', 'I am the man/woman for you', 'you know me'. All of which sound pretty good and convincing, except that when the elections are over, they do not seem to sound as convincing as in the hustings or look that good 'to eat' either. That is the lot of voters; when needed they are wooed and begged, but when not needed, they have to woo and beg.

"I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day," so writes the apostle Paul (2 Tim. 1:12).

What Paul has written is one of the most difficult statements for any person to make of another. Trust between human beings can be a scary thing. Often, it is on a knife's edge. A little puff of a whisper can bring it tumbling down.

But Paul is not entrusting his life to any human person. He has experienced enough of the ambivalence in human relationships to do so. Paul is committing his life to God, knowing certainly that God is the only one who is always faithful to his promises. And so he can cite with full conviction one of the early hymns:
          "If we died with him, we will also live with him;"
                    "if we endure, we will also reign with him" (2 Tim. 2:11, 12)

Short-Takes
1. Conspiratorial Misrule
2. Redeeming the Time
3. It's an Oily Business
4. Lifting Holy Hands in Prayer
5. A Gracious People
6. Words, Words and Words
7. I Know Whom I Have Believed
8. Of Oddballs and Heroic Fights
9. The People Delivered a Tsunami
10. Joy in Troubled Times

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