July 7, 2011
Has Malaysia turn a Police State?
by Tommy Thomas
Death threats. Bomb threats. Warning upon reversal of citizenship. Preventive detention. Arrest of hundreds for wearing Yellow T-shirts. Banning of organisations. Prohibition of pacific marches.
Is a single describing Burma? Or Zimbabwe? No, this is Malaysia in July 2011, in a 54th year of independence. Has paranoia gripped a decision-making chosen in Kuala Lumpur?
But for a grave repercussions, one would have to laugh during a jagged overreaction as well as incompetence of government agencies in new weeks. Has Malaysia turn a military state, with no place for a order of law? So what is a problem which has captivated a ugly, heavy hand of a executive.
It is only a call by ordinary voices for electoral reform so which future elections have been conducted openly as well as fairly, which is, upon a level personification field, with no domestic celebration or candidate having an in-built advantage over a antithesis parties as well as candidates, really much, like all runners in a 100 metre race starting during a same point with a same stretch to run.
Is which not a commendable design which should embrace a support of everybody who indeed believes in a democratic process?
When Malaya completed Merdeka in 1957, it chose a parliamentary democracy ! style of government under a ! constitu tional monarchy, with a Federal Constitution as a autarchic law.
In order to elect a government, ubiquitous elections have been to be reason during least a single in every 5 years under a supervision of what was dictated to be an independent, just Elections Commission to action as a neutral referee or referee in electoral contests.
In a tangible control of ubiquitous as well as by-elections given 1957, a Election Commission has failed. The actions of bureaucratic agencies such as drawn out gerrymandering of constituencies, a domination by a single domestic celebration of television, air wave as well as print media, a brief debate period of in between 7 to 10 days, a extenuation of gifts, money as well as alternative benefits to voters, have resulted in a statute coalition having a tremendously astray advantage whenever elections have been held.
It is opposite this credentials which BERSIH, a coalition of organisations interested in electoral reform, announced a preference to organize a pacific march in a streets of Kuala Lumpur upon Saturday, July 9, 2011 to call open attention to a ills of a electoral system, as well as to present a chit to a Agong.
Is a Government severely contending which as a emperor republic which has enjoyed over 5 decades of independence, Malaysia cannot endure or tarry a exercise by thousands of a adults of their entrenched fundamental liberties of giveaway speech, open as well as organisation upon a Saturday afternoon!
It contingency be removed which in a 12-year sunset period of British imperialism over Malaya from 1945 to 1957, a British colonial rulers available a land of open rallies which were brilliantly exploited, initial by UMNO in 1946 in leading a antithesis to a Malayan Union ! proposal , as well as subsequently by a Alliance coalition from 1954 to 1957 in! a cam paign for Merdeka.
Bearing in thoughts which those rallies, marches, demonstrations as well as assemblies were reason during a Emergency declared to quarrel a Communist insurrection, as well as would outcome in a finale of colonial rule, a British Government did not ban such rallies, even if it was in a self-interest to do so.
For Merdeka to be meaningful, surely every Malaysian contingency enjoy greater as well as improved rights in eccentric Malaysia in 2011 than his or her forefather enjoyed under colonial order in 1946!
Demonising BERSIH as well as a outstanding leader of courage as well as conviction, Ambiga Sreenevasan brings good discredit to a government. It smacks of a witch hunt, McCarthy style.
For a Prime Minister to report Ambiga Sreenevasan as being anti-Islam shows his loyal joining to his own 1Malaysia truth it is just window-dressing!!
I know of no law in Malaysia which prohibits a person from wearing yellow clothes. Thus, there is no Colours Act or Clothes Act under our law which empowers a military from impediment persons because of a preference of mantle colour. Even totalitarian North Korea does not action in such a high-handed, mean as well as sparse way.
When a streets of Kuala Lumpur have been no longer safe with a massive enlarge of crime, as well as an strong breakdown of law as well as order, a Police have been allocating their resources to preventing ordinary law-abiding Malaysians from exercising their inherent rights of giveaway speech, open as well as association.
Compounding a mishandling of a complete incident was a abdication by a elected Government of resolving a problem, a! part fro m a crude undisguised ban opposite BERSIH.
For His Majesty, a Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as inherent ! monarch, to enter a domestic fray
substantially rare in 54 years is an complaint of poor governance by a Najib administration. The Prime Minister is elected to lead what has been displayed hitherto has been dithering care suggestive of a Badawi administration.
The fascist elements of a state, whose main target in life seems to be to strengthen as well as offer a interests of a statute party, contingency be reminded which Malaysia does not go to a Prime Minister.
Neither does a republic go to a domestic celebration which happened to win a many seats in a final Parliamentary election in Mar 2008 thereby forming a government of a day.
Just as a citizens gave it a charge to order temporarily, it can repel which charge during a subsequent ubiquitous elections which must, by law, be called by mid-2013. No domestic celebration has a divine right to order continuously. Malaysia, upon a contrary, belongs to a people, whose interests might often not coincide with which of a statute party.
Not allowing a people of Malaysia to express their opinion upon a make a difference of critical open interest, viz, a electoral system, by convention peacefully in Kuala Lumpur is wholly unacceptable. It is neither right nor proper.
The behavior of our leaders prove which they have been unfortunate to reason upon to energy by all means, as well as every measure contingency be taken! by a st ate to forestall what they understand as a hazard to their own position.
It is an iron law of history which besieged, unfortunate leaders who belie! ve they have been indispensible or
brand themselves with their countries in conclusion lose energy : it is always only a make a difference of time.
I titillate my associate Malaysians to attend a rally upon Saturday in droves, as well as to handle in a peaceful, civilised demeanour with a single-minded concentration upon calling for a reform of a badly marred electoral complement so structured in foster of a single party.
Malaysians must, with pride as well as dignity, exercise their fundamental rights of giveaway speech, organisation as well as open upon 9th July 2011 so which a senior manager bend of government can be shown to have all underestimated a good sense of a people.
The shameful control of Malaysian politicians as well as bureaucrats in a past weeks contingency be wiped clean by a actions of a citizenry upon Saturday. See you there.
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