December 5, 2012
In Defence of Our Realm
by S Thayaparan*@www.malaysiakini.com
"As a society's needs evolve, a Police Force must additionally evolve to encounter brand brand new needs as well as assure a open of their safety." Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (Bernama)
COMMENT: All this UMNO 'war talk' of late naturally leads to a subject of a purpose of a Malaysian Armed Forces in a event of a repeat of a 'May thirteen scenario, which UMNO foresees will start if BN loses federal power.
The most usual subject people who read my Malaysiakini criticism pieces ask is, "Which side will a Armed Forces take?"
My answer is, "No side, hopefully". But this rather glib reply masks a little really genuine concerns upon my partial (and of most other late Military as well as Police crew as well) about a negative notice of a Armed Forces by a ubiquitous public.
This would, no doubt, have been cultivated by a atrocious narrow-minded posturing of a troops powers-that-be.
Pro-Opposition (a good friend as well as comrade-in-arms for a improved Malaysia) blogger Zorrounmasked in his blog post 'Think out of your tanks, think-tanks' asks, nay demands, which a troops tip brass reaffirm in a really open manner their forthrightness (no matter a outcome) during a entrance ubiquitous election.
In his words: "This is no time for pundits as well as know-alls to teach the! ir feel- good or doomsday wares. This is a time a rakyat wants declaration which whichever approach they practice their vote, a result is for a improved Malaysia by a well-spoken passing from a single to an additional in to Putrajaya! And this declaration can usually come out from a mouths of a Generals as well as a Inspector-General of Police as per a oath they took."
I will end this square with since you consider this is a futile demand, though as a late troops officer, you am sympathetic to those who need this declaration as well as am ashamed (for my former profession) which it needs to be since in a initial place.
'Coyness' of a PM
To be honest, this question, or fright if you like, has been upon my thoughts for a little time now. The coyness of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in not entrance out as well as directly observant which there will be a well-spoken passing from a single to an additional of power is alarming.
Surely, such a simple reassurance of a most paltry of democratic practices would not be an emanate for a regime which aims to be a "best democracy in a world"?
Instead, what you have been 'promised', by no reduction a chairman than former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is which a Opposition will "take to a streets" if they lose this election.
There were consistent references to Egypt as well as other populist revolutions across a globe. Malaysians were 'warned' to be grateful for a assent as well as fortitude which UMNO offers as well as a fight strain entrance from Putrajaya is which Opposition order will lead to chaos as well as commotion is a forgone conclusion.
This fright of 'military intervention' is not unfounded. Or rather, this fright of a probable collusion of UMNO as well as a troops is a unspoken fright of most opposition supporters, generally of late when Putrajaya is seen as a goal which can be presumably accomplished.
A recent example of this is when a Malaysian Ar! med Forc es (MAF) lodged a troops inform opposite Perak Opposition Leader Nizar Jamaluddin for observant which Najib met with senior troops officials as well as asked them to do "something" if BN loses a entrance ubiquitous election.
Nizar is reported to have claimed which these "senior troops officers refused" to do so, observant "they would side with a people, leading to an argument".
Let us inspect a reply of MAF Chief General Zulkefli Mohd Zin, as reported by Bernama: "Of late, a little irresponsible quarters with vested domestic interests have been perplexing to poison a minds of a people with a target of eroding open confidence in a MAF as well as statute government."
Now, nowhere in his reply does he reaffirm a forthrightness of a MAF though instead chose to engage in governing body by addressing BN talking points. A correct reply to Nizar's allegations would be a denial as well as a really open affirmation which a troops is apolitical.
It would up to Najib (and a relevant authorities) to residence this really critical subject of 'sedition', as well as not a MAF by its Police report.
But let us demeanour at it an additional way. In 2010, Azhar Ibrahim was dangling for six months from a Penang state assembly for making "references to a May thirteen situation as well as inviting a Armed Forces to take over a government", not to discuss his hazard which "Malay triad organization 'Tiga Line' would be called in to teach a state supervision a lesson."
So, since no inform opposite UMNO assemblyperson? UMNO distanced itself from these inflammatory remarks though my subject is, since didn't MAF Chief General Zulkefli board ! a Police inform alleging mutiny opposite UMNO's Azhar Ibrahim?
Of course, there was a retraction, upon top of "parliamentary privilege" called in to play. However, there was not a word from a general, who seemed more concerned which a repute of UMNO has been besmirched, rather than which of a MAF which was mentioned in a same breath as a "Malay triad organisation", not to contend anything of a actuality which what Azhar was advocating was a troops coup d'etat.
Malaysia's Stockholm set of symptoms
But this is not a initial time a tip brass of a MAF has been silent when dragged in to a domestic scene. Whether it is a subject of vote-rigging or a sale of arms or a BERSIH proof (about which a MAF has no jurisdiction to comment), a powers-that-be in a MAF have been discerning to emanate statements normally echoing a narrow-minded tongue of a statute BN coalition.
As you have witnessed, UMNO is discerning to conjure a ghosts of May thirteen as well as to allude to a actuality which a MAF is unquestioning constant to a government. Sometimes though, scrupulous retried armed forces crew reply to these provocations, as Lt-Kol (Rtd) Mohd Idris Hassan did when confronted by an UMNO politician who summoned a spook of May thirteen upon inhabitant television.
In his an perspective square in The Star in 2008 underneath a heading 'Bury a spook of May thirteen once as well as for all', Idris wrote:
"I am shocked as well as saddened which a little politicians have been still creation melancholy reference to a May thirteen secular riots of 1969. One seasoned politician was upon inhabitant TV Channel 101 upon Mar 15 creation reference to a May thirteen secular riots, observant which if a opposition parties continue to fan communal sentiments, an additional May thirteen will happen, adding with a raised index finger, 'Da! n jangan salahkan kami.' (Then don't censure us.)"
Idris goes upon to describe what he witnessed upon May 13, 1969 as well as suggested a probable solution to all this May thirteen provocations: "On which fatal day, you was a young troops officer serving in a army. you witnessed firsthand a carnage as it unfolded. People were pounded since they were of a wrong race, at a wrong place at a wrong time. Everyone suffered.
"It is thus my romantic goal which a new, revamped supervision will pass specific laws creation it an offence to raise threats of an additional May thirteen secular riots.No a single should be allowed to steal assent as well as fortitude in a country."
Another late troops troops officer who is discerning to reply to provocations from Putrajaya concerning issues involving a troops is Major (Rtd) D Swami, whose blog '7thRangers' is a undoubted value trove of troops lore.
The Major, who was partial of a Malaysian fortuitous in a UN peacekeeping force in Somalia, is maybe a foremost chronicler of a purposes played by non-Malays in a armed forces.More importantly, Swami's blog is a covenant to a historical, multiracial composition of a MAF as well as ? la mode efforts to downplay a purpose of minorities in a service.
It would appear which Malaysians, or at least a sure section of a electorate, has been suffering underneath a little kind of Stockholm set of symptoms when it comes to UMNO as well as a state's security apparatus.
Waking up a really genuine concerns of troops impasse in a electoral process has resulted in renewed calls for UMNO domestic leaders as well as a Malaysian Armed Forces to unambiguously acknowledgement which there will be a peaceful passing from a single to an additional of power as well as which a forthrightness of a MAF will remain sacrosanct.
In a concluding partial of this square tomorrow, you will draw upon a writings of a late General in an try to briefly cont! extualis e a problems this 'fear' involves as well as insist since you think, in a stream Malaysian domestic atmosphere, such calls have been exercises in futility.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd), Royal Malaysian Navy as well as unchanging writer to Malaysiakini. you read his articles regularly since he writes with frankness as well as passion upon issues inspiring us all. This is a initial time you have selected to post this article upon my blog. My reason for doing so is obvious. The Military is a last goal for assent as well as stability.Din Merican
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