|
Except for politicians and activists, the general population does not seem to care about their own predicament. We allow our leaders to decide what is 'good' for us and accept their actions without the slightest blink of an eye. By Edmond R
I read with concern the recent news that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had to seek refuge at the Turkish Embassy for his own safety. After 50 years of Independence, it is a shame that our government is not able to provide the basic security needs of our people. It is sad indeed to see a citizen of Malaysia seeking refuge in a foreign embassy because he fears for his own safety. What is the meaning of Merdeka if it fails to ensure the protection of the basic rights of our citizens? MERDEKA! In 1957, we exclaimed 'Merdeka' with the full spirit of patriotism. Every citizen was full of hope that our country will be free from colonial rule at last. Everyone was rearing to move ahead together to build our nation. MERDEKA. In 1969, Merdeka came to a full stop and the nation was faced with racial tension and animosity. It was the start of the government's efforts to implement various policies to correct the social imbalance. Initially the plan to reduce poverty and create equality amongst the people appeared to be solid and trustworthy. However not long after that, those policies were misused by the ruling party to keep themselves in power. MERDEKA? In 2007, we celebrated the Golden Anniversary of our nation with a big question mark. Is Malaysia really a free country? Have we been hoodwinked by the government all these years into thinking that we are really free? For 50 years, we have been shouting 'Merdeka!' whenever 31st of August looms close by. But after fifty years of this so called independence from British rule, the nation's mindset remains caged-in with our own fears of racial discrimination, religious discords, corruption, injustice and most of all veiled suppression of our basic freedom. And yet not many people seem to worry about that. Except for politicians and activists, the general population does not seem to care about their own predicament. We allow our leaders to decide what is 'good' for us and accept their actions without the slightest blink of an eye. For the last fifty years, Malaysians have given our politicians an easy life. Even the Opposition could not give the ruling party a run for their money; not until recently. Fortunately there are a few amongst us who manage to realize the ongoing systematic erosion of our basic rights. These are the people who dare to voice their dissent to the government despite threats of incarceration and punishment. But then, time and again, it is the same few people who are behind these heroic acts. The rest of us either remain mum or criticize them for being trouble makers, power grabbers and disturber of peace. Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, has been accused of being too obsessed in taking over the reins of the Federal Government. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang has been told by certain quarters to start working and stop harping on land scams issues in Penang. The list goes on – BERSIH, HINDRAF, PROTES etc. Even our endearing Raja Petra is considered to be out of his mind when he made his famous Statutory Declaration about the Altantunya murder case. But let us pause and dwell deeply into our hearts. Who do we really want as our leaders? What kind of leader does Malaysia need to propel it from its current stagnant state of affairs? Do we want leaders who are willing to stand up for what they believe in? Do we want people who risk their own freedom so that the rest of us can be free? Or do we want to be led by people who claim to represent us, but in reality are more concerned about their own welfare and power status? Do we still want to stay in our comfort zones and remain oblivious to their countless attempts to ravage the country's resources for their own pockets? Malaysians should be made to realize that they are the ones who choose their own destiny. Whether we like it or not, each and every one of us is responsible for the state of our nation. Therefore we should swiftly recover from our stupor and start participating in the process of rejuvenating our beloved country again. There must be a collective awakening of political consciousness amongst all citizens for real democracy to work. Fortunately this is starting to happen as more and more people are waking up from their slumber after the shock of the election earthquake in March 2008. Bloggers are becoming more vocal and activists are more organized in their various quests. The Pakatan Rakyat governments are also helping the nation by appointing members from Non Governmental Organizations into their local councils to encourage the involvement of people in the administration of the State. Just a few years ago, all these might seem impossible. But with the ever growing network of internet accessibility and other modern modes of affordable communication methods such as mobile phones and messengers, people like you and me suddenly realize that we are not alone anymore. Through sharing of information and ideas, Malaysians of every race and religion are beginning to see that they share a common aspiration. We are now capable of bypassing the barriers set up by 50 years of partisan rule of Barisan Nasional and come together as one people again. However this section of society only represents a small fraction of our population of 23 million. We need to spread this self realization to the general populace – those who do not have access to the internet, those who are caught up with their work to even bother about politics and those in the rural areas of the country. These people form the bulk of Malaysians who have the potential to MAKE MALAYSIA WORK! It might seem like a humongous task to bring 23 million people to their senses but I believe not an impossible one. The first step is to make sure everyone who is eligible to vote, VOTES. It is stated that there are still 4 million eligible voters who have yet to register with the Election Commission. This represents nearly 30% of those eligible. We need people not only to talk about politics but also to act and participate in the process of democracy. This can be done by legislation and making it compulsory for all Malaysians who have come of age to vote. Some might view this compulsion as an infringement of our basic rights to choose. They say that 'choosing not to vote' is also part of human rights and making it compulsory will therefore remove this right. In my opinion, their case might hold up for Western countries where the governments are more transparent and fair. But in Malaysia, it would serve as a good way of ensuring we vote in the right leaders and prevent the ruling party from abusing the election process to suit their goals. We should educate all Malaysians to be brave, honest and truthful to ourselves. We must be brave to stand up for our rights. We must be honest and avoid giving in to the temptation of corruption. We must be truthful and admit to ourselves that our nation has not really progressed as much as we should since Merdeka. Malaysia was formed with its citizens' rights enshrined in the Constitution. If we do not practice our rights, it is a form of abuse by itself and one which is brought about by our own neglect. If we don't use our rights, it will slowly erode away with the help of an ever suppressive government. These politicians who are already in power are more than happy to help you give up your rights so that they can remain in power forever. Malaysians tend to think highly of their politicians and leaders, so much so that we are willing to ignore their wrong doings and hyper inflate their minimal achievements. It is time to change our mindset and judge them according to their actual deeds. Not many have realized it but our freedom has been continually and systematically restricted year by year since Independence. There have been so many changes in the Constitution that it is now barely recognizable. Throughout the years, the government had enacted various prohibitive acts that curtail our freedom of expression. We are now at the cross roads of our destiny. If we choose to remain silent and be led astray, our nation will regress and end in failure. If we choose to voice out our stand for justice, humanity, and equality, then we will definitely be taking a bold step towards the birth of a new era. Malaysians are tired of full stops and questions marks. After 50 years of independence, it is time we shout MERDEKA together with three exclamation marks! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!
 |
This is what we will be eating after 50 years, if we are LUCKY.
We have BN to thank for, NO??