Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bersih 2.0: All heads must rise to the challenge
- Honorable Prime Minister, perception is not reality for you?
- Malaysia: Arrest Sudanese President wanted for war crimes
- Open Letter to the IGP
| Bersih 2.0: All heads must rise to the challenge Posted: 13 Jun 2011 01:23 PM PDT The very government that preaches that it is a fair and just government warns of dire consequences if the rakyat proceed with Bersih 2.0 to express their anchored support for justice and fairness in governance. The Bersih Rally 2.0 is not a political rally. It is about democracy and civil liberties – the very fundamentals that this nation earned its independence from. By J. D. Lovrenciear The announced Bersih Rally 2.0 is already gaining much momentum as well as generating some heat. The President of the Malaysian Bar Council must indeed be commended. A lady of resolute will, her passion for justice is exemplary. Likewise, the newly minted Mat Sabu is a lion at heart. His immediate announcement of pledging 300,000 citizens to the planned peaceful march for justice encapsulates this man's commitment to society and its ethical existence. On the other extreme we have voices crying out against holding this rally that is a signature event of Malaysians' demand for fair and clean elections. Some betray their very voices by making irresponsible statements. Others are giving extremely self-centered reasons why they do not want the rally to proceed. Meanwhile, the very government that preaches that it is a fair and just government warns of dire consequences if the rakyat proceed with Bersih 2.0 to express their anchored support for justice and fairness in governance. The Bersih Rally 2.0 is not a political rally. Far from it, it is also not the 'opposition' camps' revolution. It is about democracy and civil liberties – the very fundamentals that this nation earned its independence from. Hence, heads of every faction of society must also rise to the challenge proactively. Religious heads – be they be Muslims, Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs – all of them must express their stand through public and press statements. Heads of religions cannot disassociate themselves from the Bersih Rally 2.0 by maintaining that this has nothing to do with religion. Yes and no. Yes because it is not about the teachings and practices of one's faith. No because it involves basic human justice on earth. It is about ensuring that God's creation is not the victim of mortal man's deceit and sin. Hence the Heads of religion must make their stand announced. Likewise, Presidents and Heads of professional bodies must make an official statement of what and where they stand. They cannot stray away and claim that Bersih 2.0 has nothing to do with their professional institutions. On the contrary, it has everything to do with professionalism and professional conduct. It is about justice. It hinges on ethics. When justice and ethics are compromised, there is zero professionalism. The same too goes for NGOs. You cannot absolve yourself from Bersih 2.0 because you cannot live up to your NGO principles in an environment that is devoid of justice and fairness. So you too need to make a stand on behalf of your members. The bottom-line is this is not about politics or politicking. This is not about opposition or ruling political parties. This Bersih 2.0 is about the fundamental right of live on this planet. It is about humanity. It is about the very conduct of our journey here on earth for a live hereafter. If we do not correct what is wrong before our eyes; if we do not partake in and through peaceful means an agenda for the good of citizens and visitors; if we divorce ourselves from the realities of life surrounding us; if we cannot work together for the betterment of the nation's governance – then all else is lost. And the price we must pay will be high while still journey in life, failing which we will be held accountable in the hereafter. Whether we are on the BN side or the opposition camp; whether we are political or a-political; whether we are professionals or otherwise; young or old; rich or poor – as long as we are Malaysians we owe each other that duty to come together in the best interest of government, opposition and all those who promise and hope for better day tomorrow. That better day and hope is anchored in justice. For the world of tomorrow is going to built not on rising towers and spanking highways alone. Instead the future currency of progress and peace is one that is fashioned after true democracy, civil liberties and ethical principles. The just world has dawned and we must all be a part of that endeavor. And drawing a leaf from Barack Obama: For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we've been told we're not ready or that we shouldn't try or that we can't, this generation of Malaysians has responded with a simple creed that best sums up the spirit of a people – Yes, we can. Yes, we can. And together, we – all Malaysians, will begin the next great chapter in the Malaysian story, with three words that will ring from coast to coast: Yes, we have. And with that we will eventually march into our 13th General Election without suspicion and disputes to witness the emergency of a champion who will be accepted without arguments as our elected government by the people, for the people and with the people. It can be BN again. It can be PR as well. Or it could even be a BN-PR coalition. But it is an honorable battle fought with exemplary justice and fairness. Hence, in a nutshell, every citizen of Malaysia must share in this role for a just and fair election. Not just leaving it to the government of the day. Not just pinning their hope on the opposition alone. Not abstaining with a mindset 'it is none of my business'.
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| Honorable Prime Minister, perception is not reality for you? Posted: 13 Jun 2011 01:10 PM PDT By J. D. Lovrenciear If you say perception is not reality, are you then suggesting that it is an illusion?
What the Prime Minister certainly misses very grossly is that perception is not plucked from the thin air. Neither is it a blinded vision inflicted by others. Perception is not all about what people just think about an issue. It is a precipitate of experiences stretching over periods of time. It is all about one's experiences about what you say, do, do not say and do not do. In short, the rakyat's perceptions about you and/or BN are a result of your thoughts, words and deeds over time. Further, his and his BN coalition's numerous attempts to re-orientate the public perception that is not favorable to the BN parties, as owed up by the PM himself, appears to hinge on propaganda instead of educating the rakyat. As Everett Martin (1929) points out, education aims at independence of judgment whereas propaganda offers ready-made opinions for the unthinking masses. Of course it is clearly understandable why the PM is taking this option. Educating the masses takes time as it is a slow process involving human development and thinking. The government cannot afford this given the imminent General Elections. So rather than teach or tell people how to think, the only option is to tell people what to think. In short, it is all about 'mass effects'. Now that is not perception management. It is pure propaganda. The symptoms that are cascading like a deluge from the BN quarters clearly affirm that propaganda is the preferred modus operandi. As pointed out by Jay Black (2001): One, we are witnessing an undue reliance on authority figures and spokespersons to affect people's thinking rather than using empirical validation to establish truths and conclusions. Two, is the fixed view of people, institutions and situations into broad, all inclusive categories of friends of BN and enemies of BN that is often held by BN and its leaders. And three, a greater emphasis on conflict rather than on cooperation among people, institutions and situations. The ongoing anti-Bersih 2.0 stances are fine examples here. Rather than take the propaganda highway, the Prime Minster should have been better advised by his hired public relations bandwagon that persuasion would have been a more justifiable route. Why persuasion and not propaganda? As Thomas H. Bivens (2004) explains, "persuasion is not unethical by nature. Instead, it is time-honored, democratic tradition based on guidelines formulated by the Greeks over 2,000 years." But that persuasive communication must be anchored on solid evidence that is transparent and can withstand the test of time. In other words truth, nothing but the truth matters if persuasive communication is to succeed within the perimeters of ethics. The TARES Test, i.e. the five principles of ethical persuasion (Sherry Baker and David L. Martinson; 2001) must be fully subscribed by the PM and his BN. For the benefit of the Honorable PM and his team-mates, here are the five principles: to be truthful at all times; the spokesperson or mouthpiece must be authentic; the persuader must respect the rakyat whom he or she intends to influence; there must be equity in the persuasive appeal; and social responsibility must be exercised for the common good. Hence, perhaps the Honorable instead of lambasting that perception is not reality, he should have humbly borrowed a leaf from Barack Obama who wrote in his "A more perfect Union": I believe that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our (political) union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction – towards a better future for (you and me), our children and our grandchildren. And with that, join the rakyat in its Bersih 2.0 rally. Or at the least, give the rakyat your full assurance that you will guarantee their safety.
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| Malaysia: Arrest Sudanese President wanted for war crimes Posted: 13 Jun 2011 06:27 AM PDT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE The Malaysian government should immediately withdraw its invitation to Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, and arrest him if he travels to Malaysia, Amnesty International said today. The Malaysian government announced yesterday that President al-Bashir will participate in the Langkawi International Dialogue, an economic forum being held in Malaysia from 19 to 21 June 2011. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
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| Posted: 12 Jun 2011 11:13 PM PDT
So I am quite certain you must be rather pleasantly overwhelmed by the show of support you will receive from an anticipated potpourri of 300,000 Malaysians on the 9th of July. You must be sighing with relief that this outpouring of anxiety from so many right-minded and law-abiding citizens will hopefully make your job a little easier. Dear Mr. IGP, I trust you and the Missus are both well and in the pink of health. I am sure you must have heard about the upcoming Bersih rally planned for Saturday the 9th July. You must be as excited as everyone else over this remarkable event. Isn't it wonderful that hundreds of thousands of Malaysians of all races are planning to come together with such unprovoked and genuine ease with the sole purpose of showing their support for such a noble cause as this one. Yes, that's right, showing the world that we, as concerned citizens, do not condone chicanery in any form. We are trying to make the point that all the cheating and unfairness that goes on in our parliamentary and state elections is actually wrong. We want to make it known to the world at large and to the Election Commission in particular that all these wrongs must be righted because this is actually an issue involving criminal law, which I know you are good at so you will appreciate the necessity for all this. This is why I am so thankful to you for your anticipated offer of assistance to these true blue Malaysian patriots who will no doubt have to sacrifice quite a bit that day, like giving up a hard earned weekend, walking around in the hot sun, or pouring rain (you know what our weather is like) for no personal benefit other than their concern for the general well being of our country. Don't you think that is so commendable? I know you do. I also know that you are personally very concerned that all these wrongdoings which happen every time we have an election should not only be stopped immediately but eradicated forever. We just can't continue to turn a blind eye to all the bribery and corruption that goes on every time an election is held. You know I am referring to all those cash payments made to buy ballot papers from voters, monetary inducements, threats, blackmail, gifts, promises of financial assistance, misuse of public funds and government machinery etc etc. I am sure you are just as frustrated as everyone else is, having to put up with this nonsense every time. So I am quite certain you must be rather pleasantly overwhelmed by the show of support you will receive from an anticipated potpourri of 300,000 Malaysians on the 9th of July. You must be sighing with relief that this outpouring of anxiety from so many right-minded and law-abiding citizens will hopefully make your job a little easier. What a relief you must also feel knowing you have the support you so deservedly need in doing your duty to combat this ever present menace without having to look over your shoulder every so often. Take courage in the fact that the rakyat are behind you. As you are new to this game please permit me to assist you a little. I hope I am not being a little too presumptuous here. Excuse me if I am. You see, your predecessors actually stuffed up big time on many occasions. We have to try and avoid past mistakes. This time we are going to do things right. May I therefore suggest that you consider putting the following in place in an effort to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly on that glorious day: 1. You will need to deploy extra police personnel to monitor the procession and to assist those who are taking part. You will need to have your men stationed at intervals along the route to ensure that the participants are protected from trouble makers who may be out to disrupt the peace and tranquility of the day. (There's always the odd whacko around – see points 10 and 11 below). 2. Therefore I suggest that you give instructions to all your men to volunteer to forgo the incessant assaulting of detainees, with sand filled rubber hoses and telephone directories, in all lock ups in and around KL for just one afternoon and instead put in a mass order for pizza delivery to keep these detainees happy while your men man the streets. 3. It might also be a good idea to rope in some plain clothes detectives provided of course they are able to disengage themselves from shooting unarmed teenagers at angles of 45 degrees through their respective heads, for just a few hours. I am sure they wouldn't mind…..the detectives I mean, not the unarmed teenagers. Actually, come to think of it, everyone would be happy, so it's a win-win situation. 4. As a further gesture of good will, I think it would be a good idea to set up drink stalls along the route as the participants might get thirsty and would welcome a cool glass of iced lemon tea prepared by the Police Wives Association. Better still, try and get some of that duty free beer you serve in the police messes and sell cans to the marchers at discounted prices. Can you now appreciate all that goodwill you will be creating? 5. Don't bother sending out instructions to the FRU boys. No one likes them. Tell them to take the weekend off. The last time your predecessor sought their assistance they got it all wrong. They started spraying peaceful marchers with water from cannons mounted on the back of their trucks. This created a horrible mess. People got drenched to their underwear and the roads became awfully slippery. Worse still some idiot thought it was a good idea to put mace into the water. Well let me tell you, that did not do anything for police/rakyat relations. Bad bad PR. Can't let it happen again. 6. Which brings me on to the next issue. This tear gas thing. It isn't cool. It may be entertaining for you guys to make people cry but most of us do not find it funny. It is also terribly passé. Lets move on. Your FRU guys watch too many TV action movies. That's why they should be kept away. We can do without the melodramatics. 7. It might also be a good idea (public perception and all), to perhaps make a short speech at the beginning of the rally, explaining the virtues of a truly democratic society and the role the police play in ensuring that the principles of such a society are protected by the guardians of the peace (that's you guys) without fear or favour, everyone being equal in the eyes of the law and that you will leave no stone unturned in your forces' pursuit of justice and fair play, or something along those lines. Again good PR. 8. Parking issues. There will be a rather large number of vehicles entering KL with participants as occupants therein and they will need to park their cars somewhere. So instead of setting up road blocks on all the major arteries entering KL (like you guys did the last time) and causing massive traffic jams, perhaps we need to allocate designated car parks near the rally route to make things easier for the participants. Just set aside some 'padangs' for the afternoon. You may need to inform all those VIPs who can't seem to travel anywhere without an escort of at least 9 out riders to just stay home for the day. You will then free up much needed traffic police personnel to help direct traffic instead. 9. You will also have to get used to the colour yellow. Everyone will be wearing a yellow T-shirt. If your men spot someone wearing one wandering around aimlessly, just point him or her in the direction of the rally meeting point. Take a cue from the tourist police in all those glossy adverts depicting lost Mat Sallehs holding maps on the streets of our capital city. You know, the smiling 'Cik Konstable' in her rather dashing tudung indicating politely in a culturally acceptable fashion, with an outstretched thumb, where the Telekom tower is. That's the way to do it. 10. Now there will most likely be trouble makers present. You have to make sure these are the guys who are loaded into the back of hot and sweaty black mariahs, not the peaceful protestors. You will be able to identify the 'baddies' quite easily by the glazed and blank looks on their faces. Most will be wearing bandannas and sunglasses and will be found shouting incoherent profanities aimed at no one in general whilst waving yellow white and red flags. If your men spot a severed cows head or a Molotov cocktail or two, then that will be a dead giveaway. These are the ones you need to arrest even if they try camouflaging themselves in yellow T-shirts. 11. Especially of concern to you will be a gentleman who has made it clear he is going to try and wreak havoc by inciting discord. If you have been reading the news in the blogs recently you will have no trouble identifying him. This man is a menace. He needs to be shipped out to a remote island somewhere so he can rant and rave to himself. I have no idea how he managed to become a parliamentarian. I think this is what the Bersih rally is about. 12. When the rally is over, don't just let things fizzle out. You will have a huge number of Malaysians in one place and at the same time. Encourage this 'muhibbah' spirit further by organizing a massive get together at Dataran Merdeka with live bands playing and buffet tables set up all around the padang serving local delicacies and refreshment. How to fund this you may ask? Not a problem. I hear Mr. Rais Yatim has a few million bucks to spend on cultural events. Just give him a quick phone call. I am quite certain he will fall over himself to donate towards such an important occasion, especially when it involves encouraging inter racial and inter cultural congeniality. I think that's what his ministry is supposed to be doing anyhow. When the party is finally over, after the crowds have dispersed and a dawn of a new day breaks, I have no doubt in my mind that you will feel a much better person for your most honourable contribution to such a worthy cause. You will be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing you have done the right thing. Your descendants will hold you in high esteem for being instrumental in helping bring the change this country so desperately needs. And when you are living out your twilight years sitting in a wicker chair on your verandah, in your 'pagoda' singlet with a sarong wrapped around your waist, you will look back on this auspicious day with pride in your heart and you will say to yourself "I wouldn't have done things any differently". Syabas my good man. Yours sincerely, Mat Malaysia
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