In a previous write-up, I suggested that it is important to understand the tiniest details of grand concepts such as democracy and electoral reforms (Who is Sovereign? The Rakyat or UMNO? ). To back up Bersih 2.0’s 8 demands for electoral reform I present some detailed case arguments for your consideration.
UMNO no longer has access to reason. It has to rely on prejudice and bigotry. Everyday on UMNO controlled TV stations, traders are interviewed to give their opinions about the Bersih 2.0 rally. Invariably they condemn the rally which they allege cost them one day's losses in revenue.
What is the tiny principle behind all these complaints of the traders? It just exposes UMNO’s value system that self-interest overrides democratic rights and justice. In UMNO’s thinking, 1 day’s losses is more important than democratic rights of citizens. When extended further, such value system and thinking creates great dangers for the country and people. When applied to the judiciary, the self-interest of UMNO VIP cronies overrides the law and justice. Is this not what we all already see before our very eyes?
Even in Kugan’s case, before incontrovertible evidence, the MMC scolds the forensic expert for giving false evidence in his autopsy report, but this is all (Malaysiakini report). The policeman scapegoat is found not guilty and the forensic expert gets away with a scolding. Meantime a man has been tortured to death and his family still awaits justice. When self-interest overrides democratic rights, the right to justice, and even the law itself, these are the dastardly things that happen. And please don’t say it does not concern you because it all happened to a 2nd class Indian pariah. Will justice also be denied the pariah Beng Hock and the pariah Sarbaini? When will it be we pariahs’ turns?
In the case of the traders complaining against Bersih 2.0, their whining shows pathetic kiahsuism. When they chose their locations for strategic value in terms of being the focal point of customers, everything else comes with the territory. This everything else also includes the possibility that demonstrators marching peacefully to express their democratic rights may choose the same locations for the same strategic reasons. The self-interest of these traders is so obsessive that it even extends to monopolizing their locality against other people with legitimate rights. These are the same people who fill parking spaces and 5 foot ways with their tables and wares and scratch your car if you happened to park in a legitimate parking space which they have somehow monopolized and claimed. When self-interest overrides the legitimate and democratic rights of others, such dastardly things happen. Unfortunately, this seems to be the same value system of UMNO and their thugs in UMNO subsidiaries, such as KIMMA and maybe even Perkasa.
Apart from whining traders, TV interviews also show students condemning the Bersih 2.0 rally saying that students should spend their time in a better way by advancing their studies and their careers. It would seem that UMNO’s education system is bringing up generations of students who selfishly think about themselves above all instead of spending some time with issues of social conscience. This means that UMNO is preparing youngsters to go into the big wide world prepared only to look after their own self interests. These are the people most likely to abuse their power and engage in corruption for their own self-interest. UMNO is screwing up a few generations of young Malaysians by turning them into its own self image.
In the west, such arguments as the above do not need to be made. All these things are well understood. That is why their democracies are dynamic and functioning well. Unfortunately in Malaysia’s case, such arguments have to be made and made frequently.
It would seem that some Malaysians – even EC officers still cannot make the obvious connection between 2 interconnected principles viz. – “no one can stop you from exercising your democratic right to vote” and “no one can stop you from exercising your democratic right to protest peacefully”. This is so hard to believe that there must be something wrong. It shows that Bersih 2.0 is absolutely justified in advancing their demands for electoral reforms because top EC officers show or pretend to show in a very suspicious way, their total lack of understanding for democratic principles.
All these things are happening right before your eyes almost everyday these days on TV stations controlled by UMNO. There is even an advertisement these days trying to use the glory of Tun Razak and trying to stick some of it on his useless son. Tun Razak tried his best to help poor and marginalized Malays. Unfortunately his useless son is only helping rich UMNO cronies who may be repaying the debt by making presents of expensive bags and diamond rings. Personally I pity Tun Razak for having such a useless son. Some dads may actually have more capable daughters.
But this is not why I brought up this issue. Who is paying for this advertisement to glorify a useless son? Tun Razak is a great man, but his useless son seems to be only good at spending public money on expensive TV advertising campaigns for his own self aggrandizement as well as employing expensive consultants both local
and foreign to advise him on how to tear gas peaceful demonstrators as well as ram a leading demonstrator with a police land rover and get away with it all, and maybe also how to use low life cronies to explain how the wind spreads this tear gas into hospitals among other things
When the TV is used for personal glorification and for UMNO’s benefit, it would seem that Bersih 2.0 is absolutely justified in making demands for electoral reforms. In fact I wish they extended their demands for electoral reforms to include reforms in the judiciary and the police as well, because, after looking at the principles behind UMNO’s corruption, it would seem Malaysia needs a lot of fixing up in a good many other proper reforms.
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