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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

No one is listening to rakyat ..they still don't get it

Can Najib help enlighten whatever happened to his promise that the government could only work best if it listened to the people?

By Jeswan Kaur

In some South Pacific cultures, a speaker holds a conch shell as a symbol of temporary position of authority. Leaders must understand who holds the conch – that is, who should be listened to and when. – writer Max De Pree

There is a reason why human beings have been blessed with two ears and one mouth – so that we listen better and speak only when need be. However, looking at the chaotic political scenario of this country, the opposite seems to be in motion.

From Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to his team of ministers, none is listening to the rakyat. These politicians seem to have made up their minds who they will lend a listening ear to.

Joining them is former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who, for reasons best known to him, has never learnt the virtue and value of being a “good listener”, both back when he lorded 22 years over the nation and now when as a “retiree”.

In Mahathir’s case, less than a week ago he accused the events of April 28 as attempts to discredit the ruling government under the Barisan Nasional flagship.

April 28 was when Bersih 3.0 came to be. Like the rest of the BN “loud hailers”, Mahathir’s take on the rally has ended up as myopic. He has blamed the opposition of trying to tarnish the good name of the BN government because the former is not confident of winning the 13th general election.

Who better than Mahathir to admit the hanky-panky that BN undertakes each time faced with an election? But then, the good doctor being the typical politician that he is, has decided to do his bit to discredit Bersih 3.0.

In Mahathir’s words: “….so they want to topple the government through the demonstration and Nik Aziz Nik Mat (PAS spiritual leader) said it is permissible to bring down the government in this manner [demonstration].

“They want to make Malaysia like Egypt, Tunisia, which were brought down through riots and now Syria… when the government does not fall, [they] can appeal to the foreign power to help and bring it down, even if it means using fire-power.

“The people must think and should not allow this thing to happen by giving a big win to the BN in the next general election.”

Does Mahathir honestly believe the people are out to topple the BN government under Najib’s leadership? The protest was all about seeking positive changes to the electoral system of this country. How on earth did Dr Mahathir jump to the conclusion that Bersih 3.0 was about turning Malaysia into Tunisia or Egypt?

Start listening, BN

Enough lies have been spread to malign the efforts to seek electoral reforms. The crux of the matter was simple – for the government to not indulge in “unhealthy” practices to win the country’s elections.

But instead the BN government revealed its true colour. Bad enough that listening to the rakyat has never been of any interest to it, the government decided to “play by its rules” – its Parliamentary Select Committee a mere whitewash, failing to resolve key issues pertaining to electoral reforms as demanded by Bersih.

Can Najib help enlighten whatever happened to his promise that the government could only work best if it listened to the people?

Why then such propaganda work to portray Bersih 3.0 and its key players as going against the establishment? The move to denounce the rally by roping in the National Fatwa Council is a step backward.

Instead of politicising the council which, in turn, politicises Islam, the nation’s dominant religion, BN has to muster the courage to engage in a series of introspection and retrospection and learn from its mistakes.

Sadly, the Umno soul-searching post-2008 that Najib talked about has not helped one bit. Like its
major “shareholder” Umno, BN too has become stagnant, unable to move in the “right” direction.

Had BN been centred on reality and actuality, the Bersih 3.0 could have been avoided. Instead, it has always been the ruling coalition’s arrogance that has made life difficult for the rakyat.

Take cognisance post-April 28

Bersih 3.0 came and went but that does not negate the fact that the people are no longer in the mood to tolerate corruption of any kind. No more sweet talks or handouts to conceal the truth. The rakyat knows it all too well already.

To continue to fool the people is an old trick that BN can no longer play. The setting up of the independent advisory panel to investigate allegations of police brutality is yet another “trick of the trade” the rakyat have become familiar with.

Only time will reveal whether it is yet another gimmick to fool the rakyat in view of the impending general election or is well-intended.

But then why the panel when the country has its own human rights commission, Suhakam? Does the BN administration worry that the commission will do a good job at unearthing the truth, hence the hastily-created panel?

Najib has said the panel would comprise “credible, experienced and respectable” individuals. Does Suhakam lack such “credentials”?

In any case, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s remark that the panel was set up to uphold the rights and freedom of Malaysians is an insult to Malaysians.

Had the rights and freedom of the rakyat been BN’s concern, the police brutality on April 28 would never dare happen.

And were the rights and freedom of Malaysians indeed been the government’s concern, the rakyat, especially the non-Malays, would have never have been treated as persona non grata.

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

42 comments:

  1. They never got it in their heads, they still don't get it and they never will.
    Let them reap what they sow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So don't waste time holding Bersih Rally, because its useless to change anything.

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    2. Baik tidak payah mengadakan perhimpunan bersih kerana tidak menampakkan apapa perubahan.

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    3. I'm not a big fan of Najib but as far as I concerned, he should be more prudent in approving anything.

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    4. It is not easy to be a PM.

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    5. Golongan awam masih tidka jelas kenapa bersih dianjurkan?

      Delete
  2. Kan sudah saya bagitau, demonstrasi bukan cara yang terbaik untuk menyelesaikan masalah. Tidak kira berapa kali Demo Bersih diadakan, keputusan tetap sama.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. byk lagi cara nak selesaikan masalah, demo bukan cara yang baik.

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    2. demonstrasi memang bukan cara penyelesaian terbaik untuk menyelesaikan masalah...rakyat ada hak mengundi..gunakanlah hak tersebut sebaiknya.

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    3. satu kali sudah cukup bagi pengajaran. tidak perlu buat 4 atau 5 kali demo Bersih ni.tetap kotor juga

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    4. Kiera, these people wouldn't stop till they get what they want. Hopefully the government would listen to the people's demand so that there wouldn't be Bersih 4.0

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    5. Orang yang tidak bertamadun sahaja yang suka mengadakan perhimpunan. Bila pemilik gerai burger mengadakan protest di depan rumah Ambiga, Ambiga memanggil polis dan juga memarahi mereka sebagai 'tidak matang'.

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    6. BERSIH is only a drama of life.

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    7. Bersih was a way to get attention from nationwide. Too bad it ended badly in KL.

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  3. Cuma ada satu cara sahaja untuk mencapai perubahan, iaitu menerusi pengundian. Perhimpunan ini hanya ada satu tujuan, untuk tunjuk perasaan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ya betul tu...perhimpunan ini hanya bertujuan untuk tunjuk perasaan..

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    2. cara baik tu tidak apa juga tapi kalau sampai ada yang cedera memang tidak patut sudah.

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    3. Tidak salah mengadakan perhimpunan aman, tetapi ini bukan sahaja tidak aman, tetapi juga melanggar undang-undang dan melibatkan orang ramai yang tidak bersalah.

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  4. pembangkang mendengar atau mempergunakan rakyat?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pelajar mahasiswa pula sudah dihasut oleh pembangkang.

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    2. It is the opposition who "batu api" the people to go against the government and cause havoc in the country.

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    3. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman assured the people that the State Government will continue to listen to issues that have an impact on the people.

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    4. You can answer it by yourself. Just look what did happened.

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    5. rakyat sendiri juga ada pendirian, mustahil pembangkang dapat menghasut dengan mudah.

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  5. rakyat sudah tahu menilai..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. rkyat harus bijak membuat penilaian dan pilihan.

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  6. I have a feeling that there is going to be BERSIH 4.0 coming our way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No need for Bersih 4.0 if they act like barbarians.

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  7. Malaysia is a multiracial country. Having the opposition to provoke the people into going against the government may cause havoc in our country.

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  8. Demo would only put the people in danger. SO the best thing is to wait for election to come and vote.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ya, lebih baik gunakan saja hak sebagai pengundi pada pru dan bukannya melakukan perhimpunan.

      Delete
  9. Lebih baik tunggu saja tarikh PRU13 diumumkan dan mengundi saja la, parti mana yang boleh membela nasib rakyat..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ya, lebih baik tunggu saja pada pru untuk tentukan pilihan masing-masing.

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  10. The next general election is vital and all in BN must ensure a strong mandate for the ruling coalition

    ReplyDelete
  11. Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) reiterated its call for the Federal Government to provide for an anti-hop law to ensure greater political stability in the country.

    Its President, Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, said all leaders shared a common stand that it is of no benefit to the country without political stability.

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  12. Sabah Umno has pledged full support to party President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who has promised to make changes in the Umno structure and the country's leadership in general.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ada juga pihak meggunakan perhimpunan ini untuk menyebabkan kekecohan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. kekecohan yang timbul menyebabkab pelbagai kesan negatif berlaku.

      Delete
  14. Demi generasi akan datang, harus juga EC memastikan PRu yang bersih dan adil.

    ReplyDelete
  15. sebarang pekara yang memberikan kesan negatif harus dijauhi.

    ReplyDelete
  16. BERSIH nampak telah melakukan kesilapan yang besar. Sehinggakan rakyat sendiri majoriti memberikan pandangan yang negatif kepada mereka.

    ReplyDelete
  17. no one listening to Ambiga 3.0..

    ReplyDelete