Are we ready for dissenting views?
Former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Aziz Tunku Ibrahim must realise that the good old days of when the government cared for its people is long gone.
COMMENT
PETALING JAYA: Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, the former vice chairman of DAP, would have probably realised by now that it is not easy being in politics.
Revered by many when he joined DAP, he is now treated as a traitor, who sold out on his party colleagues, and demonised by other opposition supporters for opposing Bersih 3.0′s decision to march to Dataran Merdeka.
For Tunku Aziz, the act of defying the police’s directive was act of defying the law. And he was right. The rally was illegal under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
And that prompted him to speak out against Bersih 3.0′s decision to march.
Not only has he lost his senatorship for voicing his opinion, Tunku Aziz had to resign from DAP in the midst of public anger. So much for freedom of expression!
Let us be clear about one thing, Tunku Aziz never opposed the Bersih 3.0′s calls for free and fair elections. He was only opposed to the NGO’s means of achieving its objectives.
Many readers failed to understand the difference.
It comes as no surprise why popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin spoke in defence of Tunku Aziz when die-hard opposition supporters started demonising the old gentleman.
Remember what former US president George W Bush said during the height of the war on terror, “Either you are with me or against me”.
The Tunku Aziz saga showed just how “ready” we are in accepting dissenting views.
All due processes failed
Tunku Aziz is no sell-out. Educated and nurtured during the colonial era, he is fine Malay gentleman who would not tolerate unruly behaviour from anyone, including his own party members.
He is also a man who speaks his mind.
Being a founder member of Transparency International, he is a symbol of what Malaysia used to be in the past, where the rule of law was respected by both the ruling elite and the masses.
Being of royal lineage, Tunku Aziz could have easily joined Umno in his younger days and became richer. But he chose the path to combat corruption and uphold integrity instead.
Now let us talk about Tunku Aziz’s opposition to Bersih’s insistence on holding a mass rally.
With all due respect to the gentleman, Tunku Aziz should have asked himself why Bersih 3.0 was taking to the streets to call for free and fair election instead of talking to the Election Commission.
The answer is simple, all due process engagement had failed to accomplish the necessary reforms needed to ensure our electoral system is free and fair.
Despite the complaints lodged on the many dubious names existing in the electoral roll, the Election Commission had only removed about 42,000 of the names from the list.
Let us also talk about the Parliamentary Select Committee of Electoral Reforms.
Does Tunku Aziz think that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would have established the committee if not for Bersih 2.0 march last year which was also declared illegal at the time?
Does the Tunku Aziz honestly think that the government would have established the PSC by just having tea-time meetings and receiving countless memos at the expense of chopping more trees?
Country now ruled-by-law
Tunku Aziz must understand that the good old days of post-colonial era Malaysia, in the 1960s and the 1970s, where rule of law were respected by the government and the people is long gone!
Since the 80s, the rule of law has been replaced with rule by law.
Laws are being created to subjugate dissent. The ruling elite is seen to have little regard to the people’s aspirations for better civil liberties.
The government of the day no longer think of themselves as public servants, rather they would like to think of themselves as being ordained by God to rule the masses.
In one Umno meeting, Najib had even told his members that Putrajaya must be defended “by all costs”. Does that statement stand in tandem with the rule of law?
Most Malaysians would love to avoid rallies. Our people are known to treasure their leisure time and would rather spend time with their family in malls or some other recreational area.
But when the masses start taking the streets for a cause, Tunku Aziz must start to think about what triggered these peace-loving Malaysias to forsake their own pleasure and safety to march in the city capital.
The answer is simple. The people are worried about the nation’s future.
Unlike Tunku Aziz who may be nostalgic of the Malaysia of the past, the current generation knows that the era of Tunku Abdul Rahman is long gone and we are governed by self-serving politicians.
As far as breaking the law is concerned, yes, thousands of Malaysian were guilty of breaking the law on April 28 but one question must be asked, are they all criminals?
I beg to differ.
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