Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Democracy - merely a cry of the excluded?

For a politician who has such a profound understanding of power, the temptation could prove irresistible, once he accedes to power, to gravitate towards the mindset, rationalisations and apologia of those ensconced in power, couched undoubtedly in the most sophisticated and persuasive of terms.

Grandeur aside, we've seen what can happen, with the "social democratic conscience" of the Barisan Nasional, how corrupting proximity to power can be, even at its fringes. It would be sad indeed, if democracy were merely a cry of the excluded.




- Chan Chee Khoon, columnist* for Malaysiakini in his The prime minister-in-waiting unclothed

* I was informed by a learned sweetie that Chan Chee Khoon is not a Malaysiakini columnist. Professor Chan is the Convenor, Health & Social Policy Research Cluster, Women's Development Research Centre (Kanita), Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Aiyoyo, my thousand apologies to the Prof, and sweetest kamsiah to the learned sweetie



One said the ‘tunnel’ could be seen if one were to look higher up the short skirts of an AirAsia stewardess – read Malaysiakini news article Wanita delegate sees red over AirAsia uniform.

Another said a woman bocor (leaks) every month – read Malaysiakini Vox Populi
'Repent, you shameful man' for his identity.

A third
said “… a hooker her high-traffic, yawning v[censored].”

Which is most graphically vulgar? Which doesn’t depend on euphemism, crude as that may be?

Yet the authors of the first two were condemned resoundingly, whilst the 3rd, the one who described the hooker with her high-traffic karng karng v[censored] has been described as the ‘salt of the earth’.

I think I hear whispers of ‘reformasi’ in the background.

In 1994 we condemned the subversion of the Sabah State elections, where Pairin’s PBS won with 2 seats majority but ended up as the opposition - all thanks to UMNO’s successful katak-isation.

In 2008, katak-isation by the same sifu has been rationalised as ‘correct’ and ‘necessary’ – “Oh, bugger it, we just can’t wait for that silly event called a general election in 5 years time!”

Did I hear faint echoes of ‘reformasi’?

A medical report or notes or whatever one may wish to term the Pusrawi doctor’s assessment of whether a patient had been sodomised, a confidential document, has mysteriously found its way into the public arena.

What? No complaints of violation of doctor-patient confidentiality from this side of the fence? No need to respect the privacy of a patient?

Read Malaysiakini report Hospital: It wasn't sodomy-related for more!

Would those mutterings behind us be about a strange creature called ‘reformasi’?

UMNO-PAS secret talks are condemned as insidious to the voice of the people (and I have been one of the critics) but PKR secret talks with some BN parties are cheered on (but not by me - hey, you know that already).



Now, what was that about 'reformasi'?

Malaysiakini reports that Anwar gives statement at religious dept. Rather than accept the challenge of the alleged sodomised victim to swear an oath on the Quran as to his innocence, Anwar has instead resorted to the Syariah Courts to complain about Saiful’s allegation of sodomy against him, a legal process called a qazaf.

The qazaf will require Saiful to front up with 4 male witnesses to the allegations of sodomy or face severe punishment if he is unable to.

Now, where are those Lina Joy’s supporters when you need them?

And Mukhriz Mahathir had opined of the Anwar’s resorting to the Syariah Court by asking: “There are leaders over there who are demanding for four witnesses (to the alleged act of sodomy). How can there be four witnesses? They would have sinned if they saw the commission of the act but did not do anything to stop it!”

I don’t know about the Lina Joy’s supporters but Charles Santiago demanded of Mukhriz: “Are you challenging Islam?”

Wait, was that a wail of ‘reformasi’ in the wilderness?

As Chan Chee Khoon has succinctly stated in Malaysiakini: “Grandeur aside, we've seen what can happen, with the "social democratic conscience" of the Barisan Nasional, how corrupting proximity to power can be, even at its fringes. It would be sad indeed, if democracy were merely a cry of the excluded."

Indeed, and as Lord Acton advised us more than a hundred years ago: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

I dread if ‘absolute power’ occurs, because we have seen what was done before.

13 comments:

  1. The only reformasi that your blog needs, is for you to reform yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been reading your blog for a while now. I shudder at all the attacks you take from PR supporters who seem to feel the world is black & white. Your point of view is shared only by a few granted (myself included), but I can't help but think that when you're being attacked by BN & PR supporters that you must be doing something right.

    Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton.

    "Power attracts the corruptible, and absolute power attracts the absolutely corruptible." - Frank Herbert, Dune.

    Both statement applies equally well here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Now, heres what i dont understand. If UMNO were really sincere, why dont they offer to merge with PAS in the states where they control! and give up the Mentri Besar-ship to PAS. Say in Johor, Negri, Trengganu , Melaka or Pahang?

    Why does it have to be in states held by Pakatan? states like Perak and Selangor ??? Why? Why??? Why??? Why???

    You can tell here its because they want to create a backdoor opening back into power, PAS should ask those UMNO dogs to join up first in those states and ask UMNO dogs to give them the Mentri Besar post and see what happens……those UMNO dogs will laugh in their faces!!!!!

    they will never give up their own states, wake UP PAS!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Parvinder Kler says "I can't help but think that when you're being attacked by BN & PR supporters that you must be doing something right." Don't know about this: if he's wrong to everyone, couldn't it be the case that he's just dead wrong? If you still want to believe him, and believe that he must be doing something right, then just go ahead. After all, even criminals have their supporters.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Q22. Only Barisan Nasional (BN) can govern Malaysia. (Fact or Fiction)
    Cuma Barisan Nasional (BN) boleh mentadbir/memerintah Malaysia. (Fakta atau Rekaan)

    Answers at http://patek1472.wordpress.com
    Jawapan di http://patek1472.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Your point of view is shared only by a few granted"

    No, it's not a few, it is a large number of people who see things the way you do - even some PKR supporters feel this way, but carry on their support for PKR due to the "give them a chance"/"we need checks and balances" momentum from before the elections. In general, these people shun the Malaysian blogosphere (or at least the political facet of it) because they are just so turned off by all the grand-standing and self-indulgent proclamations that so-and-so is the "voice of democracy in malaysia" that they decide fuck it, I'll just mind my own business.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is sensational:

    "SAC II Rodwan Met Saiful 3 Days Earlier in Room 619 Concorde Hotel, KL!!"

    RPK at M2Day at http://w3.malaysia-today.net/content/view/10560/1/

    http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. It is easy to make comments when one is a spectator. No one is perfect...
    only GOD.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So much verbiage. What's is your point?

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  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. anon of 1:06 am - if you haven't seen the 'point' of my post, then you won't be able to see it even if I were to take your hands and show you the double standard hypocrisy of the so-called 'reformasi' movement, which has repetitively demonstrated it has nothing to do with political reforms but everything to do with ambitious power struggle hopefully leading to the seizure of power (using whatever it takes), a regime change so to speak, even if the methods, tactics and campaign are as non-democratic, shameful and unsavoury as the other party's.

    ReplyDelete
  13. How patronising.

    Let me brush off he dust from my old political science books ... "politics" essentially means "power struggle".

    You think we are not aware of this struggle for power by ambitious low lifes? Whether its Republicans vs Democrats, or Conservatives vs Labor, or National vs Liberal?

    If we are a mtrued democratic country, we wold come to the conclusion that no one party is perfect. It is up to us to keep them in check. And one way is to ensure no one party stays in power too long.

    Mr KT, you need to progrss beyond your current standpoint.

    ReplyDelete