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.