The circumstances in which both SD1 and SD2 have come about depict a sad state of affairs.
A complete break down of Rule of Law.
Not even rule by law, but by plain lawlessness.
The incessant discussions in cyberspace now on the merits or otherwise of either SD tells me one thing : a total loss of confidence in our system of administration of justice.
SD1 and SD2 reminds me of the events of 1998.
Remember Sukma being taken into custody and shortly after pleading guilty, only later to cry foul that he had been bullied into confessing to a crime he says he never did?
Remember Munawar?
Nallakarruppan?
Remember how Anwar’s corruption trial turned principally on police testimony of their ‘turning over’ witnesses?
Yes, it sickens, as much now as it did then in 1998.
So why do we find ourselves re-visited by this curse?
Or did it never leave us?
What, could we then do nothing to nip this cancer in its infancy?
Powerless?
Or we chose to look away? We did not want to know? We had our lives, our children, our jobs, our friends?
We were not found wanting, and so we did nothing, and in the comfort of our own little world, we fashioned our justifications for doing nothing, without any thought for the have-nots who were just too busy trying to make it through the day to give a thought to what was happening.
What did we do then, in 1998?
I’m ashamed to say I did nothing.
And so, in 1998, in the battle that ensued for political power between the doyen and his recalcitrant understudy, as we looked away, our institutions fell by the wayside, one by one.
Nothing was spared.
Not the judiciary, not the prosecution, and not the police.
In total shambles.
Because we looked away.
I can never undo the sin of my silence.
All I can do is to never go that way again.
To never look away again.
Yesterday, this blog carried a hard-hitting post.
I struggled with it because I know Marina and, yes, on a personal level, I do like her.
And yet, as I read and re-read Marina’s post to decide whether to post Helen’s piece, 1998 came back to haunt me.
That we all looked away.
Marina wrote that she does not ‘have time to keep up with all these shenanigans’.
Well, I fear that these ‘shenanigans’ are the clearest signs that, post 8th March, nothing has really changed and that we, as a nation, are slowly slipping into a dark dismal abyss from which we may never be able to extricate ourselves.
As Thor said in a comment at 3.19pm to that post :
‘…should we all turn our backs on what is happening now as if none of it concerns us? that all this is is just two politicians and their supporters mud-slinging? like i said earlier, there is a real crisis of confidence in our public institutions, the police, the judiciary, the AG’s office etc etc. it is all tied up with the acrimony between anwar and najib. and it is all very much a legacy of the old doctor who will not behave like a statesman. we switch off on all of this — at her & the star’s behest — at our own peril’
I approved the post never intending it to be hurtful, but realising that, for me, it said what needed to be said.
It became the voice of those who never have enough and so cannot give their time in this ongoing fight to reclaim this country for its people, appealing to you and I that, we, who do not go wanting for anything, should not look away.
Michelle, commenting to that post at 10.22am today, said :
‘As it says on the quote on the banner, we are here in our efforts to become law-makers and that’s how, or rather the point of People’s Parliament, taking back the power from our so-called benefactors and realising that we have a say in this government, as the rakyat…What can we, the members of People’s Parliament, get out of this post? Because, this isn’t a personal blog. It is a community blog, it is run by Haris and moderated by him, but he has always maintained it to be a platform for all.
Michelle is right on all counts.
This blog has never been about me, and it has been about taking back this nation for its people.
All its people.
What, Michelle asks, can we take from yesterday’s post?
Do not look away.
As I post on this blog for you, and I moderate on this blog for you, if there were any shortcomings in that post yesterday in the way that it was said, I apologise. I moderated it and so I had the final say.
For its content, though, I offer no apology. I stand by it.
I would like to move on from that post, please.
We have a nation to take back and to govern.
su
July 8, 2008
Somehow I feel that this recent week of absolute insanity has taken its toll on most of us. The “blogger strike” and the post on Marina was probably the icing on the cake.
You said:What … can we take from yesterday’s post? Do not look away
I second that.
And what can we take from last week’s chaos? That we the rakyat have been sidelined again in their battle for power and political survival.
I have just added this quote to my own blog, and I leave it hear for you to ponder:
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.
lpplmala
July 8, 2008
How do have confident in our Police?I just heard today (Tuesday, 8/7/2008) NTV7 8.00pm news qoute ” the CID Director believe that Bala is out Of the country” You mean our country has no Immigartion control ? No wonder , we had millions of illegal immigrant in the country. You mean a person of Authority can simply issue a press statement without facts, just like coffee shop gossip ? No wonder crime rates keep going up and cases go unsolve. No need CSI investigaion . Just base on BELIEVE . I believe also our PM said Najid is not guilty so all no need to investigate, just base on believe is good enough for the country. I also believe Anwar is not guilty.End of story. Life go on.
Su
July 8, 2008
Thanks Harris.
I was upset with Helen’s post cos it got too personal. But you brought it back to the right track. I second your post today. Just wish that we should focus on issues and not personallity. If we respect each other then there’s hope for us to achieve Malaysia for Malaysian .
To the other su can you provide link to your blog? I will like to read and learn from your writing.
Su,
The other su’s blog is on my blogroll. Check out ‘I am Malaysian’.
rajraman666
July 8, 2008
The PM accuse bloggers as rumous moggers.
The PM said bloggers is unstabilising the country.
The PM said we are the liars.
The PM said we break all the rules of RUKUNEGARA.
Well MR.PM.
All this while your cronies and BARISAN LINK MSN sodomised our brain.
THE PANDORA BOX OPEN – BY BLOGGERS.
If not because of bloggers can i get full view of Mr.Correct2 tape – nope.
If the bloggers dont come out with some basic information about this you call as BOLIH LAND actually i leaving in TAK BOLIH LAND.
CAN THE PEOPLE VIEW THE THUGS IN UNIFORM?
RAJRAMAN.please continue for me someone.I am sick and tired of the denial mode of BOLIH LAND LEADER.
MR.PM – the only thing i respect you because you still allow us to voice out not like MM,but your cronies is openly said we are the thugs.
rajraman666
July 8, 2008
Dont bother about the others haris.
Let them strike.
Hearsay some of the bloggers already bought over.
rajraman.
Joey
July 8, 2008
I am disappointed at the call to strike.. which is exactly what you have called it.. turning away! this is not the time nor place to call it a day. we have only just started..and we need to move on, to plough on and to surge ahead. Its never easy, we never expected it to be a 100 days effort..to restore our damaged institutions, the credibility of government, it will need an all out revolution. And I say for sure, the wheels of this revolution have already started with the political tsunami of March 8. For those who have lost faith, lack stamina, I say go and re-energise yourselves, while the rest of us must fight on, seizing each day as it comes, making progress each day, however little it is, but surely making positive progress in this revolution to rid ourselves of the corrupt, the wicked, the scums of our society.
I say to all right thinking Malaysians.. lets surge ahead… WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING.. we are tough enough…lets not look away.
matt
July 8, 2008
Well harris you sometimes can’t beat them all, at times my wife will ask me why do i bother to comment, my answer simple you have to speak your mind.Harris at least you have created a platform for the lesser beings like me to vent our feelings on what is happening to our wonderful country Malaysia.For that my friend i say a big thank you and god bless.
matt,
God bless us all
Crankshaft
July 8, 2008
Ah. Funny you should mention it. I know a lot about a 6-letter word called APATHY.
sambal muncha
July 8, 2008
Benevolent response, Sam.
I agree, let’s move on, there’s work to be done.
I believe MM’s ‘strike’ was merely a symbolic gesture in expressing her frustration. I don’t reckon for a second that she or any of the other ‘on strike’ bloggers could actually stay away from speaking out on what is a judicial, law and order and political crises in this country we call home.
Peace.
Peace to you
Hahaha
July 8, 2008
We do not practice pure democracy in this wonderful land of ours. We are forced to accept the so-called guided democracy by the corrupted government. The most frightening thing is we allow ourselves to be wrongly guided and be sodomized. The rakyats have now come to the realization, we were fooled once too often and we are going to make a stand…..come what may. Cowards and pretenders, please stand aside!
Hahaha,
There is room, and much work, for the brave, and not so brave in this, the people’s struggle..
Let’s be inclusive and encourage, not push away.
Sam Sambal
July 8, 2008
Your note is inspirational. Thank you. I will continue to do what I can and what I must and what is right and what is fair without fear for our country in my own small ways.
God bless
toyolbuster
July 8, 2008
Bro Haris,
You owe no apologies to no one. Thats what blogging is all about. Its your home and you have your own thoughts and opinions to share within your own turf. It is normal for siblings in the same family to argue or even quarrel among themselves over issues that they can’t agree on. But that doesn’t mean they don’t love each other or fend for each other in times of need. Marina is a fantastic lady and have done lots for charity and the less fortunates. She can afford to take a back seat every now and then, and yet not many can claim to have done more than her on social works. Though I don’t agree with the strike, but I am sure Marina would not sit back when she has something to say.
Beh Sai Kong
July 8, 2008
The key issue we face is governance or rather bad governance. The powers that be have robbed us blind. They hold all the cards: police, judiciary, press and media, everything that matters. Besides the case of turning SD1 into SD2, they warned people off the Protes Rally, they set up road blocks, they forced the rally into a small stadium. Then the following day the DPM and Home Minister can sneer at us and coolly tell us that Protes has failed because the attendance was small. Such people cannot and must not be allowed to get away with their crimes and hypocrisy. Their insincerity should be exposed and challenged. Fed up? Yes, you bet I am fed up. Fed up of these powers who control all our resources and all the apparatus of state and all the MSM. March 08 is just the beginning. In any long distance race, for sure some will stop by the wayside. The rest must not look back and let the temptation to follow them overcome us. Keep running or else lose everything we fought for and achieved on March 08. I confess and will always regret I did not go to the Kelana Jaya Stadium. Malays stood the ground and turned up by the thousands. Us Chinese, we copped out. This must never happen again.
tzarina
July 9, 2008
The first time I read Marina’s post, I realized what she was doing. The issue of the SDs and sodomy accusation came too close for comfort, as she is the daughter of the devil who started the ball rolling in 98.
Instead of taking a stand, she pleaded “being fedup of it all”. In a way, she was torn between her father, and the country. She chose her father.
However, what I do not understand is this nonsense about bloggers on “strike”. How can the MSM claim that a couple of people like Marina and Rocky represent the entire blogosphere? It shows how utterly ignorant the MSM is on the fundamentals of blogs.
People like me blog about the government and Malaysian issues because this is our only outlet to vent our frustrations. At least we feel like we are doing something by reaching out to the wider Malaysian public. Instead of doing NOTHING.
So to all political bloggers out there, Congratulations. Together, we are slowly yet successfully shifting the paradigm of the Malaysian mentality of “tidak apa”, towards a more united and transparent democracy. If we keep pushing with the might of truthful words, we will eventually achieve victory. Merdeka!
I like chopin
July 9, 2008
Dear Brother Haris,
Back in 1997 we had a very bad financial crisis.Many people were affected and it took them many years to recover from that disaster and rebuild their lives.
Many people suffered heavy lossess in the share market,in business ventures or in property investments.
People got retrenched by the thousands,many were driven to suicide and many more were harrassed by loan sharks and banks or inundated by legal letters.Life for many had became a hell,more so if you have a family to support and with no help coming your way.
I am not giving an excuse here for looking away but this is the landscape in 1997 and 1998 and I am one of those badly hit.Therefore,when I read in the papers of Anwar’s sodomy case and how the judiciary was manipulated by the govt,what can I do except to heave a heavy sigh of regret?
As for Marina’s call for a strike,it was her blog and her right but I wish she was more sensitive.She lamented about the high cost of living and the recent political bickerings which was actually a result of her dad’s misrule. If I am in her shoes,I would keep quiet and feel ashamed instead of sounding like a spoilt brat.
So,in a way,Helen is not wrong but she should be more tactful in her criticism.As for you,Brother Haris,bravo for standing by her post.Offending to some but at least she has the courage to whack the privileged first daughter.
And yes,if we did not do anything in 1998,then let us do something now.Tell us how and lead us in taking back the nation.
God bless Malaysia!!
justicescales
July 9, 2008
Excellent article, yes, we must not stand idly by while the institutions of the country are crumbling before our very eyes. Aided in their destruction by a utterly useless PM. Saw him on telly at putrajaya outdoors standing next to Najib and declaring the treachery of bloggers. His rate of speech is ten times slower than his usual slow poke speech when he doesnt read from a script. Incredible. March 8 is like water off a duck’s back for these guys. All christians must pray for this man to go, remember the prophet Habakuk!
Oneman
July 9, 2008
Hear, hear, Haris.
But I must say that the “don’t look away” message never quite come across in that offending piece.
So okay, we move on.
guy fawkes
July 9, 2008
it all about submarine commission.that not kacang putih bizness. it’s as big as C4 explosion.
” it all about perception in politic” as told by the PRESSMAN AND RAKYAT SODOMIZER WONG CHUN WAI.
our UMNO goons are trying so hard to malaysia look like DISNEYLAND and UMNO the ultimate numero uno party.
Corruption has drain these country and chief corrupter UMNO will control & spin any media to protect their image.
From manipulation of press, propanganding, tarnishing cybernews and blaming bloggers. warning from home ministry. hacking on malaysia today. police and AG. these stupid UMNO goverment will try all means to stop all negative perception of the leaders ,party and goverment from the preception of the rakyat.
if they were survive this terms, they will be humilated in the next election, the rakyat would rally even to the rural area , the deepest jungle to bring them down.
so u can blame them , they are try to build Fantasia and busy do plastic surgery, applying botox and any means to make them look good but they forget to take care of the bottomline of the Rakyat
Hahaha
July 9, 2008
Bro Harris,
I appreciate your guidance, it is my frustrations that overcame me.
No worries, bro
mwrmmg
July 9, 2008
People have choices.
I’m not sure if we can equate what happened in 98 with the events of last week. That is why I’m just looking to see what will happen next. The protagonist seems to be more on Anwar this time, though some may argue he’s just defending himself ( from just one police report).
People aren’t looking away. Mostly are looking at Anwar, which ever way they like.
Snap election in 99, saw mainly the malay looked the other way.
On March 8, more looked the other way, not so much because of these shenanigans. (And partly the so called 98 protagonist asked to )
Today, most people are not sure what to look for.
Too confused. So maybe, some will still look away.
Its their choice.
mwrmmg
July 9, 2008
BTW,
since you asked where’s Nalla, here’s a post on you tube.
Posted just before the 12th GE…. hmmm
Avtaran
July 9, 2008
We speculate on what has transpired over the last few days.
Many have made up their minds that the authorities are the sole villains. I feel Anwar is no better. If Anwar has any damn evidence or concrete facts, just release it. He is being very irresponsible in doing things the way he is now. What is the good in it?
Is not Anwar trying to play God and at the same time conceal evidence ( if he has any)?
Its just bloody politics and nothing else and it is sickening. And as a citizen all this leaves me quite numb.
But I do not feel its the same as 1998. Back then we had a government under a single leader.
Response : We had a leader? Dr M? Surely you jest!
Today we have a government that does not seem to have a leader and it appears to be a free for all, including the opposition who are running circles around the BN. Indeed we are worst of today and what with information overload in the form of speculation, uncertainty and potential chaos. We are in a time where perception is everything – not facts or the truth.
We are a nation in crisis.
And will someone tell Anwar that the Pakatan Rakyat won because of the BN’s own folly and not because we love the Pakatan Rakyat. If he loves the country he should stop playing games. We need stability and to move forward. There is a lot to be done.
Michelle Gunaselan
July 9, 2008
Thank you Paps! Finally, some reason and getting back to the business at hand! That’s all I needed to hear, to not look away, to not get personal, but most importantly, to continue being productive and setting forth into the wilderness and being better at governing this nation.
Amen.
tarings
July 9, 2008
The catch is, if we stopped looking away, we could be looking over our shoulders. This is the Malaysian dilemma. This perception, whether justified or otherwise, hinders the people’s march towards gaining control of the country. But is labeling those walking away cowards and pretenders fair?
We can shout ‘people should not be afraid of the government but the government should be afraid of the people’ all we want in cyberspace. Being very brave in the comfort of our terraced pen. The real McCoy. But walking the talk? Yes, all struggles require sacrifices. In struggles, a few died in vain while others became martyrs. Despite both fighting for the same cause.
How do you convince the cowards and the pretenders to march towards a just society? How do you convince them that they would not be in vain?
I don’t know. But if a few of them burly plainclothes ganged up on me, I’ll be rattled just the same. Hope I won’t pee my pants. Hate to see the children looking away.
tarings,
As I responded to another comment, there is room in this people struggle for the brave and the not so brave. So there is no need to label anyone a coward.
Let’s just all do what we can each do.
We only know whether we each have what it takes to stand up to that burly cop if and when it actually happens. Let’s just hope we never have to find out.
pavlova
July 9, 2008
Haris,
Your piece here has provoked much thought within me.
I’m a bit ambivalent about how much can the people do.
It’s one of those “catch-22″ situations where, if you don’t care, then the whole system goes downhill; but if you do care, everything and everyone around you is sacrificed ( in one way or the other).
You see, I struggle to understand, whether do Malaysians truly want democracy? Does Malaysians truly want freedom of speech??
Yes, the March 8 elections spoke out a lot, but did that mean the people were more engaged after that?
Perhaps yes, but there is still a large number of them who preferred to go back to their lives.
When an opinion is cast, if it hurts the bone, then people get angry and defensive.
If we can’t tolerate a simple thing such as freedom of speech, can we be mature enough to handle democracy ( and transparency)?
Mind you, I’m not advocating for corruption, cronyism and nepotism, but the culture and mindset of people have to change.
But by and large, (pardon me for saying this) we do have a “selfish” mentality out there. Maybe I’m one of them too… in fact I have been labelled “unpatriotic” and “selfish” by those people closest to me, so perhaps I am…
I guess to move forward, we have to get rid of all these mindsets and start thinking of the common good. Right now, we can’t even get people to care about their own neighbourhood, how can we get them to care about the nation??
pavlova,
Life under a system of authoritarian rule tends to make people look out for themselves only.
We, as a nation, will have to slowly begin to unlearn this very selfish, self-defeating trait.
It will take time.
We must be the catalyst of that slow change.
The trick, as I see it, is that we must not wait for others to get on the bandwagon before we begin to bring about this change.
We cannot be disheartened if others are slow to pick up the baton and run with us.
In short, any change in us must be unconditional. It cannot be conditioned on the next person also changing.
artic turban
July 9, 2008
harris, this is off your subject matter but still salient, here is bung the dung head with his unparlimentary gesture, lets demand for his suspension.
Watch this for evidence. Bung the Dung cannot escape now!
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxy7ji65K0o
Thanks, bro.
Have just put this usefull link up in a post.
Keep the info coming in.
Meng
July 9, 2008
Somehow I am fascinated with the words “brave, and not so brave” Many would clap when they see a so call brave one but for the not so Brave some would not even lift their eyebrows and they are seen as passengers.
A majority of the raayat are middle income earners and I should say they are the ones who are not so brave. (though some are seen as brave ones among them) They are handicapped of their want in their livelihood. With the high of cost of living they have to slog like a dog to keep their families going. BUT mind you they are a force behind the scene that spread the blogs messages in coffee shops, mamak stalls and hawkers centers and these messages spread and eventually go right to the interior of villages and kampomgs.
But when the chips are down and cluthching a straw, enough is enough, they would emerge braver then the so called brave as seen in the Cheras road blocks removal. They were threatened and beaten and yet went ahead to remove it.
The last stadium gathering, all those attended, could we say they are all the brave ones???
No, they are passengers or not the braves one but waiting to explode when forced into a corner and would emerge braver.
Meng,
Points well taken.
sunwayopal
July 9, 2008
Its very simple really. And the powers to be does not realise it. To kill the blogging community and to stop the people reading and listening to bloggers , all thats needed is a very simple step and the longer they procrastinate or is unwilling to do it, the more will people turn to blogging news.
They have to let the main stream media free totally and outlaw ownership in any form of main stream media by political parties. Only when the news in main stream media truly ‘independent’ with reporting of news without fear or favour, will then the blogging community be irrelevant!
Until then, any talk of strikes is pure nonsense!!
crower
July 9, 2008
1. You can’t stop people from blogging. You can’t stop people from reading blogs. You can’t stop people from commenting in blogs.
2. I read all kinds of media. Mainstream or off stream media. Each item that I read, I take it with a pinch of salt. I don’t believe 100% what the mainstream media is reporting. Same thing, I don’t believe 100% what I read in blogs. That’s because I’m a human being, and like all others, I am born with my rights to choose and to think.
Avtaran
July 9, 2008
Yes, Haris, say what ever you want but we had a leader. Like him or hate him but he was the PM who made decisions. Unlike now! Today we have one minister saying something and the PM another. And yet again the PM will change his mind. We have no clue who is the leader. Look now how Mahathir is held responsible for everything in the past. Is this not because he was the leader then? As to being a good leader or bad leader that is another story. Cheers.
thor
July 9, 2008
avtaran,
i suppose you are right to say that we had “a leader” in dr m. he knew what he was about and knew what he wanted to do. and he did what he wanted to do his way, everyone else be damned who stood in his way. two decades of this brook-no-dissent style has led us to the malaysia of today.
when a strong man goes, and the system has been badly weakened by him, it is only natural that the country will go through a period of uncertainty and adjustment. we need to restore the system to what it is supposed to be — a consensual system. and if that is not possible, a system that has check and balance. a system that is no dependent on one strong man.
yes, badawi is all at sea. and, yes, his policy flip flops and his lunatic fuel hike move is affecting us badly, especially the poor and those on the borderline. we are going through a difficult period and there is a lot of uncertainty but this is something we, malaysians, have to take part in and try to sort out.
nobody ever said it was going to be easy.
the alternative is to have another strong man in place. someone someone who will brook no dissent. another dr m? please. two decades of this kind of toxic rule is more than enough. we cannot afford another one like him to lobotomise and patronise us further.
malaysians are just coming to grips with a govt without two-thirds majority. with a less than consensual style of news-making (would you rather the bad old days of one p-o-v?). with a stronger opposition. it is a period of adjustment. and i tell you, this economic crunch has been worsened by the barisan nasional’s mismanagement of the country. then and now.
so please, banish the thought. don’t dream and, pray, don’t hanker for another dr m.
thor,
You have summarised our predicament so, so well.
singapura
July 9, 2008
HA!
The fact that the PM had to stir from his snooze to come out and make a statement about blogging and kukunegara…oh,sorry, rukunegara, shows that all the blogging is effectively socking it to them and unnerving them.
After which he went back to sleep.
Which gave Najib the chance to put his big…er, foot, into his mouth, in saying the oil price hike protest was a failure! Unbelievable!
Blog on BOLEH!
Farida
July 9, 2008
Avtaran, what’s the use of having a leader who was a dictator, whose diabolical plans derailed this nation’s future and whose iron hand put fear into the lives of people?
What’s the use of a Hitlerian man who thought nothing of stepping on toes, destroying lives and incarcerating others? And don’t forget the wealth he amassed for himself and his family.
Avtaran, think of what it could have been had Mahathir tempered his grandiose ambitions with justice and fairplay and a love for Anak Bangsa Malaysia. We would have progressed and be equated today with Singapore, not Myanmar.
Mahathir was a doctor by profession, but as a PM it was not his intention to heal. He wielded a butcher’s knife and heaven help anyone who stood in his way. He was a racist and still is. He more than anyone else set this country back.
Had Badawi the calibre, he would have steered this country on course. But he couldn’t and much of it was because he had been the carrying-out-orders-of-the supremo type of guy. Used to following the captain.
Then he became the captain. Hard leap for him, I think. So he allowed Khairy to be his master and steer the ship.
Don’t forget, Badawi spent many years as head of the diplomatic corps – Minister of Foreign Affairs. And much of that portfolio means socialising, golfing, cocktails, etc. So what impressive credentials did he bring with him to the PM’s table?
Had Mahathir left behind a culture of excellence in government, we can then fault Badawi for every mess today. But did Mahathir?
So let’s call a spade a spade, my friend, and not be deluded that a statesman passed our way.
Drachen
July 9, 2008
I hear M is a director with YTL – one of those IPPs making tons of money.
By the way, I think people turn away because they are starting to confuse sodomy with cold-blooded murder.
Avtaran
July 9, 2008
Farida, Thor, I never said Mahathir was good or bad. But he was the PM then who made decisions. Did I say anything more then that? I did not. I did not define ‘leader’ but being PM is in its simplest form a ‘leader’. Bad leader or good leader I never said.
But today we have a PM that switches his mind mid way through – like the fuel hike. A PM who does not make decisions.
Call Mahathir a dictator if you like. Call him what ever you like. But deny that he did NOTHING good at all….I do not agree. And that is my view. Cheers all.
walski69
July 9, 2008
Dear brother Haris and all the other People’s Parlimentarians,
My temporary absence from the blogosphere (or bloggerhood, as I call it), may be construed by some as my “staying away”, or being on strike.
First of all, Yes, Walski is sick and tired of the politicking and the assorted dirty tricks that come with the territory. Let’s make no mistake about it. A strike would actually be quite justified.
But what good would a strike do? Are all the injustices and problems gonna disappear with the absence of bloggers? Sorry, Pak Lah – if you believe that, then you’re more delusional than you appear to be. And a not so subtle message to anyone else who thinks that going on strike is a good idea: GET REAL.
What good would a strike do? Personally, blogging for me serves two main purposes:
1) To voice out my opinion about things – I don’t just bitch about things all the time either. I do offer solutions from time to time as well. Ok, I do tend to rant quite a bit, too. But it’s always for a good reason.
2) As a form of release of pent up emotion – you know, that awful feeling you get when crap around you gets, well, crappy, and you can’t do a damn thing about it. Blogging helps me vent, when required. If I actually went on this strike thingy, the internal pressures would mount to the point that I’d pop a hernia, or something equally unpleasant.
So, no, Walski’s not on strike. Actually he’s off-country for a bit – not to escape (okay, okay, that too) but for work reasons.
In fact, I’m writing this as I sit enjoying a hot latte in smoggy Jakarta after a long day of meetings – well, actually getting from one meeting to the next takes as much time as the meetings, but that’s another story.
And one thing I want to say is this: don’t knock the Indonesians. They got a great thing going here. (Most) People aren’t anal about religion as they are in Malaysia, for instance. The difference here is that, for the most part, there are many avenues for self-expression, much more than what we have in Malaysia. The press here for one, REALLY reports without fear or favor.
Sure, there are a lot of intollerant and intollerable people here, just like anywhere else on planet Earth. But these are truly the minority, and more importantly the attitude of intollerance is not embedded in the psyche of government.
Blogging in Malaysia is one of the very few avenues of self-expression left for the common person.
And that alone is reason enough to carry on… when I get back.
Peace to all…
Peace to you, bro
Farida
July 9, 2008
Avtaran,
In the end, we have to balance a man’s acts, weigh what he did, what he could have done and his effect on society. I would say the evil that Mahathir did far outweighed whatever good.
Unfortunately, it is always the evil that has a greater reach in society. One of Shakespeare’s characters (Mark Antony or Brutus?) said , “The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones…”
Life is such you don’t cancel out a man’s evil deeds by whatever good he has done. He is accountable on both counts. And when the evil done spreads like a cancer,eating into the very foundations of our society and drawing new adherents, how does one stop it?
Of all the PMs we have had, Mahathir has damaged our institutions the most. He set the precedent and his adherents, so well-tuned to his form of power play, are willing to go not just the same distance but to break new ground in how to divide and devastate this nation for their own ends.
And what do we do?
Avtaran
July 9, 2008
Farida,
It is not for me to make a final judgement on anyone. I am human and full of flaws. Let God make the final call.
Let’s agree to disagree. Cheers.
Joe
July 10, 2008
Farida,
Thank you for your posts above. You put it so well. I couldn’t agree with you more. Malaysia could have been such a great country if not for Mahathir. Of course, on the other hand it would have been worse if we have had ever worse despots like the Burmese military junta or Zimbabwe’s Mugabe. Interestingly, Mahathir seems to love Mugabe. But why should I compare Mahathir with the worst of the worst – he is bad enough as he is already. If only good people like Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, Haris Ibrahim, RPK, your goodself and lots of like goodhearted Malaysians could be cabinet ministers Malaysia would become a paradise.
Farida
July 10, 2008
Avtaran, agreed that the final judgment is for God to make. Having said that, I would add that God who is holy would disapprove if we spent our lives accepting Man’s evil and not doing anything about it because we ourselves have flaws.
The point I think you have missed is that there’s a difference between human failings and the hand of evil itself.
I would be the first person to tell you that I had and I have flaws. I have a temper that I am working on to get rid of – with God’s help. I need to be more disciplined. You wouldn’t have wanted to know me during the years of bitterness I wallowed in, but thank God, I have been healed of that.
Mahathir? Creating a constitutional crisis is not a flaw to my mind. Trapping Karpal, Kit Siang and hundreds of others under the cruel weight of the ISA, buying votes etc. are not the result of flaws in character. They are the work of evil.
History has shown we are never, ever to be complacent because evil always waits to strike.
Every day we make choices to go the way of the good or to buy into the temptations that evil throws our way. Yes, it’s not easy to keep a heart of integrity, but try we must, because our every act is a seed we plant which bears fruit.
I am a great believer of ‘What you sow, you reap’. When I look back, as far back as I can remember, I see this truth being played out again and again and again.
God did not make us robots. He gave us free will but by our choices are we known and by our choices do we shape our future.
Justice may be delayed, Avtaran, but it will never be denied. Mahathir today may feel shunned by the media, not given the regard he wants and thinks he deserves from public society.
Think back, my friend, to what he did to Tunku. Tunku’s last day in Parliament – he left the premises and no one, no one gave him a send-off, no one walked him to his car. Not my conjecture but what I got from media reports.
Mahathir was instrumental in ousting the Tunku. Many distanced themselves from the Tunku at social gatherings. In a way we owe a debt of gratitude to the Star newspaper as it once was. It brought Tunku out of the shadows by giving him a column to write.
Well, what you sow you reap.
Clean hearts can sleep well at night, I would say. For the truth never changes. But those who lie, who manipulate, who stab others in the back, they in turn will be lied to and manipulated and stabbed in the back.
What we all sow, we reap. Love will reap love, may be not from the same person you give love to but from others.
An apple tree can only bear apples, never oranges or sour plums or mangoes. Likewise, a liar can only bear lies, and lies will come back to torment him.
I have said enough, my friend.
Yes, we agree to disagree. Cheers.