It's truly amazing! We the rakyat voted in the government, and the government, in turn, whenever it so pleases, uses draconian laws against us. Such is the gall of the government of this land. They are able to use the country's laws at their whims and fancies against the rakyat. No need for proof. No need to weigh the merits of the case. Just arrest them and put them in jail.
Question: can the rakyat do the same to the leaders in government? Can the rakyat haul government leaders into jail if there are any insinuation of impropriety? The rakyat, after all, are the people who voted them into office. So why is it that the ‘employee’ is now abusing the real boss?
It appears that these 'wakil rakyat' (read: employee) believe they know better than the rakyat (read: the boss), and believe they should decide on behalf of the boss what is good and what is bad for 'him.' A case in point: detaining prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), the editor of ‘Malaysia Today’ blog under the ISA Act. There is no need to clarify the meaning of the word ‘ISA.’
The government, in this case, is saying ‘we think that Raja Petra is doing great harm to the nation and its leaders, and we have decided that he should be punished to the fullest extent of the law to keep peace and ensure national security.’
Barisan Nasional Government says ‘The government will continue to be liberal towards bloggers and netizens, but this country has laws. Just because you operate in cyberspace, it doesn't mean you are absolved of having to comply with the laws of the nation.’
Barisan Nasional government continues to think the rakyat is stupid. Wake up! This is the 21st century. Anwar Ibrahim has cautioned the people not to ‘telan bulat-bulat’ what has been said by BN government, the rakyat will not ‘telan bulat-bulat’
Critics of the government are not traitors. They are, in fact, patriots. Unlike many of our so-called ‘leaders’ in government who cannot or simply refuse to acknowledge their wrong-doings and failures, and continue to insist that there is nothing wrong with the government and how they are running the country, RPK is calling a spade, a spade. Nothing more. Nothing less. He is simply seeking justice for Malaysians who no longer can defend themselves.
Our dear PM wants to hear the truth even if it hurts? But he's only good at listening. He has not done very much.
‘Listen, listen, listen, but no action taken. The people are actually disappointed, frustrated and angry,’ ‘It is useless that we only listen but no firm and swift action is being taken. This would not solve the problem,’ those who voiced their grouses against the government should not be deemed as traitors. ‘They are not traitors, they just want to air their views. The real traitors are those who are corrupt, do not have integrity and dishonest,’
The Barisan Nasional government has completely lost the plot. Not only that, it has also lost the respect and the trust of the people it was supposed to represent. Instead of waking up after receiving a very tight slap on its face after the March 8 general election, the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi-led government continues in its wanton ways to rile up the rakyat as if challenging the rakyat to see if we dare to speak up. One could almost hear the government saying this:‘I dare you to criticise us. You sure you don't want to end up like Raja Petra?’
Speak up we will. In fact, we already have. And the rakyat is giving you a chance to prove yourself one last time. But at the rate things are going, it will not be a surprise if Barisan Nasional is thrown into oblivion in the 13th general election, yes, together with its other race-centred component parties.
In a democracy, whichever style you want to call it, everyone has a voice. This right does not belong to any one race or person or religion. Instead of serving the rakyat, the UMNO led government continues to 'champion' archaic issues like ‘Ketuanan Melayu,’ the New Economic Policy (NEP), and other race and religion-related stuff. Does it not know that these are no longer in vogue in the 21st century's global village?
Why can't the UMNO led government champion worthy causes like justice (the Altantuya murder case, for instance, to ensure that the perpetrators are incarcerated), racial integration and harmony, religious tolerance, integrity in the judiciary, equality for all, freedom of speech, human rights, etc?
Surely we want our children to grow up with these. Or don't we? We certainly don't want our children to emulate leaders who hurl racist remarks and or close one eye to corruption.
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