Not sparing the rod

DEC 16 — Today, four Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers were suspended for six months from Parliament.

For PR, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition was using the brute force of majority. And being heavy-handed with a punishment that spans half a year.

For BN, they have had enough of the “tyranny of the minority”, as eloquently coined by Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the Minister in the Prime Ministers Department who is in charge of parliamentary affairs.

In effect, the action against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Karpal Singh, R. Sivarasa and Azmin Ali is a signal that the Najib administration is not afraid of acting against their political foes.

They have seen what action with velvet gloves have taken the BN. Nowhere. Under Tun Abdullah Badawi, the tiny opposition bench was treated rather well in Parliament. But those days are gone.

Instead, the people of Permatang Pauh, Bukit Gelugor, Subang and Gombak are now left without representation in Parliament as their representatives were suspended without their defence being heard.

True, the opposition walked out but their right to mount a defence, especially Anwar, was denied.

In other words, the ruling majority acted in similar fashion as schoolyard bullies. The ones who won’t listen but will pound away because they can. And they want to. All they need is an excuse to roll their sleeves and knock someone out senseless.

That happened in Parliament today. If anything, it has cast a darker cloud on parliamentary proceedings and process.

That a government with a simple majority can cow its opponents by sheer brute force.

That a man can be punished without his defence being called and on the strength of a letter.

That those who speak out can be ordered out for just standing up to speak.

Yes, the Najib administration is not sparing the road to spoil the child, as the PR lawmakers found out in Parliament. They are ready to fight and defend their turf. They are ready to fight and grab PR’s turf too. - Malaysian Insider