Former prime minister Abdullah Badawi has warned his successor Najib Razak that his attempt to repeal the Internal Security Act and other emergency laws may meet with the same internal resistance he faced ftom Umno hardliners.
“There are hardliners who want to maintain the old system, controlling the flow of information and using laws to silence the public. Najib may face the same challenges I did before. The job of a reformist is not easy," Badawi was reported as saying on Monday.
Badawi himself not a reformer
However, Badawi is hardly a reformer although he claims to be the Father of Democracy in Malaysia. His critics are quick to remind that he 'sold out' the nation to a hardline group led by Najib and former premier Mahathir Mohamad in 2008.
Badawi was then facing a no-confidence vote from amongs his own party mates after leading the Umno-BN to its worst electoral performance in 2008. But given the huge powers of the PM's office, he bowed meekly to their demands, accepting the usual swathe of retirement goods including his 'Tun' title. Many Malaysians still blame him for foisting Najib on the country, as since taking over in April 2009, Najib has gotten into one scrape after another.
The 58-year-old Najib has the worst track record of all Malaysia's prime ministers. Under his tenure, the country's became a laughing stock over several sensational issues, including the Altantuya-Scorpenes scandal, the Bersih rally for free and fair elections, and the buying of 'positive' news flow from international broadcasters to gloriy himself and his administration.
On Thursday, knowing his time is nearly, Najib announced the repeal of the oppressive Internal Security Act, which allows detention for indefinite periods of time without trial and several other Emergenvy laws. However, in the nrxt breath, Najib also announced that these repealed laws would be replaced by new laws, immediately promption a fresh barrage of criticism and unhappiness in his washy-washy style of leadership.
A wish to return to the political limelight?
Abdullah, who took over from Mahathir in late 2003, himself left behind only a wafer-thin legacy. Amid a storm of warnings from the opposition, Badawi rammed through the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act and the Judicial Appointments Commission, both of which have flopped. The MACC is even more more notorios now than before following the deathfalls of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbani.
The JAC which was to inject independence into the judiciary appears to have completely missed its mission, with dubious rulings openly and clearly rampant especially during the Najib-instigated Perak crisis, where decisions were made to favour Umno.
On Monday, perhaps wishful of returning to the political limelight given Najib's fall, Badawi tried to trumpet his own democratic credentials by emphazising that he never tried to thwart the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, from proceeding to rule in the five states that they won in the 2008 polls.
“I have never regretted it as this is a basic human right. To me, any rational and civilised society will one day be able to filter lies and deceit from truth and sincerity,” said Badawi.
Crocodiles pit: Proud of Najib for human rights record
However, Badawi fouled up his own presentation when he ended by telling the press that he was proud of Najib for “continuing the government’s pursuit of basic human rights".
Pundits immediate tore into him for double-speak and insincerity as during Najib's time, Malaysia's human rights records plummeted. Many believe Najib made haste to announce his intention to repeal the ISA in a bid to wash off this blot and to secure his own legacy.
"Whether of not the repeals really go through and will the new laws be worse doesn't seem to bother Najib. He only wants to be remembered for being the first PM to propose the ISA abolition," PKR strategies director Rafizi Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle.
The ISA and Emergency Ordinance Act 1963 are among the reasons why Malaysia’s standing on the global scene especially with regards to human rights is low.
“Nearly two years after Malaysian Prime Minister Seri Najib Tun Razak assumed office pledging to "uphold civil liberties," there has been only limited progress. Promised amendments to the Internal Security Act (ISA) and other laws permitting preventive detention have not been enacted. Restrictions on freedom of expression continue to be used to limit the right of government critics to express their views. Local police chiefs continue to restrict public assemblies and processions, often on political grounds,” said the World Human Rights Report 2011.
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