What matters to ordinary Malaysians is not privileges but their rights

It is always and all about: see what we are doing for the Malays; see what development we have brought for you; look at the roads and expressways; look at the future of public transport and rail systems we promise to build; witness the billionaires we are creating; and so on and so forth. 

J. D. Lovrenciear

If you go by the standard operating procedures of the BN political machinery and practice, for the past fifty over years, and more so in the past thirty years, ‘privileges’ has been the sanctioned and sacrosanct principle.

But if you take inventory of the DAP, PKR and PAS manifestations, it is easily noticeable that they are selling ‘rights’. Their thrust has been – especially from the pre-2008 election year to now, one of returning to the man and woman in the street their basic and fundamental rights as citizens and as humans.

As society progresses in thought and feelings over time, humanity awakens to the importance of rights. Society begins to register an understanding that privileges belonged to the feudalistic era of bygone times.

Privileges belonged to a time a time and space where the masses would glorify their rulers and lords for whatever the powers-that-be would have spared for the masses. The masses would say, “at least my master gave me this.”

But man is no more beholden to politicians and leaders and rulers. Man – all over the world is now saying, “you are there because we put you there.”

‘Rights’ therefore has become the mantra of contemporary politics.

Rights is also the product of the seeds of religion that was sowed since the dawn of Islam and Christianity. Today, if you witness the Egyptian Spring, it is no surprise as it is the precipitation of the people’s reaction to the long ignored ‘rights’ and the much favored ‘privileges’ by the authorities.

The same would apply in China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines or anywhere in the world. We have entered a new age and awakening – thanks to technology, and more so because humanity is evolving, lest we forget.

Today, in Malaysia, if you observe the BN political mantras and preaching and actions, it is very clear it is one that is solidly anchored on privileges. It is always and all about: see what we are doing for the Malays; see what development we have brought for you; look at the roads and expressways; look at the future of public transport and rail systems we promise to build; witness the billionaires we are creating; and so on and so forth.

In summary BN is a firm believer in the philosophy of creating privileges for the masses. So do not question how the political leaders live their lives. Just be grateful how well BN has given you something along the way.

Now, on that same wavelength, if you were to summarize the opposition parties’ preaching and promises and actions, they are consistently championing the returning of the rights of the rakyat.

The right to free education; the right to knowledge of the ‘how and what’ of businesses undertaken by government and affecting the man in the street (i.e. through the abolishing of the OSA, for example); the right to information (i.e. the abolishing of the Printing and Publishing Act); the rights of religion and religious practices; and many more ‘rights’ of the rakyat is what the opposition is peddling.

Now who among the two political groups – BN and Opposition, is doing the right thing at the right time?

The world around us is full of evidence that humanity is all about rights and not privileges. The new century we are operating in is one that liberates the human soul through technology, knowledge capital and faith. And as much as religion teaches and technology supports this quest to be liberated, the rights of humanity will be the fulcrum of politics today for tomorrow.