At 86, what's left for Dr M: An era of FEAR and SCARING his countrymen into docility

As recently reported in the media, Mahathir was quoted as saying, “Malaysians were clamouring to push for a revolution to topple the government”. To most people, only the disorientated among Malaysians would be advocating such a devious theory.

Is the mere exercise in quest of a fair and free election synonymous to a revolution in any country? Or, has the country under UMNO-BN been holding elections but with no intention to give up power?

If asking for free and fair election is considered a political taboo, the country must then be practising a deceitful democracy.

Irresponsible and misleading

Participating in an unprovoked and peaceful rally is not one and the same with a revolution in the making, or a deed outside of the law to topple the government. They are ‘no peas in a pod’. For a change of government, the people are rational enough to do it through the ballot box.

But what the people strive for before that is effective is an electoral process that is fair and clean. Is this too much to demand for from the sitting government that claims to be practising the ‘best’ democracy in the world?

Was Mahathir imploring the phantasmagorias of carnage, violence and insurgences when speaking of ‘a push for a revolution to topple the government’? To imply that the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 was a run-up to a revolution in the country is quite an irresponsible and misleading propaganda by him as a statesman.

The Bersih event was not a ‘coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government’ as labelled by UMNO.  Thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race or religion or political background gathered peacefully to signal to the government that they hungered for a clean and fair election in the country.

Mahathir should be mindful that UMNO has no political will to have a clean electoral process as this would see to their demise. In other words, what UMNO practises is a form of fraudulent democracy. Thousands who thronged the streets peacefully during the Bersih rally were those who were against the government’s reluctance to have free and fair elections.

They actually represented many more Malaysians who could not be present at the scene. But some irrational and desperate politicians have sinisterly labelled Bersih’s 3.0 rally as ‘pushing for a revolution’ – to overthrow the incumbent government though cogency and forcefulness.

Mahathir senses that UMNO and BN (Barisan Nasional) are no more as secured as before in politics. There is a high probability that BN will lose to PR (Pakatan Rakyat) in the next general election. Thus, there is a fear factor here to have a real democracy. And Mahathir must be indisputably cognisant that there is no real democracy in the country under the present government.

Benchmark for good governance

Mahathir degraded his immediate successor as prime minister – Abdullah Ahmad Badawi – describing his government as a half-past six government. He indirectly helped BN lose a few states to the PR in 2008 general election. This must be a blessing in disguise for the Opposition, as states under PR have today become the benchmark for good governance in the country.

The Opposition has now become a force to be reckoned with by the people when they gauge the exemplary performance of the states under their rule.  This must have made Mahathir unhappy.

But does Mahathir not see that people are not happy with UMNO-BN government because of their arrogance, sleaziness, mismanagement and rampant abuse of power, which are not reported in the government-controlled media? Why isn’t Mahathir commenting on all the maladies affecting UMNO-BN like the way he previously criticised Abdullah’s government?

The failure of UMNO-BN is making the masses turning to the Opposition today. It would thus be more apposite for Mahathir to delve into UMNO-BN’s soiled ‘backyard’ before making sarcastic remarks on the Opposition or Bersih.  This might help UMNO-BN change their political strategies.

Mahathir’s rhetoric on democracy and the Opposition is no more relevant. And UMNO-BN is wasting their precious time giving the impression to the people that the democracy practised and the electoral process in the country is free and fair than they really are.

Minority dictating the majority

Aren’t leaders like Lim Guan Eng of Penang and Khalid Ibrahim of Selangor dependable enough for Mahathir? Aren’t those God-fearing leaders like Nik Aziz Nik Mat of Kelantan and Azizan Abdul Razak of Kedah dutiful enough for him? Mahathir speaks of the ‘minority dictating the majority’ in the country.  This must be beyond the imagination of the ordinary people who see no problem with race relations in the country.

Bersih does not represent the minority; neither does PR represent the same. Ironically, the concept that Mahathir promoted – Bangsa Malaysia – during his premiership is now being practised by the Opposition. Bersih 3.0 brought all the races in the country together to show how united Malaysians are when it comes to pursuing a just cause for the people.

This show of solidarity during the rally has in fact put to shame Najib’s superficial 1Malaysia slogan. To UMNO it is race-politics that matters most.

The sitting government feels that they should not give in to the Opposition, thus the country sees a form of ‘institutionalised oppression’ against the Opposition. The main stream media is controlled by the government and is used to demonise the Opposition. Nothing positive about the Opposition is reported in the country’s deceitful democracy.

A mole mound created by the Opposition is turned into mountains to belittle the latter. They spin and cheat in a way to make the masses look down upon the Opposition. But nothing adverse and damaging to the government is reported.

Yet the people angered by all these forms of oppression are rational enough not to protest against the government in a violent manner. They seek noble ways to express their disappointment with the government. Revolution is not the answer but awareness among the people today suffices to make UMNO-BN unpopular.

The Opposition is not pushing for a revolution but a change of government. Is this wrong in a democracy? A change of government is not always due to a revolution. It is a Machiavellian plan to induce people to think that any change in government will bring chaos to the country.

Or was Mahathir hinting that the Bersih rallies in the past were a prelude to a revolution in the country? He must again be paranoid. The people recognised that Bersih’s intention is noble, that is for all Malaysians to have a cleanly elected government under a real democracy.

To change the government

BN or PR it is the responsibility of any government to give priority to the people’s interests. They are elected to govern the country, to serve the people and to bring development. It’s only when a regime is seen as corrupt, oppressive, incompetent and  is busy lining up the pockets of a few with wealth meant for the people will there be a tendency for the masses to change the government.

Monopoly of power for too long will only breed false pride and arrogance. Corruption will be on the rise and leaders tend to take for granted that power is for keep. They become autocratic thinking that power is in their hands. To a certain extent they become repressive and misuse power to serve their interests.

Even in developed countries changing government is a norm. They change government not through revolutions but though fair and clean elections. The scenario in some Arab countries cannot be used to gauge the sentiments of the people in Malaysia.

The Arab Spring is due to the undemocratic practice by many Arab countries are adhering to. Wealth is concentrated within a few groups of ‘untouchables’ and the majority are let to suffer. There is nothing wrong for the people to dispose of a government that is not democratic in that sense.

Seek change of government

Malaysia does not have a democratic system that allows the Opposition a level playing ground. Can a government claim to be democratic when the leaders are indulging in self-interest and the pro-government media are stopped from divulging their misconduct?

There are many people of all races in the country that are still living in poverty and when a few amass wealth through political power and influence are the leaders prioritising the interests of the people?

Malaysians do not subscribe to violent uprisings, though. They seek change of government through the ballot box but this must be through fair and free elections.

Having a two-party system is not undemocratic or autocratic. It bodes well for the people.  When the governance of the country is soiled the people have the right to topple it but let it be in a democratic way where there is free and fair elections.

What Malaysians want in the next general election is not a revolution but a normal democracy where peaceful transition of power at national level is accepted by UMNO and all interested parties in the case of Opposition winning.

No push for a revolution

With a fair electoral process the run-up to the next general election will be no ‘push for a revolution’ in Malaysia.

After going through a false democracy under UMNO-BN rule for 55 years the people have decided to stop their monopoly on power. With a clean electoral process the next and the future general elections will obviously see the unwavering commitment to the democratic process to effect political changes in the country.

UMNO must be committed to see Malaysia being fostered as a normal democracy where change of government through the ballot box is recognised as a viable democratic process and not one that invites threats of violence.

Mahathir has to be told that the 13th general election will see no ‘revolution to topple the government’.  He just has to do everyone a favour by getting UMNO to clean up the electoral process and uphold real democracy for the people to decide – without any political oppression – which coalition should be chosen in the next general election.

The people are not asking for a revolution but a normal democracy where there is free and fair elections.

Malaysia Chronicle