Playing politics of fear

Have unskilled and jobless foreign workers become a threat to national security?

COMMENT

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has given a very strong hint that the 13th general election must be held this year. He has appeared on television in an electoral message, saying “Saya pilih mengundi” (I choose to vote).

Abdul Hadi Awang, who is the PAS president and Marang MP, has said that “it certainly looks like the polls will be held after the Aidil Fitri celebrations”.

This means that Parliament will have to be dissolved in August.

Like it or not, Mahathir has forced the hand of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and that is why Barisan Nasional has stepped up attacks on Pakatan Rakyat.

By using the outdated ploy of frightening the voters via the terminology of “JI” and “communists”, BN hopes that the voters will stop supporting Pakatan out of fear.

This is the politics of fear and BN’s psy-war machinery is running at top gear now. Nevertheless, it shows that BN is extremely desperate and has run out of ideas.

“But the worst method used by BN in garnering votes is by giving fast-tracked citizenship to the unskilled foreign workers with automatic insertion into the voter rolls in order for them to vote,” said a PAS central working committee member who declined to be named.

And the crime rate is now at a worrisome level due to the foreign worker gangs – Indonesians versus Myanmars, Vietnamese versus Bangladeshis – it resembles a free-for-all smackdown.

The whole nation may be crime-infested if Najib continues this unhealthy foreign worker policy, which will only jeopardise the welfare and wellbeing of ordinary Malaysian citizens. Clearly, this shows that he wants to win the election at all cost.

National security threat?

Crimes such as snatch thefts and house break-ins are now common in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya areas.

Although the police force has successfully busted many drug syndicates and vice dens and caught a good number of criminals, more could be done. However, the police force is also hard-pressed due to the massive influx of these unskilled foreign workers, many of whom indulge in criminal activities eventhough they may have a day job. Still, many are also unemployed.

Najib’s move to ignore the foreign worker problem is detrimental to the safety of genuine Malaysian citizens and now that these foreigners have been given MyKad, there is no turning back the clock.

Have these unskilled and jobless foreign workers become a threat to national security?

The situation is critical. The only way out is to revoke their fast-tracked citizenship and send the jobless home. And Pakatan leader, Anwar Ibrahim, has promised to do that if Pakatan wins the 13th general election.

Meantime, Najib is busy opening shops, handing out gifts and touring the nation in order to boost his image, oblivious to the problems that these foreign workers have caused.

As the leader of the nation, he is to be fully blamed for this mammoth problem. And the rising crime rate is certainly not a perception as people have died due to snatch thefts. Is death a perception?

Act of betrayal

Even this columnist had her handbag snatched thrice between March 2009 and March this year while walking on the road.

Even the clinic doctor who had attended to countless snatch theft victims advised this columnist not to carry handbags while walking on the road.

One cannot fully blame the police as they too find it difficult to cope, but the blame must fall squarely on the prime minister who is responsible for forever changing the demographics of the nation due to population re-engineering.

Never before in Malaysian political history has there been a prime minister who is so desperate to win that he is willing to compromise and neglect the safety of the citizens. His speech in late 2010 of wanting to defend Putrajaya at all cost will be the hallmark of his tenure.

Giving citizenship to unskilled foreign workers is tantamount to an act of betrayal of the rakyat’s trust. His victory at the polls will come at a great cost to the nation and to its citizens and for this reason alone, he does not deserve our vote.

Najib must apologise to the nation and take responsibility for this mess. Obviously, he does not realise that these foreign workers have now become a threat to public safety.

Selena Tay is a FMT columnist.