Why is the system failing?

Najib’s elegant silence, pretending that the hundreds of socio-financial scandals are non-existent, is killing the system and governance.

COMMENT

By Chua Jui Meng

The Barisan Nasional government is clearly breaking down or crumbling. How else do you explain the police’s inability to carry out a simple task of crowd control.

Worse, they just stood and watched the troublemakers resorting to violence against those attending political rallies organised by Pakatan Rakyat.

The incident in Gombak on the night of Dec 5, 2012, is only one of the many visible examples of a serious breakdown in the system of governance.

There has to be a limit to the degradation of professionalism in governance by the civil service.

A hooligan-like Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob is able to remain in office for more than a decade. Where is the integrity and morality expected of a leader?

It is because of the 55 years of rule under the BN that the civil service’s vision is now blurred and is unable to tell the difference between politics and governance.

Here, I must make clear that the problem lies primarily on the little Napoleans who spend the bulk of their time to curry favour in the corridors of power for obvious reasons and motives.

They have forgotten that the civil service duty and responsibility is to serve the people, not BN which has also grown arrogant over the years of uninterrupted rule.

Now, both the BN and the little Napoleans behave like they are here to stay forever and that no one else is qualified to govern Malaysia. That’s indeed very, very sad.

The civil service must serve the people and country professionally. It is not duty bound to serve the interest and survival of any political party. Those who follow illegal orders are not protected by law and they must be warned that the arm of the law is very long.

In short, civil servants, in discharging their duty and responsibility professionally are expected to remain apolitical.

Their responsibility is to help the government of the day to administer and provide public service, not political service or interest.

Why is the system failing?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must take the blame for the country’s breakdown in governance.

How does he expect the people to continue supporting him, Umno and BN with their confidence in the system fast eroding.

Najib’s elegant silence, pretending that the hundreds of socio-financial scandals are non-existent, is killing the system and governance.

His failure to act against the corrupt, those who clearly committed sedition by spewing venomous religious and racial discord are most certainly taking a toll on the social fabric of the country.

The civil service has become so subservient to BN-Umno that it fears to take any form of legal action when the many scandals point to culprits connected with BN or the corridors of power.

Even Mat Rempits and samsengs employed by BN-Umno to cause disruptions are untouchable. Isn’t it the basic duty and responsibility of the police to protect the peace and the people?

Previously, when one party is holding a political rally, other rival parties are stopped from closing in at the scene. Why is this not observed anymore?

The police just fold their arms and stand to watch, and make no attempt to stop the marauding trouble makers who come in noisy motorcycles bearing their party flags.

If this is not a case of a breakdown in the system of governance, what is?

Here, I wish to relate the display of a high level of civil service’s discipline, professionalism and integrity in the Philippines.

When President Gloria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tried to extend her term in office illegally, both the police and army chiefs took a common stand for the people of the Philippines: “We will not follow any illegal orders.”

History has shown that governments have always been toppled by the people beginning with a breakdown in the civil service and its system.

When a civil service, cowed by an evil regime, is unable to perform its duty and responsibility to serve the people, it results in unfair practices and injustice.

This translates into growing public discontent, a total loss in confidence in the government and utter public frustrations.

Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.