One has to wonder whether the civil service actually sides with the government of the day? We have a prime minister who says Malaysia’s one of the great democracies of the world and we have a director-general of Immigration who uses the law to deport an Australian senator, who happens to have an appointment with the BN’s chief whip!
Senator Nick Xenophon made some critical remarks about Malaysia and apparently used the words “authoritarian” to describe the government’s handling of a Bersih rally and accordingly, he has been given a status making him unwelcome in Malaysia. He was deported last night from the LCCT in Sepang.
Imagine if all 193 countries of the UN decided to follow the example of Malaysia after the expulsion of Senator Xenophon? If every time a Malaysian politician on the government bench criticises a country and is expelled, we would have fewer international relations than North Korea.
The opinions of an elected representative do not represent the opinions of the government of the day. Xenophon (right) is an independent and does not speak for the Australian government. This means that Xenophon was voicing his opinion akin to a private citizen who happens to be an elected representative.
How many Malaysians have criticised the United States for its continued support for the Israeli regime, which has resulted in the world’s longest and most prolonged humanitarian crisis in Palestine? It is our right to voice out our protest and criticism of this piece of US foreign policy. I doubt any Malaysian would disagree with our fundamental right to express our opinion on the matter.
Now, imagine of the US decided that it can no longer allow any Malaysian who criticises its foreign policy from entering the US. I am quite sure the results would be catastrophic, considering that the US is still one of our biggest trade partners.
In the case of the Australian senator, he may have expressed an opinion that how the Malaysian government handled the second Bersih street protest was “authoritarian” and, judging from the way the Malaysian government reacted to the more recent march to stadium Merdeka, it seemed that Malaysia had indeed matured as a democracy.
In any democracy, contrary opinions are allowed. It is the very essence of democracy. It is the job of the government, in this case, to convince Malaysians that it has a stronger case.
In case Malaysians have forgotten, some time ago then-Australian prime minister Paul Keating had labelled Dr Mahathir Mohamad a “recalcitrant” for not attending the Apec Summit. The government then did not ban but instead welcomed the Australian PM to have a debate and to understand Malaysia’s point of view.
Of course, Dr Mahathir did respond in a caustic nature but there was never any impression that the Malaysian government was so weak that it could not stand up to the opinions of Keating.
Not the democracy the gov’t presents to the world
It is very peculiar that very senior civil servants should presume to act in the best interests of the country by going almost directly against the vision and direction that the PM has set for the country.
Senator Nick Xenophon made some critical remarks about Malaysia and apparently used the words “authoritarian” to describe the government’s handling of a Bersih rally and accordingly, he has been given a status making him unwelcome in Malaysia. He was deported last night from the LCCT in Sepang.
Imagine if all 193 countries of the UN decided to follow the example of Malaysia after the expulsion of Senator Xenophon? If every time a Malaysian politician on the government bench criticises a country and is expelled, we would have fewer international relations than North Korea.
The opinions of an elected representative do not represent the opinions of the government of the day. Xenophon (right) is an independent and does not speak for the Australian government. This means that Xenophon was voicing his opinion akin to a private citizen who happens to be an elected representative.How many Malaysians have criticised the United States for its continued support for the Israeli regime, which has resulted in the world’s longest and most prolonged humanitarian crisis in Palestine? It is our right to voice out our protest and criticism of this piece of US foreign policy. I doubt any Malaysian would disagree with our fundamental right to express our opinion on the matter.
Now, imagine of the US decided that it can no longer allow any Malaysian who criticises its foreign policy from entering the US. I am quite sure the results would be catastrophic, considering that the US is still one of our biggest trade partners.
In the case of the Australian senator, he may have expressed an opinion that how the Malaysian government handled the second Bersih street protest was “authoritarian” and, judging from the way the Malaysian government reacted to the more recent march to stadium Merdeka, it seemed that Malaysia had indeed matured as a democracy.
In any democracy, contrary opinions are allowed. It is the very essence of democracy. It is the job of the government, in this case, to convince Malaysians that it has a stronger case.
In case Malaysians have forgotten, some time ago then-Australian prime minister Paul Keating had labelled Dr Mahathir Mohamad a “recalcitrant” for not attending the Apec Summit. The government then did not ban but instead welcomed the Australian PM to have a debate and to understand Malaysia’s point of view.
Of course, Dr Mahathir did respond in a caustic nature but there was never any impression that the Malaysian government was so weak that it could not stand up to the opinions of Keating.
Not the democracy the gov’t presents to the world
It is very peculiar that very senior civil servants should presume to act in the best interests of the country by going almost directly against the vision and direction that the PM has set for the country.
However, if it is true that the PM himself did not want to engage with Senator Xenophon and that the latter was expelled on his orders, then Malaysia is definitely not the democracy that the government presents to the world and to the people of Malaysia.
In the global market place, ideas are key to the success or failure of nations. In a democracy it is important to be able to fight opinions with facts. Senator Xenophon was merely expressing his opinions and he may have pointed to some footage to back them up.
Who in the government decided that he was an “enemy of the state”? On what basis was this status accorded to an Australian lawmaker?
In the global market place, ideas are key to the success or failure of nations. In a democracy it is important to be able to fight opinions with facts. Senator Xenophon was merely expressing his opinions and he may have pointed to some footage to back them up.
Who in the government decided that he was an “enemy of the state”? On what basis was this status accorded to an Australian lawmaker?
It is now the responsibility of the home minister to explain if Malaysia has other information about Xenophon that it cannot share with the public and that incriminates the senator as an “enemy of the state”.
If such a categorisation has not been given to him and that it was a technical issue, then why should the head of the Election Commission (EC) have added his opinion the matter? Can no one question the EC? Is the EC above even Malaysian law makers?
If such a categorisation has not been given to him and that it was a technical issue, then why should the head of the Election Commission (EC) have added his opinion the matter? Can no one question the EC? Is the EC above even Malaysian law makers?
How confident Malaysians are about the electoral process will be determined by the turnout during election day and whether Malaysians accept the election results.
Surely, the opinions of one Australian senator cannot shake the belief of Malaysians in the electoral process. No democracy on earth goes into elections without the party in power having some sort of advantage. But in a mature democracy, which is where we are supposed to be in less than seven years, it must be perceived to be fair.
Those who think they are helping Malaysia by not having free and fair elections are doing a disservice to the nation. The short-term unhappiness can be expressed in street demonstrations but the long-term illness will be apathy and a turning away from the electoral process.
Hence it is not for one Australian senator and his opinions to shake our faith in our own democracy. It is indeed a black day for Malaysia and we can only hope that no Malaysian suffer the same fate when we travel overseas to the many countries in the world.
More tragically, it shows clearly that the PM has not been able to carry his party and the civil service with him. Najib will say I need my own mandate to push my liberal policies forward, it will be up the Malaysians to decide if we can trust his party to carry out those policies.
Surely, the opinions of one Australian senator cannot shake the belief of Malaysians in the electoral process. No democracy on earth goes into elections without the party in power having some sort of advantage. But in a mature democracy, which is where we are supposed to be in less than seven years, it must be perceived to be fair.
Those who think they are helping Malaysia by not having free and fair elections are doing a disservice to the nation. The short-term unhappiness can be expressed in street demonstrations but the long-term illness will be apathy and a turning away from the electoral process.
Hence it is not for one Australian senator and his opinions to shake our faith in our own democracy. It is indeed a black day for Malaysia and we can only hope that no Malaysian suffer the same fate when we travel overseas to the many countries in the world.
More tragically, it shows clearly that the PM has not been able to carry his party and the civil service with him. Najib will say I need my own mandate to push my liberal policies forward, it will be up the Malaysians to decide if we can trust his party to carry out those policies.
NEIL KHOR completed his PhD at Cambridge University and now writes occasionally on matters that he thinks require better historical treatment. He is quietly optimistic about Malaysia's future.
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