Ministerial Power & Party Politics

The recent statements by Minister of Home Affairs Zahid Hamidi during the UMNO General Assembly raises questions about the use (or abuse) of Ministerial power for sectarian party politics.

We cannot run away from the fact that Ministers are also (often) politicians. They always represent political parties with narrow sectarian interests.  That is the nature of politics. 

Yet as a Minister, he or she is also the bearer of a public office who has to represent the rights of all citizens - including those who did not vote for him or who belong to opposing political parties. 

The Minister should separate his Ministerial powers from his role as a party member. The Ministries certainly provide vast powers to the Ministers.  The powers of a Minister should not be used to promote the interests of his party or his own interests in his party.  

(Which is why for example there is always this tussle if the Minister is using government assets or machinery for his party work - a complaint that we now hear from both sides).

This will be especially relevant in the case of the Minister of Home Affairs, perhaps the most powerful Minister in the country, whose portfolio gives him the power to pry into the lives and background of almost any person in the country. The Police and Special Branch can investigate anyone without the person even knowing anything about it. 

Zahid Hamidi then also made an open declaration from the UMNO podium for Minister in Charge of Religious Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom to take action against Mat Sabu.

Never before has a Minister of Home Affairs used the podium at the UMNO Assembly to make accusations against anyone (a religious accusation of a potentially criminal nature - one of the more backward and stranger quirks that we still have in this country) obviously using information obtained through the vast resources of his Ministry. 

Much as Mat Sabu is a clown, it is still not fair to have vilified Mat Sabu using 'information' which Zahid has obviously obtained as the Minister of Home Affairs. 

This has now been confirmed by the Ministry of Home Affairs itself. Here is the news :

Home Ministry claims A-grade evidence on Mat Sabu’s Shia link

• The Home Ministry claims to have A-grade evidence linking PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu (pic) to Shia teachings, in the form of statements recorded from more than 20 people.
• Zamihan Mat Zain Al-Ghari, assistant secretary at the ministry's internal security and public order division, was quoted by Utusan Malaysia as saying these individuals were close friends of Mohamad Sabu.
• "Obviously, these 20 witnesses whom we recorded statements from have voiced their readiness to testify in court should it be necessary," Zamihan told Utusan Malaysia.
• "Some of these 20 witnesses share the same political views as Mohamad Sabu, while some are reformed Shia followers who have realised the errors of their ways.
• "These witnesses are close to Mohamad Sabu and they have seen what he has said and done in his involvement in Shia-related activities."
• If those close to Mat Sabu could present evidence, it would be impossible for him to deny his involvement with Shia teachings, he said.
• "Moreover, when Mat Sabu travelled abroad, who he visited, where he went, the Immigration Department has detailed records of his movements. There are records and evidence of everything."
• The Home Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi on Thursday presented 10 pieces of evidence which allegedly linked Mat Sabu to Shia teachings.
• At the recent UMNO Assembly Zahid said that Mat Sabu was a Syiah. He then said that more information would be released to show that Mat Sabu was a Syiah."

I am afraid Zamihan Mat Zain makes the KDN look like morons. If this is considered evidence then the IGP must be Jack The Ripper.   

I believe this statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs was made on Thursday 12th December 2013 - obviously to back up what Zahid had promised at the UMNO Assembly a few days earlier ie that "more evidence will be released soon".  Obviously Zahid was using Police resources for his speech at the UMNO podium. 

What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? Shouldnt a man be tried in Court first before you can say he is guilty? (When you publicise a "list of evidence" against him, you are actually saying he is guilty. Jangan hipokrit.)

And even if you make known the "list of evidence" against him, shouldnt the Public Prosecutor be the ones who should be doing this - AFTER charging him in Court?  

Since when does it become the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs to make known 'the list of evidence" against anyone? The Police assemble the evidence but they must present it to the Public Prosecutor whose sole prerogative shall be to decide if the evidence presented by the Police shall be used to charge someone in Court. This is the procedure we have in this country. And the Police is the oldest organisation in Malaysia - it is over 200 years old.

The gomen of Najib Tun Razak is just breaking down.  If even the gomen does not respect procedure, does not show due regard to what is proper, does not follow the law or the system of government that we have then how does the gomen expect the people to behave themselves and observe the law?

No one will have respect for law and order anymore. Semua akan buat ikut suka hati saja.  

If the Minister in office uses his power to benefit him politically, then when the other guy takes over he will do the same. And it will just become chaotic. This is the gomen of Najib Tun Razak. 

By the way - there is something called a red dot. I just found out that I am red dot. More on that later.