`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Saturday, January 17, 2015

Why Major Zaidi had to be punished

We talk a lot about God, religion and morality, but we have failed someone who tried to expose a blatant violation of public trust.
COMMENT
By T K Chua
Major Zaidi Ahmad_facebook_300Are we surprised that Major Zaidi Ahmad was found guilty for making a police report and for holding a press conference to complain that the indelible ink used in the last election washed off too easily? We shouldn’t be. Imagine the implications on the integrity of the Election Commission, the ink supplier, and the election results if he was found not guilty.
The court martial did not deal with the indelible ink directly. Instead, Major Zaidi was punished for making the police report and for holding the press conference, and these actions have supposedly brought public disrepute and contempt to the Malaysian Air Force.
It does not matter whether Major Zaidi’s allegation is true or false. It does not matter also whether the issue is of public or private concern. We don’t care whether the police report was made to rectify a wrong committed against public interest. We just hold on to the “order” that public servants are not supposed to do that.
How ridiculous can we get? Are public servants robots programmed to be blind, deaf and dumb to evils? Are public servants not citizens of this country? Do they not have responsibilities and duties just like the rest of us? In fact, given the nature of their jobs and training, I would expect higher standards of duty and care from the public servants when it comes to protecting public interest.
We understand that public servants are subjected to numerous pledges, oaths, regulations, orders and the Official Secrets Act and other laws. I think it is time to take a closer look at all these.
Who are public servants supposed to protect if not the constitution, the country, the public and the people? Surely they can’t be party to any deception, corruption, cheating, mismanagement or fraud, whatever the laws, general orders, regulations and oaths care to mandate. Is this not common sense and isn’t it the most basic of ethical and moral standards any democratic country is expected to uphold? Why do we have to talk long and wide about God, religion, morality on the stage and off the stage when we have failed to protect someone who tried to expose the most blatant and flagrant violation of public trust and responsibility?
Major Zaidi must be found guilty. Otherwise, the Election Commission must explain its incompetence, the indelible ink supplier must pay compensation and be punished for cheating and, most important of all, the general election results would be in jeopardy.
T K Chua is an FMT reader

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.