Malaysians must cherish the Constitution like Tun Dr Ismail did

Art Harun says country’s social and political ills are the result of a warped interpretation of the Constitution but that it’s not too late to do something about it.

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PETALING JAYA: Malaysians must go back to upholding the true spirit of the Constitution the same way that the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman did all those years ago, said lawyer and social activist Art Harun.

Dedicating the latest edition of his video “Art of the Matter” to Tun Dr Ismail on the occasion of his 100th birthday on November 4, the lawyer praised him as the country’s “unsung hero” and described him as a “reluctant politician” but a “true statesman” who was “the best prime minister Malaysia never had.”

As Malaysia’s second deputy prime minister, Tun Dr Ismail died while in office at the age of 57 on August 2, 1973.

In the video, Art said the political leader cherished the rule of law and upheld the Constitution, and related how his most poignant statement was the one he delivered on television after the racial riots of May 13, 1969, in which he declared: “Democracy is dead.” He was home affairs minister at the time.

Art said that although a Malay himself, Tun Dr Ismail did not believe in “Ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy) as did the country’s leaders of today but believed instead that: “We (Malays) want to be dominant, but we wouldn’t want to dominate.”

He praised Tun Dr Ismail for standing firm against any attempt to promote polarisation, when he asked, “Why did we fight for Merdeka? (Independence) So the different races can be divided? I hope a new discussion will start. Why are we building Malaysia? What Malaysia are we building? What kind of symbol is Malaysia supposed to be?

“That statement made years ago, still rings true now,” Art said, more so now as the country is in a sad state.

Reaching out to Malaysians to sign an online petition to protect the country’s Constitution, started by Tariq Ismail, Tun Dr Ismail’s grandson, Art said, “We have disrespected our own Constitution for far too long especially in the past 10 years.

“I think, we have abandoned the true spirit of the Constitution, have given a warped interpretation of the Constitution.”

He said the people needed to go back to the Constitution, study its history and ask themselves honestly if they were doing justice to it.

He added, “The social and political problems in the country – corruption and abuse of power, the rise of Islamisation, racial polarisation, all these problems if reviewed objectively can be tied up to one thing – the Constitution.”