He couldn't have written it clearer and more accurate than this!
Truth and justice are no longer Malaysian way
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 21, 2007
THE Government of Australia will probably change hands this weekend. There will be no arrests, no tear gas and no water cannons. The Government of John Howard will leave office, the Opposition will form a government and everyone will accept the verdict.
For this, every Australian can feel justifiably proud. This playing by the rules is what has made Australia rich and a good place in which to invest. It is a country to which people want to migrate; not leave.
Now consider Malaysia. The weekend before last, up to 40,000 Malaysians took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to protest peacefully against the judiciary's lack of independence, electoral fraud, corruption and a controlled media.
In response, they were threatened by the Prime Minister, called monkeys by his powerful son-in-law, and blasted with water cannons and tear gas. And yet the vast majority of Malaysians do not want a change of government. All they want is for their government to govern better.
Both Malaysia and Australia have a rule of law that's based on the English system. Both started out as colonies of Britain. So why is Malaysia getting it so wrong now?
Malaysia's Government hates feedback. Dissent is regarded as dangerous, rather than a product of diversity. And like the wicked witch so ugly that she can't stand mirrors, the Government of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi controls the media so that it doesn't have to see its own reflection.
Demonstrations are typically banned. But what every Malaysian should know is that in Britain, Australia and other modern countries, when people wish to demonstrate, the police typically clear the way and make sure no one gets hurt. The streets belong to the people. And the police, like the politicians, are their servants. It is not the other way around.
But increasingly in Malaysia, Malaysians are being denied a voice — especially young people.
Section 15 of Malaysia's Universities and University Colleges Act states that no student shall be a member of or in any manner associate with any society, political party, trade union or any other organisation, body or group of people whatsoever, be it in or outside Malaysia, unless it is approved in advance and in writing by the vice-chancellor.
Nor can any student express or do anything that may be construed as expressing support, sympathy or opposition to any political party or union. Breaking this law can lead to a fine, a jail term or both.
The judiciary as a source of independent viewpoints has been squashed. The previous prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, did many good things for Malaysia, but his firing of the Lord President (chief justice) and two other Supreme Court judges in 1988 was an unmitigated disaster. Since then, what passes for a judiciary in Malaysia has been an utter disgrace and the Government knows it.
Several years ago, Daim Zainuddin, the country's then powerful finance minister, told me that judges in Malaysia were a bunch of idiots. Of course we want them to be biased, he told me, but not that biased.
Rarely do government ministers need to telephone a judge and demand this or that verdict because the judges are so in tune with the Government's desires that they automatically do the Government's beckoning.
Just how appalling Malaysia's judiciary has become was made clear in recent weeks with the circulation of a video clip showing a senior lawyer assuring someone by telephone that he will lobby the Government to have him made Lord President of the Supreme Court because he had been loyal to the Government. That someone is believed to have been Ahmad Fairuz Abdul Halim, who did in fact become Lord President.
A protest march organised by the Malaysian Bar Council was staged in response to this, and corruption among the judiciary in general. But the mainstream Malaysian media barely covered the march even though up to 2000 Bar Council members were taking part. Reportedly, the Prime Minister's office instructed editors to play down the event.
Instead of a free media, independent judges and open public debate, Malaysians are given stunts — the world's tallest building and most recently, a Malaysian cosmonaut. Essentially, they are given the play things of modernity but not modernity itself.
Many senior Malays are absolutely despairing at the direction of their country today. But with the media tightly controlled they have no way of getting their views out to their fellow countrymen. This means that most Malaysians falsely assume that the Malay elite is unified when it comes to the country's direction.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister and today still a member of the Government, told me several weeks ago in Kuala Lumpur that he could see no reason why today Malaysia could not have a completely free media, a completely independent judiciary and that corrupt ministers and other officials should be publicly exposed and humiliated.
According to Tengku Razaleigh, all of the institutions designed to make Malaysia's Government accountable and honest have been dismantled or neutered.
It didn't need to be like this. Malaysia is not North Korea or Indonesia. It is something quite different. Its legal system is based on British codes. Coupled with traditional Malay culture, which is one of the world's most hospitable, decent and gentle cultures, Malaysia has the cultural and historical underpinnings to become one of Asia's most civilised, rules-based, successful societies.
Instead, Malaysia's Government is incrementally wasting Malaysia's inheritance.
Friday
Thursday
Dogland Part II - A Mangie goes to the Capes
Dogland was all abuzz with excitement with a recent development and plans for dogs to venture into places unknown.
The Mangies have decided to make Dogland seemed ultra-cool and more advanced by working with KanineCentral to send one dog from Dogland to the Capes together with a Kanine. Now, very few dogs have ever been to the Capes except for some Kanines and a Retriever or two from another kennel so the Mangies are intent on using this ruse to boost their image as 'great' pack leaders.
They launched a complete marketing strategy to cover the rising growls of dissent and announced the many great deeds the chosen dog will perform while at the Capes which will benefit the whole of Dogland. They even went so far as to hire a Retriever from lands far away, who had been to the Capes several times, to go all over the land and promote this grand 'Journey to the Capes' scheme. They cleverly played down the actual amount of bones and meat needed to send the Mangie to the Capes.
Soon, many dogs in the land ignorantly caught on to the wave of excitement while Capes lovers applaud and welcomed the project. However, the growls of dissent were not easily silenced. Many other dogs felt it is a total waste of bones and meat which could be put to better use for the old, the disabled and those too weak to scrounge for their own meals. They tried to tell the other dogs but were mostly ignored.
Thus the 'selection' process for the fittest dog in Dogland to represent the kennel in the great journey to the Capes. It was a painstaking, tedious process with hundreds of dogs rushing to apply and achieve the fame of being the first dog in Dogland to ever go to the Capes. To avoid suspicions, the weeks leading up to the actual selection saw a Labrador, a Saint Bernard and a Hound amongst the top ten finalists of mostly Mangies.
Needless to say, despite repeatedly proclaiming that the selection process is based on the fitness of the dog and not the breed, a Mangie was chosen amongst many other non-Mangies. The second in line to go is also a Mangie. These two Mangies were sent to KanineCentral for dog training so that they would be able to survive the arduous trip to the Capes. The marketing campaign continues as more dogs began to believe that sending a Mangie to the Capes will actually solve all problems in Dogland.
The Mangies themselves thought the whole scheme is an absolute success to get the dogs' support. 'Ah, soon, there would not be any growling dog in the whole of Dogland because we have sent a dog to the Capes!' they secretly thought.
Little did the dogs know that the Mangie selected for the journey will get a free trip fully sponsored by Dogland and will not accomplish anything while there. The Mangie was just a dog with no special capabilities like the Kanine and were treated as a 'guest' in the journey rather than an important part of the exploring team.
The Mangie went to the Capes with much yapping and howls. The great journey was so broadly advertised that every dog and pup in Dogland knew about it, although not all necessarily agree to it.
Also with much yapping and howls, the Mangie came back and promptly announced how successful the whole journey had been. The Mangie even claimed to have discovered important sniffing measures while at the Capes.
Time passed and the whole Journey to the Capes spectacle faded away. The Mangie did not bring any riches to Dogland. There were no sudden windfall of bones or meat. In fact, after the hype died down, there was no physical benefit to be seen from the whole project.
The bones and meat are all gone, paid to the KanineCentral to ferry a Mangie to the Capes as a 'guest'. Meanwhile, many dogs in Dogland continue to suffer due to bad infrastructure, poor health and worsening living conditions in the land. In all the hype of sending a Mangie to the Capes, the very important issue of caring for all the dogs in Dogland was forgotten and pushed aside.
It was as if it is more important to waste millions of bones and meat to send a Mangie to the Capes than to use it for the good of all of the dogs in Dogland.
The Mangies have decided to make Dogland seemed ultra-cool and more advanced by working with KanineCentral to send one dog from Dogland to the Capes together with a Kanine. Now, very few dogs have ever been to the Capes except for some Kanines and a Retriever or two from another kennel so the Mangies are intent on using this ruse to boost their image as 'great' pack leaders.
They launched a complete marketing strategy to cover the rising growls of dissent and announced the many great deeds the chosen dog will perform while at the Capes which will benefit the whole of Dogland. They even went so far as to hire a Retriever from lands far away, who had been to the Capes several times, to go all over the land and promote this grand 'Journey to the Capes' scheme. They cleverly played down the actual amount of bones and meat needed to send the Mangie to the Capes.
Soon, many dogs in the land ignorantly caught on to the wave of excitement while Capes lovers applaud and welcomed the project. However, the growls of dissent were not easily silenced. Many other dogs felt it is a total waste of bones and meat which could be put to better use for the old, the disabled and those too weak to scrounge for their own meals. They tried to tell the other dogs but were mostly ignored.
Thus the 'selection' process for the fittest dog in Dogland to represent the kennel in the great journey to the Capes. It was a painstaking, tedious process with hundreds of dogs rushing to apply and achieve the fame of being the first dog in Dogland to ever go to the Capes. To avoid suspicions, the weeks leading up to the actual selection saw a Labrador, a Saint Bernard and a Hound amongst the top ten finalists of mostly Mangies.
Needless to say, despite repeatedly proclaiming that the selection process is based on the fitness of the dog and not the breed, a Mangie was chosen amongst many other non-Mangies. The second in line to go is also a Mangie. These two Mangies were sent to KanineCentral for dog training so that they would be able to survive the arduous trip to the Capes. The marketing campaign continues as more dogs began to believe that sending a Mangie to the Capes will actually solve all problems in Dogland.
The Mangies themselves thought the whole scheme is an absolute success to get the dogs' support. 'Ah, soon, there would not be any growling dog in the whole of Dogland because we have sent a dog to the Capes!' they secretly thought.
Little did the dogs know that the Mangie selected for the journey will get a free trip fully sponsored by Dogland and will not accomplish anything while there. The Mangie was just a dog with no special capabilities like the Kanine and were treated as a 'guest' in the journey rather than an important part of the exploring team.
The Mangie went to the Capes with much yapping and howls. The great journey was so broadly advertised that every dog and pup in Dogland knew about it, although not all necessarily agree to it.
Also with much yapping and howls, the Mangie came back and promptly announced how successful the whole journey had been. The Mangie even claimed to have discovered important sniffing measures while at the Capes.
Time passed and the whole Journey to the Capes spectacle faded away. The Mangie did not bring any riches to Dogland. There were no sudden windfall of bones or meat. In fact, after the hype died down, there was no physical benefit to be seen from the whole project.
The bones and meat are all gone, paid to the KanineCentral to ferry a Mangie to the Capes as a 'guest'. Meanwhile, many dogs in Dogland continue to suffer due to bad infrastructure, poor health and worsening living conditions in the land. In all the hype of sending a Mangie to the Capes, the very important issue of caring for all the dogs in Dogland was forgotten and pushed aside.
It was as if it is more important to waste millions of bones and meat to send a Mangie to the Capes than to use it for the good of all of the dogs in Dogland.
The story of Dogland
In Doggyland resides many different breeds of dogs from German Shepherds to Bulldogs to ChiHuaHuas to Poodles and gentle giants, Saint Bernards. There are also a lot of mixed breeds but mostly it is populated with a lot of the Mangies breed who leads Dogland.
As the pack leaders, the Mangies took advantage of the other breeds. During earlier days, the other breeds did not notice, they just went about digging up bones for themselves and mainly ignoring whatever the Mangies said or do.
That is until recent times when the other breeds suddenly realised that they had been had!
The Mangies have been stealing their bones from right under their noses in broad daylight. To make matters worse, the Mangies are even bullying other weaker Mangies to show their own power.
As time passes and population in Dogland grows, the Mangies started boasting about their so-called victories in their forays into various unknown territories using their stolen resources.
Now, the other breeds are becoming disgruntled. Many are growling and baring their teeth at the Mangies behind their backs.
However, few are brave enough to actually face up to the Mangies. Those who actually did were dragged by their scruffs to be locked in the pound and ultimately silenced.
Many dogs have given up and are even moving on to other greener pastures where pack leaders do not openly and officially discriminate against different breeds and all breeds are treated fairly. The less able ones could not do anything but stay on and hoped for a change in pack leaders.
In the meantime, things become worse. The Mangies became fat and lazy and had taken to ordering all the other breeds to do their work for them. Whoever dared to refuse the Mangies were immediately taken to the dog pound.
A clever group of Beagles then started exposing the cruel and corrupted practices of the Mangies for all to see. This did not bode well for the Mangies. Angered by the hard-hitting facts being presented for all to see, the Mangies started a conspiracy plan for the downfall of the Beagles. This includes smearing their reputation, dragging some of them to the dog pound and launching all sorts of attack plans to silence the Beagles.
However, instead of being frightened into silence, the Beagles continued to be even more aggressively. Realising that the ripples of dissatisfaction are growing into huge waves, the Mangies launched into a different game plan instead.
They started throwing out tiny bits of bacons to satisfy the disgruntled dogs. They promised big pieces of steaks and choice cuts and bigger bones. They pretended to drag a few errant Mangies into the pound to prove that the Mangies are really good leaders but had the misfortune to be plagued with a few rogue Mangies.
The dogs, being loyal Doglanders, believed the Mangies. They thought the Mangies would not lie to them. The Beagles were not easily fooled but found that the other dogs have been easily won over by cheap promises.
A not so peaceful quiet settled on Dogland as the Mangies continue to lie and trick the other dogs into letting them continue as pack leaders while the Beagles rack their brains for a way to finally expose the Mangies for who they really are.
Stay tune for Part Two of the Dogland stories....
As the pack leaders, the Mangies took advantage of the other breeds. During earlier days, the other breeds did not notice, they just went about digging up bones for themselves and mainly ignoring whatever the Mangies said or do.
That is until recent times when the other breeds suddenly realised that they had been had!
The Mangies have been stealing their bones from right under their noses in broad daylight. To make matters worse, the Mangies are even bullying other weaker Mangies to show their own power.
As time passes and population in Dogland grows, the Mangies started boasting about their so-called victories in their forays into various unknown territories using their stolen resources.
Now, the other breeds are becoming disgruntled. Many are growling and baring their teeth at the Mangies behind their backs.
However, few are brave enough to actually face up to the Mangies. Those who actually did were dragged by their scruffs to be locked in the pound and ultimately silenced.
Many dogs have given up and are even moving on to other greener pastures where pack leaders do not openly and officially discriminate against different breeds and all breeds are treated fairly. The less able ones could not do anything but stay on and hoped for a change in pack leaders.
In the meantime, things become worse. The Mangies became fat and lazy and had taken to ordering all the other breeds to do their work for them. Whoever dared to refuse the Mangies were immediately taken to the dog pound.
A clever group of Beagles then started exposing the cruel and corrupted practices of the Mangies for all to see. This did not bode well for the Mangies. Angered by the hard-hitting facts being presented for all to see, the Mangies started a conspiracy plan for the downfall of the Beagles. This includes smearing their reputation, dragging some of them to the dog pound and launching all sorts of attack plans to silence the Beagles.
However, instead of being frightened into silence, the Beagles continued to be even more aggressively. Realising that the ripples of dissatisfaction are growing into huge waves, the Mangies launched into a different game plan instead.
They started throwing out tiny bits of bacons to satisfy the disgruntled dogs. They promised big pieces of steaks and choice cuts and bigger bones. They pretended to drag a few errant Mangies into the pound to prove that the Mangies are really good leaders but had the misfortune to be plagued with a few rogue Mangies.
The dogs, being loyal Doglanders, believed the Mangies. They thought the Mangies would not lie to them. The Beagles were not easily fooled but found that the other dogs have been easily won over by cheap promises.
A not so peaceful quiet settled on Dogland as the Mangies continue to lie and trick the other dogs into letting them continue as pack leaders while the Beagles rack their brains for a way to finally expose the Mangies for who they really are.
Stay tune for Part Two of the Dogland stories....
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