Jubilation reigns over Egypt. Hosni Mubarak, the modern day Pharaoh resigns. Vice President Omar Sulaiman announced a peaceful transition of power to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for the interim period. The military has remained non partisan throughout the turbulent 18 days of people’s protest. Who will lead the Supreme Council? Will it be Vice President Omar Sulaiman who was himself a former military General, or the incumbent Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi?
Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei is reported to have said that “What I have been proposing is a transitional period of one year. We will have a provisional constitution. We’ll have a transitional government, hopefully a presidential council including a person from the army and a couple of civilians”
US President Barack Obama upon Mubarak’s resignation said “The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same. By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people’s hunger for change”
Leaders across the Arab world have been watching closely the developments in Egypt since it began 18 days ago. Egypt, and like some other Arab nations are known to be repressive and its people mired in poverty. Custodial killings by their highly repressive police force and other state apparatus, are a well known fact. Corruption among those in power and the elite are blatant, while the people are left to share the crumbs.
The symptoms of the people’s disgust and eventual revolt is everywhere in the Arab world, and Malaysia is no exception. We must learn to recognize and acknowledge that the causes that had made the Tunisian and Egyptian people to reject their governments, is inherent within us.
Isn’t there corruption among our leaders, government officials and the elites? Isn’t there a custodial killing by our police force that continues unabated till this very day, and the victims’ families deprived of justice? Isn’t there poverty among our urban and village folks and the failed promises upon promises that poverty eradication will be given top priority; yet poverty persist till this very day? Do we not have repressive laws?
Someone has said that Tunisia and Egypt are not like Malaysians. We are not prone to violence and rebellion, but try and make the people hungry? The result will be that they will be angry and anger knows no limits.
I still believe that we should take lesson or two from the Tunisian and Egyptian people’s ‘revolution’ that had thrown out their repressive head of states. A people’s revolt or revolution may not happen in our generation and may be not in our children’s generation; but it may happen during our grandchildren’s generation.
Like it or not, it will eventually happen if the evils of corruption is not totally eradicated, economic hardship and poverty is rampant and promises hollow, rising costs unabated, repressive state apparatus and finally an authoritarian rule.
Let’s all pray and hope that we will not be infected by the experiences of Tunisia and Egypt.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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5 comments:
sounds very much like our upper echelon and cronies in Malaysia. Sucking the money from the rakyat's for last 54yrs.
kind of same same here..
same same here lor
Despite DSN's quick denial of Malaysia's political likeness to Tunisia and Egypt (NST 13 Feb 11), the reality is there for everyone to see.
Who can deny that the stark reality that WE are actually a microcosm of Egypt.
In fact if one were to place Malaysia under a microscope, the malaise are as lear as daylight. Is the political structure in Egypt and Tunisia democratic?
Yes, very similar to Malaysia, the Legislative is put in place through elections. However, in all three cases, the democratic process ends there.
Once established, the ruling elite become dictators and monsters.
Ben Ali was one, so was Mubarak.
In Malaysia we had 20 odd yrs of Mahathirism, a politcal culture premised on what's good for the people--(what the rakyat does not realise was that such a system is better for the ruling elite and their cronies) Enter cronyism and kleptocracy..
Do we see much change in the political culture of DSN led govt?
Ha.ha.ha. you and I know the answer. Why do you think the opposition is making such in-roads.
Do we still see cronyism and high level corruption?
Very much so judging by the number of direct-nego contracts issued by govt ministries. (Mindef-Submarine rescue, ACMI andh EW equip for BSPP)I'm sure if this cx is extended to other ministries like KDNK, Education, Agriculture and Health, we will see a much longer list.
Do we still see unfettered abuse of power by the Executive?
TBH, KUGAN, Razak baginda, submarine and 6 Bn OPV deals to cite a few.
Do we have institutional check and balance to safeguard the rakyat's interest?
The Police--questionable impartiality. The Federalistic structure of PDRM prevents it from performing its public duty effectively. In its current form, it serves the Ruler better than the ruled.
The Judiciary.. Most of us know the reliability of this institution! Only in Malaysia can one escape prosecution using the 'sound like me, Looks like me but it is not me routine'.
The Legislative. Full of clowns and sycopants. Most do not even know that the OSA has become the achilles heel of democracy.
The learned elite. Too fat with their professorial salaries and perks to be of any service to the public.
Finally The Press. Ha.ha. With the likes of Johan Jaafar helming the NST group, when can the Malaysian press rid themselves of the 'cowed press' label? Its bad enough t be in the press, but to be labelled 'cowed'? Personlly I look at our press, in terms of their role as guardians of truth and the rakyat's interest as being slightly better than useless!!!
The final question is will the Eqyptian situation be emulated in Malaysia?
In this regard, I am in agreement with DSN. No.
Maybe, some of you out there can provide the answers!!!
Saya tertarik dengan komen dan pandangan WIRA yang memberi kita satu gambaran yang apa sedang berlaku dalam negara kita. Aduuuh, betapa hina dan kejinya mereka yang senang-senang dan tak segan silu melesapkan wang negara dengan kontrak "submarine rescue systems, ACMI dan EW equip for BSPP"!
Saya juga perpendapat bahawa Malaysia TIDAK akan mengikut jejak langkah Tunisia dan Egypt. Rakyat di negara kita "terlalu baik dan bersabar" dan TIDAK berani berdemonstrasi bermati-matian untuk menjatuhkan pemimpin seperti apa yang telah berlaku di Tunisia dan Egypt. Sungguh pun kita telah dan sedang memerhatikan betapa tamak dan angkuhnya setengah pemimpin dalam memperkayakan diri mereka dan keluarga melalui bermacam cara, TIDAK ada yang berani, kecuali segelintir ahli parti pembangkang, tampil menjadi
"kepala" memperjuangkan supaya semua pemimpin yang hina dan keji ini di "paksa" menghormati dan tunduk kepada kehendak rakyat!
Who wants to go to jail?
Saya tahu Dato Sri Najib sangat sedar bahawa ramai pemimpin, khususnya dalam BN, yang TIDAK lagi mendapat penghormatan dan diterima oleh rakyat. Tetapi saya lihat DSN juga sedang mengalami
"zaman sukar" untuk mengenepikan "black-sheep" yang sedang menjadi "barah" di kalangan
pemimpin negara kita.
Rakyat juga sangat sedar dan arif dengan apa yang sedang berlaku dalam negara kita. Mungkin hari ini
belum ada rakyat yang berani, tetapi pemimpin jangan salah anggap dan harus sentiasa berwaspada,
"RAKYAT YANG LEBIH BERKUASA DARIPADA PEMIMPIN YANG ANGKUH, TAMAK DAN RASUAH"!
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