OF THREATS, INTIMIDATION AND FEAR

I am witnessed to the hardship and inconvenience that my grandmother had to face during the period of first Malayan Emergency, with food rationing, security checks and curfew. However, as a child I never knew what all these meant, despite seeing soldiers of the Commonwealth Forces passing through the village hunting down the Communist Terrorist (CT). There was not to be the slightest fear in me.

And when I decided to join the Army, I was witnessed to the entire period of the resurgence of the Communist Insurgency. It was only then that I knew how difficult it was to seek out the CTs and the hardship that the security forces had to face. It was not only the difficulties of having to toil the jungle areas for months on end, but being newly married and having to raise a family, I sometimes found my personal life overbearingly difficult, and at times emotional.

Today, the country had since 1989 freed itself from the CT menace. We can proudly claim to be the only country in the world that had fought communist terrorism over several decades and won. It had taken hundreds of lives of our security forces though, whose death were certainly not in vain. These fallen men will be forever remembered for their sacrifices for generations to come, and they are truly our national heroes. For those (security forces) who had served the country during the period of the Malayan Emergency, Indonesian Confrontation and the Communist Insurgency and are still alive today will appreciate and understand the meaning of peace and security, and how much it matters to them and to the country.

The country today is safe and is at peace. People from all walks of life are free to travel around the length and breadth of the country without the fear of the communist threat. There are no more curfews, food rationing, security road checks, wanton murders and house to house searches for CT sympathizers. Members of the security forces no longer operates in deep jungle areas for long duration, laying ambush and be shot at, be maimed by anti personal mines and bobby traps and to conduct long and treacherous foot patrols. Children no longer miss their father for long period of time, and the constant fear that their father may not come home alive. Ask any wife then, and that was the most common fear that they all harbored in their hearts.

A few days ago, I read that there were some irresponsible people who had openly commented that the country will be in turmoil if de facto PR leader Anwar Ibrahim gets a prison sentence on January 9, 2012. I do not know the basis of their argument and rationalization for them to have derived at such an assessment and conclusion.

Utusan Melayu’s Awang Selamat and Perkasa’s boisterous Ibrahim Ali, the two people that had come out with that conclusion should be grilled for making such ‘startling, irresponsible and ridiculous statement’ that can cause fear and apprehension among the peace loving public. But being somewhat of a ‘government’s spokesmen’, they are deemed untouchable, protected and out of reach of the law. Both, I think never held a rifle before nor had they spend time in the jungle seeking out the CTs. They have neither experienced the tumultuous period of the 13 May nor knew the difficulties and challenges faced by our security forces in warding off the threat posed during the Indonesian Confrontation. I believe they were living off their comforts of home since birth.

I would advise that these two people keep their gap shut, for I know they will be the first people to hide under the skirts of their wives if there were to be trouble in the country. Didn’t Ibrahim Ali threatened to use his ‘warriors’ to challenge Bersih 2.0, but conveniently kept away from being involved during the rally? He lost his keris and that’s the reason why. And for Awang Selamat, please do not hide behind a pseudonym. I say that your nonsensical column in Utusan Malaysia will cease after GE 13. Both are simply cowards and are cheap ‘war mongers’ – that’s what they are good at.

If someone were to ask me how do I assess the situation on 9 January? I would say, “Yes, the situation will be tense but not riotous. Even if they were to be riots, it will be confirm to urban areas (notably KL) and not widespread throughout the country. It will not be anything bigger than the riots experienced during the ‘Reformasi Movement’ of 1998. I think the police can manage the entire situation and certainly I do not believe the Armed Forces should be deployed at all – whatever are the circumstances. Should the Armed Forces be deployed, it can only be done after due consultation and with the royal consent of HRH the Yang DiPertuan Agong, him being the Commander-in-Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Political expedient should not be the primary reason to deploy the Armed Forces. And the Armed Forces should not take the dictates of the political masters. The ultimate reason to deploy the Armed Forces is for the protection of the people; and not otherwise.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION