All posts by Gertrude

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About Gertrude

I am a little left of centre 21st Century person. What all that means you'll discover as you read my blog!

Three issues of importance

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It’s a pity that the case of the “enforced disappearance” of two Malaysian citizens has been overshadowed by equally important issues such as the Rome Statute ratification, the Johor-Putrajaya tensions and the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.

No doubt Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that a new investigation will be launched after the current Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun, who was the head of Special Branch when Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat were abducted, steps down next month.

Suhakam (Human Rights Commission of Malaysia) implicated “state agents”, particularly the Special Branch, for carrying out the abductions which the commission has labelled as “enforced disappearances”.

The investigation based on Suhakam’s findings after its 18-month public enquiry is a much-welcomed relief! With other issues taking centre stage now, it is hoped that there would be no further delay in launching the investigation in finding out who was or were behind the “enforced disappearances”.

This is an urgent issue as it involves two lives. Malaysians want immediate answers to still unanswered questions. First and foremost is the question: Are they still alive? If they are, they should be released to their respective families.

Then, we want to know who gave the directive for the abductions and on what grounds? Was it Mohamad Fuzi? Did he make the decision based on reports filed by his staff? How did they get the information on these two men? Were they tipped off and if so by whom? Or, were vested interests involved and those vested interests prodded Mohamad Fuzi or somebody else in Special Branch to act?

Frankly, these questions and many more can be immediately answered if the Home Minister will just call up Mohamad Fuzi to explain and then provide all the answers at a press conference. If that isn’t feasible, then, there is no choice but to wait for an official investigation, which must take place immediately.

This is not an issue that can wait until an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is set up. It has to be resolved immediately because leaving it unaddressed is, in fact, closing an eye to state-sponsored abductions or terrorism. That is totally unacceptable!

Reach out to opposition MPs

I mentioned in my first paragraph the Rome Statute ratification, the Johor-Putrajaya tensions and the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution. Much has been written on them and I won’t go into the details as these issues are extensively covered in the media.

I wonder though if the real issue is not the laws but the lack of engagement between Putrajaya and vested interests. Unfortunately, where the rulers are concerned, engagement can only occur within the confines of the law. The running of the country and the state are only undertaken by elected officials. That needs to be respected because it is the will of the people. Deferring to the rulers only takes place as the law allows it.

A lack of engagement, perhaps, was the reason why the Pakatan Harapan government failed to get a two-thirds majority to pass the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution to give Sabah and Sarawak an equal footing with Peninsular Malaysia in accordance with the spirit of Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

It would be good for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to take note of what the opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) are saying. They are not against the bill. They abstained. Some said it was because of PH’s arrogance, others because it lacked sincerity and Putrajaya failed to engage the Sabah and Sarawak state assemblies.

PH was only 10 short of 148 votes of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat to make a two-thirds majority. If PH does not have a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat, it should start engaging lawmakers in the opposition to support important bills such as the amendment to Article 1(2) of the Federal Constitution.

PH lawmakers, perhaps, should reach out to opposition MPs and present to them a rational case based on facts and figures to clear whatever suspicions they may have of the government initiative. The power of conviction of the benefits of the bill should be enough to convert enough opposition MPs to give a two-thirds majority.

The bill may be presented again at a later date. Hopefully, PH would work hard to deliver a victory to the people of Sabah and Sarawak then.

 

Race baiting comes at a price

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Political leaders who resort to demonizing other races for political advantage may not realise that their actions will hurt the very people whose support they are seeking.

Umno politicians used race to win over the majority Malay voters in the Seminyeh by-election by referring to non-Malays as pendatang and penumpang (immigrants and riders) among other things and incensing the non-Malays in the process. Politicians have always used the race card to win support. No doubt that has been the practice, especially in the rural areas, but it was a practice that non-Malays never appreciated.

They put up with it because the non-Malay partners of the previous Barisan Nasional administration were apparently advised (privately, never openly) that it was a necessary strategy to get the Malay rural vote so that Umno had the Malay mandate to lead the BN coalition.

Well, that was before. Now, Pakatan Harapan is in government with the strong support of non-Malays who wholeheartedly demonstrated their patriotism when they staked their claim as equal partners in this country by overwhelmingly supporting the PH in the 14th General Election (GE14).

To have had to listen to the racial drivel that was poured out at the Seminyeh by-election and which was followed up by others was an assault and insult to the loyalty of the non-Malays to Malaysia.

Leaders and the politically knowledgeable may understand the need for such a strategy if it would mean support from the homogenous rural voter base. That support would have meant that the candidate and party they supported would lead the government, which in turn would have ensured the interests of this particularly large demographic.

In Seminyeh, however, would that strategy have helped Umno deliver? Umno is now the opposition. Can it meet the needs of the rural Malay voter which only the government of the day can deliver? They can’t. So, what was the primary objective of using the race card if not to stay in power by any means?

Once the voters realise that race baiting was used only to win an election, they are going to wise up to Umno’s bankrupt political patronage as they finally realise that race politics was nothing but a pack of lies.

Do Umno politicians understand the damage they cause by resorting to race baiting? People in the know may understand it was nothing but a strategy; the politicians are actually not racist. The grassroots, however, don’t know that — they might now, after all the publicity the issue attracted.

As long as the grassroots don’t know they were taken for a ride, the consequence is a dangerous enmity between the races. The mentality of us vs the others will be entrenched and that would be the end of racial unity.

Do they know what they are doing? To use the language of Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin in the hope his colleagues understand, “do you comprehend, YBs (Yang Berhormat (respected Members of Parliament))?”

Despite using the race card, politicians of different races generally work together for the sake of political expediency. But, it is a different scenario on the ground. The chances for social integration will be diminished. Because of the race divide, the races will continue to live in their social ghettos, maintaining cordiality for the sake of peace but deeply wary of each other.

Social integration won’t take place, which means economic integration won’t follow. Businesses and markets will be characterised by race and remain segregated. People of different races won’t form businesses together and reach out to a mixed market. Markets will be confined to and restricted by race. How can they grow businesses in limited markets?

In the absence of an integrated economy, it becomes easier for capital owners to uproot and get out if their interests are threatened, which may lead to an economic collapse.

There is only one way to prevent such a catastrophe from ever happening. Integrate the economy so that businesses and markets are encouraged and supported across the races. The solution is not to reinstate the 30% bumiputra shareholding quota in listed companies as considered by the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but to launch policies and plans for multi-racial businesses and companies where possible.

In this respect, MCA president Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong’s suggestion to the government should be considered. He had asked the government to give tax incentives for savings and shareholdings, and educate students on investment and shares through school syllabuses and extracurricular activities.

Government policies must aim at social and economic integration. That would make it clear that all Malaysians are treated as equals and will be supported in their endeavours to make Malaysia a better home and none will have any reason to flee.

A new journey begins …

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TurkeyJet

Thanks for joining me!

I’ve called this blog 21stcenturycitizen because that’s who all of us are. By being in this century, here or anywhere on Earth, we are connected in one way or another. No matter how different we are, by virtue of simply belonging to this century, there will be something about each other we can relate with or reach out to. That is what I would like to affirm in this blog.

Our differences may separate and divide us but our commonness can unite and strengthen us as a community and that hopefully is what I would like to achieve through this blog.

So, I’ll be writing about anything and everything but all will have a modern, progressive outlook. I am not one who is pigeon-holed into a stereotype so sometimes I may write something that may not fit into your scheme of things. Bear with me! An occasional jolt hurts no one! It might bring us back to the truth of reality!

I think more people will be able to relate to this blog, so I am looking forward to an interactive comments section.

I’ll upload my post every Friday.