View from the Far Side: Country Gone to the Dogs?
It is greatly perturbing to note that Malaysia is going to the dogs, figuratively speaking.
By Nora
Malaysia is facing unprecedented economic problems and high unemployment level due to the global recession and Wall Street collapse. The rakyat are suffering. It does not help that its huge economic problems are now completely overshadowed (intentionally?) by Malaysia’s other, if not equally huge problems, inter alia:
1. Malaysia has international image problems of bribery and murder scandal vis-a-vis the link between the Franco-Spanish Scorpene deal with then Armaris (now DCNS), and the C4-ed Mongolian woman – as published in the French publication Liberation (see: http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Scorpenes-Sting-Liberation-Publishes-Expose-re-Malaysias-Bribery-Murder-Scandal-05347/ ), etc.
2. This new PM’s ‘baggage’ does not augur well, especially when the new PM’s ascend to power was via the resignation of the previous PM – i.e. the new PM was appointed, not really elected. Thus, the new PM has not really received the mandate from the people, the Rakyat.
3. Lack of separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.
4. It's Judiciary is under question – e.g. per Lingam’s case that showed how appointments of judges were rigged; the unconstitutional ‘decisions’ and more recently the amazingly fast-tracked one-judge Court of Appeal stay of execution.
5. It's Legislative has absconded it's duty to the Rakyat who elected them, when several ADUNs were allowed to ‘crossed over’ after receiving bribes to the tune of millions of $!
6. It's Executive is also under question – e.g. as mentioned earlier in Points #1 and 2 above. Not forgetting that the Police (and some cropped-hair mysterious ‘Officials’) stormed the Perak Dewan and dragged out Speaker Sivakumar on 7th May 2009 – as many internationally would have watched (eg. on Youtube and alternative media).
7. Odium has been brought upon the Monarchy too, especially to a particular Sultan who was a former Lord President.
8. The unprecedented use of the Sedition Act recently on peaceful Rakyat AND on their lawyers who were seeking to meet their arrested clients is portentious.
9. Wide-spread corruption, especially in the government,
10. Etc
To people who are objective or viewing from afar, Malaysia is hardly a democracy now, more so with the current political development. Malaysia is viewed as not being much better than Myanmar or Zimbabwe. Unless Malaysia wants to remain at that despicable level, it is high time that confidence is restored to democracy in Malaysia, inter alia:
a) The new PM should seek mandate from the Rakyat via an election NOW to see,
b) The Perak issue be returned to the Rakyat’s mandate NOW,
c) A separation of powers between Executive, Legislative and Judiciary be re-instated, and the Judiciary be 'rehabilitated',
d) Problem-solving – overcome the serious economic problems, etc.
Power should be returned to the People, NOW!
