tastebud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- intolerable It seems that nothing is more dangerous to this country than its people wanting truth. Or at the very least, a chance to be heard. The Malaysian government will have us believe that they are prepared to defend the state against enemies and detractors using any means necessary. Even if the alleged 'enemy' is seeking a truce. Predictably, prior to yesterday's demonstration, the Malaysian government has issued their customary volley of warnings through the government-contolled news agencies that those who attend will be considered trouble makers. And yet, international media revealed that more than forty thousand people showed up, risking arrest to demand for a fair election. Time and time again, the 'rakyat' have been bullied into submission. We can safely assume that by now, most people in this country, if not the world, are quite aware of the government's 'solution' for protestors that take to the street, seeking only to bring attention to the very core of democracy. A show of brute force and absolutely no tolerance for opposition. For ages, Malaysians have been fed with doctored headlines that are sympathetic to the ruling party. Reports that are tweaked to favour certain people or groups are never impartial, and November the 10th is no exception. If any justice is to happen, the unhealthy trend in this country to make a loud commotion about an incident before dying out with a whimper several weeks later has to stop. Malaysia can no longer afford making excuses for its faults. Recently, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, bluntly told the country's lawyers that demonstrations about the apparent mismanagement of the judiciary system will only give the 'false impression' that 'something is wrong with this country' to the rest of the world. Perhaps if he had paused to think about what he was saying, he would have realized how ironic that that accurate sentiment was coming from his own mouth. He added that this will "scare away foreign investors". At this particular moment in this country's stagnation, that should be the least of his worries. Referring to yesterday's historically monumental event, Abdullah declared the gathering illegal and said that he 'expected trouble', and in doing so, indirectly gave the green light for the police to deploy water cannons and tear gas on the crowd. Among those doused with chemically laced water was Al-Jazeera correspondent Hamish Macdonald, who sharply summed it up when he reported, "This is democracy, Malaysian style." New York-based Human Rights Watch slammed the rally ban and urged the government to support free speech ahead of elections expected to be called early next year. "If Malaysia wants to count itself a democracy, it can begin by upholding constitutional guarantees of free speech and assembly. The way the system works now, only the ruling coalition can get its messages out," it said. Abdullah and his government may have been playing a whitewash game thus far, but this latest 'faux pas' may just prove to be too significant to cover up. 12:58 a.m. - November 11, 2007 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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