THE SILENCE IS DEAFENING
In a real democracy everyone has a voice, and this voice has to be far more than that one vote in a general election once every five years or so. Such a voice, should be heard and respected by the government of the day.
Ronald Reagan once wrote:
“ Government is only a convenience created and managed by the people with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes tend to forget that great truth and we never should.”
How does a responsible government understand and appreciate what the people want if all sorts of obstacles are placed everywhere to mute the voice of the masses?
First we have the Sedition Act, Internal Security Act, Official Secrecy Act, University and University Colleges Act and many other regressive legislation including those that control the freedom of expression in the main stream mass media. All these effectively obstruct the healthy growth in the civic consciousness of a normal citizen and turning such a citizen into a non-participating, ill-informed, marginalized, frustrated and angry person. This is dangerous.
Further, we are now burdened with so many political actors who claimed to be so very delicate, ultra sensitive and very easily offended. Therefore even in our parliament today, relevant issues however humbly articulated with however noble the intention, are “deemed sensitive” and “deemed offensive”. Such political actors shamelessly condemned and threatened
other parliamentarians who brought up certain issues which are affecting every Malaysian. It is disheartening and I believe many thinking Malaysians are disappointed and depressed.
Look around ourselves, we do not find many people who are interested in discussing about any current affairs constructively; we have gone numb and resign to keeping silent.
To me, this silence is very loud and it is getting to be deafening.
Ronald Reagan once wrote:
“ Government is only a convenience created and managed by the people with no powers of its own except those voluntarily granted to it by the people. We sometimes tend to forget that great truth and we never should.”
How does a responsible government understand and appreciate what the people want if all sorts of obstacles are placed everywhere to mute the voice of the masses?
First we have the Sedition Act, Internal Security Act, Official Secrecy Act, University and University Colleges Act and many other regressive legislation including those that control the freedom of expression in the main stream mass media. All these effectively obstruct the healthy growth in the civic consciousness of a normal citizen and turning such a citizen into a non-participating, ill-informed, marginalized, frustrated and angry person. This is dangerous.
Further, we are now burdened with so many political actors who claimed to be so very delicate, ultra sensitive and very easily offended. Therefore even in our parliament today, relevant issues however humbly articulated with however noble the intention, are “deemed sensitive” and “deemed offensive”. Such political actors shamelessly condemned and threatened
other parliamentarians who brought up certain issues which are affecting every Malaysian. It is disheartening and I believe many thinking Malaysians are disappointed and depressed.
Look around ourselves, we do not find many people who are interested in discussing about any current affairs constructively; we have gone numb and resign to keeping silent.
To me, this silence is very loud and it is getting to be deafening.
posted by tmf at 6:59 PM
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