One black eye for Malaysia
Helen AngPublished: May 7, 2009 4:47 AM | Updated: May 7, 2009 7:37 AM
Arresting Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat and then detaining more than a dozen other people who held a candlelight vigil for him gives conflicting messages to the promises of reforms pledged by the Najib administration.
This episode only calls for more attention to Bersih’s proposal of '1BlackMalaysia', that is, for Malaysians to wear black today as a mark of protest against BN’s attempts to wrestle the Perak government from Pakatan Raykat’s hold through a coup d'etat.
Arresting Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat and then detaining more than a dozen other people, who held a candlelight vigil for him, gives conflicting messages to the promises of reforms pledged by the Najib administration.
This episode only calls for more attention to Bersih’s proposal of ‘1BlackMalaysia’, that is, for Malaysians to wear black today as a mark of protest against BN’s attempts to wrestle the Perak government from Pakatan Raykat’s hold through a coup d’etat.
Wong (far left) is a seasoned activist who has novel tips to give greenhorns. Among some of the memorable ones he’d shared: Sing ‘Negaraku’ when you’re being hauled away by police. Singing the national anthem is a pointed reminder that activists are patriots, not criminals.
Or, carry a copy of the constitution with you like it was the Bible. Chin Huat has a well-thumbed copy. If you’ve read your Federal Constitution well, you should know which clauses you can invoke to protect your rights as a citizen.
He also believes that "(the) government is only a necessary evil". I recall how the catchy phrase resonated with me when I first heard him say it, and was tickled that he was willing to express this publicly.
And it is indeed a striking thought that should be voiced out, especially pertaining to BN’s successive tactics, which has turned into our misfortune to endure.
Government = Mafia?
Another of Wong’s pet theories is that there is only a thin line between a government and a mafia or the triad. He took up the theme again in his recent column, asking: “What is the real thin line between a government and a mafia or triad?”
Rhetorical question: “That mafias or triads do not know how to employ a public relations company for legitimacy branding?”
Cued answer: “No. It is elections (which is the thin line between a government and a mafia).”
In a democratic system, elections will usually boot out a decaying government.
It is quite evident that Najib is paying good money to public relations consultants to apple polish his image. But the Prime Minister’s jingoism is just that, and will not mask the ugly Mahathirism beneath the cosmetic veneer.
It is quite evident too that Wong’s activism in electoral processes was what caught the police’s attention. So they detained him, hoping the arrest will deter his advocacy, and dampen the spirit of the cause.
Same old scare tactics
Will taking more and more people into police custody succeed in cowing the electorate? A phrase that bears repeating is: “You can imprison a man but not his ideas”.
As such, the banned book syndrome holds. If the authorities were to ban a book, people will be eager to lay hands on it to find out what the fuss is all about. A friend has never heard of Wong Chin Huat before, but his arrest elevated him into ‘Google’ sphere.
By taking him into custody, the authorities have succeeded in making Malaysians curious. This curiosity value allows for a wider airing of Chin Huat’s views than they would earlier have garnered.
Wong’s message that any individual can make a difference resonates louder now. “Everyone matters,” he said. I do not see any seditious element in this belief and its promotion.
One of the ideas he shared during a long discussion we once had on activism was this: Wong is of the opinion that activism need not necessarily be such as to put a person in the front line, dodging FRU batons, and playing hide-and-seek with teargas and chemical-laced water.
Silent activism
Any Malaysian can be an activist in the areas that he or she has knowledge and expertise in.
One example is the doctors who have spoken on the A. Kugan case by simplifying medical jargons for the people’s understanding, brushing away the veil of obfuscation by the Health director-general Dr Ismail Merican. The latter’s act insulted our intelligence.
By shedding the passivity that had earlier greeted Dr Ismail’s astounding apologia, those medical experts who have risen to the occasion are activists in their own way.
Or, activism can be quiet and done behind the scenes, and in non-provocative areas like improving public transport.
It is the silent majority that any mafia-like government ought to fear more; not the vocal minority of Wong’s ilk.
Activism in the form of greater public participation in political processes will mean a lesser stranglehold on us by those in political office. This is where ideologues such as those by Wong are viral agents.
In a statement on the day of his arrest, Wong said that the ‘1BlackMalaysia’ campaign is a peaceful yet powerful message of ‘civil disobedience’.
I think civil disobedience is a good idea.
It is an idea whose time has come.
The writer was among the dozens detained by police this morning outside the Perak state assembly where the government and opposition are tussling for control.
This episode only calls for more attention to Bersih’s proposal of ‘1BlackMalaysia’, that is, for Malaysians to wear black today as a mark of protest against BN’s attempts to wrestle the Perak government from Pakatan Raykat’s hold through a coup d’etat.
Wong (far left) is a seasoned activist who has novel tips to give greenhorns. Among some of the memorable ones he’d shared: Sing ‘Negaraku’ when you’re being hauled away by police. Singing the national anthem is a pointed reminder that activists are patriots, not criminals. Or, carry a copy of the constitution with you like it was the Bible. Chin Huat has a well-thumbed copy. If you’ve read your Federal Constitution well, you should know which clauses you can invoke to protect your rights as a citizen.
He also believes that "(the) government is only a necessary evil". I recall how the catchy phrase resonated with me when I first heard him say it, and was tickled that he was willing to express this publicly.
And it is indeed a striking thought that should be voiced out, especially pertaining to BN’s successive tactics, which has turned into our misfortune to endure.
Government = Mafia?
Another of Wong’s pet theories is that there is only a thin line between a government and a mafia or the triad. He took up the theme again in his recent column, asking: “What is the real thin line between a government and a mafia or triad?”
Rhetorical question: “That mafias or triads do not know how to employ a public relations company for legitimacy branding?”
Cued answer: “No. It is elections (which is the thin line between a government and a mafia).”
In a democratic system, elections will usually boot out a decaying government.
It is quite evident that Najib is paying good money to public relations consultants to apple polish his image. But the Prime Minister’s jingoism is just that, and will not mask the ugly Mahathirism beneath the cosmetic veneer.
It is quite evident too that Wong’s activism in electoral processes was what caught the police’s attention. So they detained him, hoping the arrest will deter his advocacy, and dampen the spirit of the cause.
Same old scare tactics
Will taking more and more people into police custody succeed in cowing the electorate? A phrase that bears repeating is: “You can imprison a man but not his ideas”.
As such, the banned book syndrome holds. If the authorities were to ban a book, people will be eager to lay hands on it to find out what the fuss is all about. A friend has never heard of Wong Chin Huat before, but his arrest elevated him into ‘Google’ sphere.
By taking him into custody, the authorities have succeeded in making Malaysians curious. This curiosity value allows for a wider airing of Chin Huat’s views than they would earlier have garnered.
Wong’s message that any individual can make a difference resonates louder now. “Everyone matters,” he said. I do not see any seditious element in this belief and its promotion.
One of the ideas he shared during a long discussion we once had on activism was this: Wong is of the opinion that activism need not necessarily be such as to put a person in the front line, dodging FRU batons, and playing hide-and-seek with teargas and chemical-laced water. Silent activism
Any Malaysian can be an activist in the areas that he or she has knowledge and expertise in.
One example is the doctors who have spoken on the A. Kugan case by simplifying medical jargons for the people’s understanding, brushing away the veil of obfuscation by the Health director-general Dr Ismail Merican. The latter’s act insulted our intelligence.
By shedding the passivity that had earlier greeted Dr Ismail’s astounding apologia, those medical experts who have risen to the occasion are activists in their own way.
Or, activism can be quiet and done behind the scenes, and in non-provocative areas like improving public transport. It is the silent majority that any mafia-like government ought to fear more; not the vocal minority of Wong’s ilk.
Activism in the form of greater public participation in political processes will mean a lesser stranglehold on us by those in political office. This is where ideologues such as those by Wong are viral agents.
In a statement on the day of his arrest, Wong said that the ‘1BlackMalaysia’ campaign is a peaceful yet powerful message of ‘civil disobedience’.
I think civil disobedience is a good idea.
It is an idea whose time has come.
The writer was among the dozens detained by police this morning outside the Perak state assembly where the government and opposition are tussling for control.
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