'Street protests don't strengthen democracy'
Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has asserted that, while street demonstrations are part of the democratic process, these do not help strengthen democracy.
While he accepts demonstrations, Umno’s Saifuddin Abdullah says there are other ways to make democracy work.
Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has asserted that, while street demonstrations are part of the democratic process, these do not help strengthen democracy.
“For me, demonstrations are a part of democracy and no one is denying that. But it does not help strengthen democracy,” he said.
Saifuddin was debating with PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub at an event organised by Malay daily
Sinar Harian
last night, at the Karangkraf Media Complex.
Salahuddin had charged that peaceful street demonstrations have been the catalyst for many positive changes, citing the protests against the Malayan Union in 1946.
He also stressed that, if there is adequate democratic space, demonstrations like the Bersih 3.0 rally would not have been necessary.
Saifuddin disagreed, saying that space is given but that it is not being used, citing the Pakatan Rakyat boycott of the Lynas parliamentary select committee, and the frequent walkouts by opposition MPs from the Dewan Rakyat.
“The demonstrations to fight the Malayan Union took place before democracy existed (in Malaya). There is a difference between creating democracy before it exists, and strengthening it,” he told a packed hall of 300.
He further argued that street demonstrations are inherently fraught with risks, as any negative incidents that take place only distract from the original intent of the protest.
Citing the Bersih 3.0 rally, he said he did not blame Bersih or the peaceful majority of rally-goers for the problems that occurred, but pointed out that public discussion has since been hijacked by the violence.
He also raised the case of the
student protest
outside the Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur last December.
Their actions in lowering a flag depicting premier Najib Abdul Razak’s image had distracted from their original purpose as it became the focus of news and discussions, rather than their call for greater academic freedom, he said.
Ultimately, “fairness and reason” must drive the rationale for holding demonstrations, said Saifuddin, who is deputy education minister.
‘Small versus big print’
Salahuddin countered this, targeting Najib’s claim that the Bersih 3.0 rally was an attempt to overthrow the government.
Such remarks only show that the government is afraid of street demonstrations, he said.
“In America, street demonstrations happen and millions can turn out, but the government does not fall. Only the (BN government) is afraid of street demonstrations,” he argued, saying that good governance and separation of powers would be sufficient to keep order.
If Najib is truly serious about carrying out political transformation, said Salahuddin, Pakatan would gladly cooperate with him for the sake of the country.
But since space is not given, protests are bound to occur now and then, he said, citing PAS’ failure to obtain a publishing permit over the years for its party organ.
Salahuddin was asked if it is becoming “opposition culture” to hold demonstrations, to which he maintained that this is their constitutional right.
He criticised the Magistrate’s Court order that banned Bersih from gathering at Dataran Merdeka for the April 28 rally, calling it a case of the “small print fighting the big print”.
“How can the Magistrate’s Court fight Article 10 of the constitution?” he asked.
He was also asked if Pakatan would tolerate demonstrations should it take Putrajaya in the next general election, saying it would “issue proper standard operating procedures (SOP)” to the police and not employ tear gas.
“Maybe Umno will frequently hold demonstrations,” he quipped, adding that the party has already done so while “learning” to play the role of the opposition in Penang and Selangor.
Saifuddin hit back, saying the focus of the debate is not whether street demonstrations can be held or not, but whether it would bolster democracy.
Saying he understands why people have protested and that he does not oppose them, he maintained that street protests do not help strengthen a democracy.
Instead, he explained, the way forward should involve strengthening democratic functions, promoting intellectual discourse through debates or fostering a mature political mindset.
“Is the government really so bad (to warrant street protests)?” he asked, to shouts of “Yes” from Salahuddin’s supporters.
However, he pointed out that even Moses was instructed to approach the most cruel leader, the Egyptian pharaoh, in a “soft” manner.
“It cannot be that BN, with Dato’ Seri Najib and his smiles, is as bad as that,” he said.
The debate was moderated by Professor Mohamad Abu Bakar, a lecturer at the strategic and international department of Universiti Malaya’s faculty of arts and social sciences.
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