No opposition, no hope for reform
Otherwise, how do we explain that a BN supporter like Kenny Chee just makes unreasoned assertion after assertion emotionally with the intention of destroying the opposition.
Kenny's line of "thoughts" is not difficult to understand: let Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Pak Lah be the next prime minister, retain BN in power, keep some vocal but organisationally weak non-governmental organisations to make noise, and destroy the organisationally strong opposition parties.
In my judgement, there is no question of BN losing power in the next elections, although the opposition parties may grow stronger in the parliament and various state assemblies. That is ideal for me because only the organisationally strong opposition parties can voice the grievances and discontent of the people in the legislature and vote to block any legislation or policies that are detrimental to the people's interests.
Opposition parliamentarians and state assembly members also enjoy privileged immunity to expose scandals inside the chambers of the legislatures without fear of being sued in civil or criminal actions. This is good.
NGOs, however sincere and remarkable, do not have the organisational strength and the privileged immunity of legislators. They cannot effectively check and balance against a strong government. This is the reason why Kenny Chee is smart, but only by half.
However, committed NGOs and NGIs like Suaram and Organic Ong can also play a useful role in mobilising public opinion against injustices, in the context of a balance of power between a BN government and the opposition parties. Without this context of balance of power between BN and Barisan Alternatif, an all-powerful and monolithic BN would not entertain any constructive and alternative ideas.
As incidents after incidents have shown, BN only listen to the logic of strength, not to the reasonableness of ideas.
The last but most important question is whether Abdullah can be a more liberal and effective top leader? While I respect Kenny Chee's choice, I think he should also respect dissident opinions on the question. Abdullah is not God who cannot be subjected to negative comments.
First, he is appointed, not elected in Umno, unlike the three vice-presidents who were — this fact alone makes him illegitimate in any democratic system of any party.
Second, he has no highly specialised education as he is only a graduate of religious studies in a local university compared to those ulama in PAS whom Umno often criticise.
Third, however amicable he personally is, Abdullah is merely an instrument or digit of the corrupt system dominated by Umno as he has not publicly promise to repeal all the oppressive Internal Security Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Universities and University Colleges Act, Official Secrets Act, or reform the Special Branch and Federal Reserve Units of the police?
Has Abdullah promised to re-open the investigation of Rafidah Aziz and Rahim Thamby Chik for alleged corruption, as recommended by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in two OSA documents exposed by Keadilan Youth chief Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor?
If he has not committed himself to these basic and minimal political reform, Pak Lah is just a more amicable and cunning autocrat managing the same system of corruption, cronyism and nepotism. In this sense, he is more dangerous because some people may be duped into believing that after he takes power, all the fundamental problems of the nation, state, society and people would be solved.
To give an analogy: a communist system is still a communist system, whether it is managed by Stalin or some other smiling guy like Gorbachev. Or, a torture chamber is still a torture chamber, no matter if it uses clubs to beat up detainees, or electrical beds to inflict pain on them.
Say no to both Mahathir's autocracy and Abdullah's pseudo-democracy. Let's break free from all the rot so we can celebrate meaningful Merdeka thereafter.
