Easy questions but no easy answers
We are still in the midst of finding out a way to circumscribe the power of our leaders and hold them to account if and when they do wrong.
By TK Chua
I wrote a piece, “Mahathir is old, but not stupid” on January 8 and now the former premier himself has said: “Dr M: Yes I’m old — but I’m not senile”.
Before this, he was referred to in many other unsavoury ways – someone who easily forgets, a leopard that cannot change its spots, one who practises selective memory, father of cronyism and nepotism, champion of “piratisation”, a racist, a destroyer of institutions, someone who curtailed freedom and was anti-democracy as well as anti-Semitic. But I “love” the latest term added to the list describing him – he is now “the champion of U-turns”.
I feel sad not because all these terms were used against him. To me, it does not matter whether these terms have merit or not. The country is too critical at this stage to be delving into the past.
What I feel very sad about is seeing a 91-year-old man, once a PM of Malaysia for 22 years, standing for one hour launching a new political party. It is even sadder to see that many pertinent issues he highlighted were not linked to the nation’s new impetus for development but mundane issues aimed at solving the malaise confronting this country.
Without doubt, his first concern was of Malaysia losing its independence, despite after more than half a century of self-rule. I guess with the country’s finances in dire straits, the ringgit in tatters, some foreign governments investigating and filing court cases, and massive “FDI” into our property and infrastructure sectors, the concern is natural, but could be overblown. Probably it is not the naked colonialism he was talking about, but in that in present times and circumstances, it was possible to lose something without us knowing or realising it.
However, I love Mahathir’s “U turn” on the issue of BR1M, the best. It was true he said BR1M was bribery earlier. Now he is saying BR1M should be a form of statutory aid properly determined by laws and the annual budget with allocations, disbursements and eligibility criteria strictly adhered to. The quantum and eligibility of BR1M must not be based on the whims and fancies of the government.
Despite the “U turn”, what Mahathir said about BR1M was discerning and astute. A major programme of the government involving billions of ringgits should be handled in a proper manner. If not, we will soon be losing control over it – I mean, who would ever say no if we threw money at them? It is an idiotic question to ask BR1M recipients whether they need it or not. It is even more idiotic to ask them whether they need more than the present amount they receive.
Mahathir said many other things during the party’s launch. It is sad he wasn’t talking about the new impetus for Malaysia or new initiatives to take this country to greater heights. Instead, he, like many other Malaysian leaders, was caught in the present quagmire of despondency and hopelessness.
As a nation, we are still entangled in issues that should have been settled a long time ago. Imagine, we are still in endless polemics over poor democracy, lack of freedom, minimal rule of law, and unfair and improper implementation of laws. Imagine, we are still in the midst of finding out a way to circumscribe the power of our leaders and hold them to account if and when they do wrong.
But were these not ground rules provided for in our constitution and system of government a long time ago?
Frankly, I find all these very perplexing. If another leader comes along, can he not do the same thing – violate the rule of law, circumvent democracy and the constitution, and abuse power without having to account for it?
I think Malaysians have not tried to ask the more fundamental questions – how did we come to this present quagmire despite all the institutions of government and ground rules already well-established in our system. Are we saying our constitution is really that ambiguous? Are we sure there are no other forces at play?
Some say it is due to the concentration of power. But how did the concentration of power come about? Some say it is bribery. But how did a person gather so much money to bribe everyone to begin with? Some said it is the Speaker of Parliament, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, and heads of other institutions of government not playing their roles. But have we asked why and how they are able to behave the way they do?
I do not blame Mahathir for bringing up all these issues because without settling them, the country cannot go forward. But then, is it possible to foresee all things and to write rules governing the things we cannot foresee? Is it possible to formulate rules to circumscribe the ingenuity and depravity of men?
How did corruption, grand larceny and gross abuse of power take place without an iota of reaction from the relevant people in the administration? It is an easy question but with no simple answer. I am sure there are counter-arguments to every answer.
To conclude, I want to share this story on US Vice-President Joe Biden to add another dimension on public service.
Joe Biden was elected to the US Senate at age 29. He served in the Senate for 35 years and as Vice-President for eight years, making it a total of 43 years in public service.
When his son was diagnosed with brain cancer, he could not afford the expensive treatment. Biden wanted to sell his house to pay for his son’s medical care. President Obama had to stop him from selling his house and offered instead to pay for the medical care of Biden’s son on his behalf.
On January 20, 2017, Biden will end his tour of duty as the Vice-President of the United States. This story is authentic, revealed at the ceremony where Biden was awarded by President Obama the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.
The point here is this: Why did a man, after having served 35 years as a US Senator and eight years as vice-president, still not have tonnes of money at his disposal? How did this politician get his contentment that our own here are not able to do the same?
We can all think about it, but I am sure there are as many answers as disagreements.
TK Chua is an FMT reader.
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