Governance and citizen’s rights
No one, irrespective of his/her status, must arrogate unto himself the power and authority that is vested in the elected government of the day.
By Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin
We are continuously being challenged by developments that raise questions about our rights and identity as Malaysian citizens and the powers of the bona fide authorities.
According to the Constitution, the power of governance rests with the elected federal and state governments according to their respective ambit, but with the federal authority having overriding prerogative over almost all matters save state land and religious matters. The state is also empowered to collect taxes and spend it for the benefit of the people. The state secretary, who is a federal civil servant, ensures the dominance of federal matters in the respective states.
No individuals outside the enclosure of these state and federal governance can interfere in matters that affect the rights of any citizen as enshrined in the Constitution.
All citizens have the right to the freedom of association, expression and movement. They have the right to live and work anywhere in Malaysia. Only in Sabah and Sarawak are they subject to immigration and work permit control. There is no law banning Malaysian citizens from entering any state in Malaysia except when he or she poses a security risk to the nation.
An act that exposes the country to danger and undermines its security and well being is a treasonable act. But being disloyal to an organisation or to a person should not be confused as an act of treason. And associating oneself with different ideological principles from the status quo is not being disloyal or unpatriotic. It is the right of association and dissent of the citizens.
In the final analysis, no one, irrespective of his/her status, must arrogate unto himself the power and authority that is vested in the elected government of the day. And one should avoid changing the racial make up of the nation by claiming state affiliation as ethnicity; it is only a territorial designation that cannot withstand anthropomorphic scrutiny.
Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin is a keen observer in governance and a FMT reader.
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