Zambry threatens to chop down Tree of Democracy and newly-planted siblings
(Suara keADILan) – Perak Umno leader Zambry Kadir has threatened to chop down Malaysia’s Tree of Democracy – a sprawling decades-old raintree – and five saplings newly planted around it by his political rivals from the Pakatan Rakyat.
Located in downtown Ipoh, the by-now famous Tree of Democracy has become a symbol of Malaysian courage and spirit in the face of a web of conspiratorial deceit and injustice.
Said Zambry: “Have they asked for permission? They know that what they did was without royal consent, and even the court has decided on the position. Their actions clearly show their contempt for the Sultan and the royal institution. It is the height of treason.”
Trampling on the wishes of the majority
However, Zambry’s views were unshared by the majority of the Perak people.
Weighed down by a huge constitutional and political crisis following the Umno-BN’s unpopular power grab on Feb 5, that sadly, was also controversially sanctioned by their Sultan, Perakians are eager to have their democratic rights returned to them. Most believe that only fresh election can pull their state out from its current doldrums.
The legal fraternity too has been vocal, expressing grave concern over the “sham” justice meted out to Perak Pakatan leaders by courts influenced by Zambry and his boss Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak.
Meanwhile, Malaysians continue to watch with bated breath the unfolding crisis in Perak, the peninsula’s second largest state.
They applauded when Perak Pakatan’s 28 elected representatives in the state refused to buckle despite the intense pressure mounted by Najib and Zambry on March 3, 2009.
Led by coalition seniors such as Menteri Besar Nizar Jamaluddin, Speaker V Sivakumar, Ngeh Koo Ham, Nga Kor Ming, M Kulasegaran, the lawmakers took in stride a police blockade denying them access to the legislative assembly hall.
Against all odds and perforce, they convened their historic emergency sitting under that Tree of Democracy, defending in the process the democratic rights of Perakians and expanding by another notch the gateway for all Malaysians to evolve socially and economically unfettered by corruption and oppression.
Four days later to commemorate that event and that of the first anniversary of another watershed date – March 8, 2008 – Pakatan leaders planted five saplings around that precious Tree.
Justice, Integrity, Transparency, Trustworthiness and Welfare will now keep Democracy company. May they grow tall and strong to shield the nation from corruption and oppression.
Let us not allow them to be chopped down – whether physically, symbolically or spiritually.
