Of Legislators and Legitimacy

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Jun 22, 2009

While we Malaysians go on endlessly about a social contract and whether it was cast in stone and therefore inviolable, it is worth considering if the spirit social contract we were said to have had, was honoured at all.

By Euphoria in Misery

You don’t have to be a genius to figure out that we as a collective, regardless of this ugly thing called race, have been screwed by those we entrusted the governance of this country to.

Most people swimming in money and vested with power, tend to suffer from delusions of grandeur and self importance. They lie, cheat, rape, pillage, plunder and get away with murder. In Malaysia, it seems to be the exclusive territory of the haves, to be above the law.

And you know why that is? It is our fault as citizens. This is a so called democracy as far as the theoretical government-through-ballot goes. Once we’re done marking the ballot paper, we go on with our lives, leaving the business of running the country to the people we elected.

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. – PJ O’Rourke

That is exactly what we did. While some 50 years ago, there was a spirit of tolerance and live-and let-live among our leaders that we could count on, that has not been the case for a couple of decades now.

So what happens? When the masses goes about its business of making a living, the folks at the top have been having their wicked way with the country’s coffers like it’s their birthright, with utter impunity.

PKFZ is just one of the can of worms. Look at Renong, Perwaja, the dodgy business behind Pergau dam, Bakun Dam.

Look at the number of deaths in police custody. For all you know, the latest casualty could have died due to natural causes, but hey, after Kugan, who do we believe?

Hospital reports can be doctored, lawyers can be bought (this is not new) and lawyers can buy people as well. An impartial judge is almost an oxymoron in Malaysia, never mind the independent commissions and tribunals. The Attorney General? Ahahaha!

The civil servants are used as instruments against the very public they are supposed to serve. The hegemony must be preserved you see. All’s fair in love, war and Malaysian politics.