True Faerie Tale
By Hakim Joe
Once upon a time, in a Muslim country far, far away there live a group of people who were victimized by their own government even though they were born and bred there just like the majority of the residents who resided there. Hell, just about everybody there were treated in the same shitty way, albeit to a different degree, except those in their immediate circle.
Since the allegations of voting fraud, the precedent government still desperately held on to power abetted by the Ruler in a general election that was manipulated thoroughly by the Elections Commission. To add salt to injury, after losing the general elections the losers, some brave enough to voice out their dissatisfaction, were subjected to constant harassment and persecution from the authorities. No, you cannot do this … and neither can you do that. Peaceful gatherings were termed as demonstration against the government and this was a definite no-no. Go directly to jail, do not pass GO and do not collect $200. The “Get-out-of-jail-free” card does not apply here either.
Even the civil enforcement agency was roped in to arrest anyone brave enough to show up at these gatherings … er … demonstrations, and the riot police (in full military gear) was close at hand to deal with the peaceful and unarmed supporters of the opposition. When these people were forcibly apprehended and presented at court, the prosecutor general was there personally to “serve the full course” to those who dare to even think of defying the government. Even the judiciary were in the act and the legislators were not that far behind.
Why go through all that trouble to keep a corrupt government in office? Do these people think that they will be empowered all the time? What about their children? Can they inherit these inherent powers from their parents? The answer is no but yet they do not recognize the fact that they remain the people on the frontlines whilst the corrupt government is way, way at the rear.
The answer to the question (of why) is Money and Power. Oil revenue alone is propping up the economy of the country and where there are megabucks involved, quite a lot tend to spill into the undeclared Swiss bank accounts of those who are at hand (at the rear) – it depends on just how hard they are nudging the barrel, even when everybody is looking. Those manning the frontlines will of course be given crumbs to encourage them to be the protectors of their paymasters.
And then there are the past misdeeds and illegal acts that requires concealment and what better way than to become, once again, the government of the country? And since everyone who is anyone is in it together, from the politicians to the judges and from the chiefs of the enforcement agencies to the chiefs of the civil services, it does not take a rocket scientist to work out that power and control must be sustained, both to safeguard their illegal (past, present and future) actions and to plunder more.
Criticisms from the entire world seem to slide off the hardened skin of those involved. What the local media are prohibited from reporting, the blogsphere and international media seemingly covered but yet these news failed to dislodge a government hell bent on retaining power by all possible means. The rampant corruption within the ranks ensures that they are in it together – sink or swim together.
Malaysia? No … you misunderstood my writings.
I am talking about Iran and the recent elections where every trick in the book was used to ensure that the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained in power. The supposedly “impartial” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei even broke the Iranian law which stated that he, as the “Ruler” of the country can only declare the winner, three days after the elections (not before), when he unreservedly endorsed Ahmadinejad’s government on the day after the elections. When the losing candidate (Mirhossein Mousavi) protested the results, the head of parliament's judiciary committee, Ali Shahrokhi, reportedly said that Mousavi should be prosecuted for it. The hardline Revolutionary Guards even went as far as saying that they will “crush any rioters opposing the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.” Not a very nice thing to say and not a very nice thing to do considering the fact that over 70 are killed already. We are not talking about war here with the many casualties, merely a nation of people having a general election.
Seriously fellas, did you really think that I was alluding to the conditions here in Malaysia?
