This government is going to break up concentrations of power and hand power back to the people. We’ll get rid of the unnecessary laws, and once they’re gone, they won’t come back. We’ll remove limits on the rights to peaceful protest. We’ll review libel laws so that we can better protect freedom of speech.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

On 19th May 2010, Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, gave his first official speech as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Clegg’s speech focused on constitutional reforms and ‘The New Politics‘ (my pet subjects).

Now, ‘New Politics’ or ‘Politik Baru’ was also the focus of Dr Chandra Muzaffar, the then Deputy President of Parti Keadilan Nasional (now Parti Keadilan Rakyat) back in 1999.

I spent many hours of debate (and argument) with Dr Chandra while discussing this issue. Unfortunately, 11 years ago, most Malaysians did not have the intellectual capacity of Dr Chandra and could not, therefore, understand what he was talking about. Maybe Clegg’s speech (below), which is simple and precise/concise, can shed some light on the issue of what ‘New Politics’ or ‘Politik Baru’ is all about.

Can we make this also our mission and vision for Malaysia? And if not, why? Can Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak also make this the foundation of his ‘reform program’? And if not, why?

By the way, read The People’s Declaration or Deklarasi Rakyat (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/2343/46/) which the civil society movements and Bloggers launched in the run-up to the 8 March 2008 General Election. You will find a lot of what we proposed (demanded, propagated, etc) back in 2008 similar to what Glegg said yesterday..

Is this a case of great minds think alike or a case of fools seldom differ?

Anyway, read on.

*************************************************

New Politics: Nick Clegg’s 19th May 2010 speech on constitutional reform

“I have spent my whole political life fighting to open up politics. So let me make one thing very clear: this government is going to be unlike any other.

This government is going to transform our politics so the state has far less control over you, and you have far more control over the state.

This government is going to break up concentrations of power and hand power back to people, because that is how we build a society that is fair.

This government is going to persuade you to put your faith in politics once again.

I’m not talking about a few new rules for MPs; not the odd gesture or gimmick to make you feel a bit more involved.

I’m talking about the most significant programme of empowerment by a British government since the great enfranchisement of the 19th Century.

The biggest shake up of our democracy since 1832, when the Great Reform Act redrew the boundaries of British democracy, for the first time extending the franchise beyond the landed classes.

Landmark legislation, from politicians who refused to sit back and do nothing while huge swathes of the population remained helpless against vested interests.

Who stood up for the freedom of the many, not the privilege of the few.

A spirit this government will draw on as we deliver our programme for political reform: a power revolution.

A fundamental resettlement of the relationship between state and citizen that puts you in charge.

So, no, incremental change will not do.

It is time for a wholesale, big bang approach to political reform.

That’s what this government will deliver.

It is outrageous that decent, law-abiding people are regularly treated as if they have something to hide.

It has to stop.

So there will be no ID card scheme.

No national identity register, no second-generation biometric passports.

We won’t hold your Internet and e-mail records when there is just no reason to do so.

CCTV will be properly regulated, as will the DNA database, with restrictions on the storage of innocent people’s DNA.

And we will end practices that risk making Britain a place where our children grow up so used to their liberty being infringed that they accept it without question.

There will be no ContactPoint children’s database.

Schools will not take children’s fingerprints without even asking their parent’s consent.

This will be a government that is proud when British citizens stand up against illegitimate advances of the state.

That values debate, that is unafraid of dissent.

That’s why we’ll remove limits on the rights to peaceful protest.

It’s why we’ll review libel laws so that we can better protect freedom of speech.

And as we tear through the statute book, we’ll do something no government ever has:

We will ask you which laws you think should go.

Because thousands of criminal offences were created under the previous government…

Taking people’s freedom away didn’t make our streets safe.

Obsessive lawmaking simply makes criminals out of ordinary people.

So, we’ll get rid of the unnecessary laws, and once they’re gone, they won’t come back.

We will introduce a mechanism to block pointless new criminal offences.”

 

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post_25.html