Still colonised after all these years

ARCHIVES 2010

By admin-s On Aug 31, 2010

Umno-BN usurpers place themselves higher than Malaysia

With that corrupted symbol are the words Kerajaan Barisan Nasional — a fictional creature not provided for by law. The Constitution and the law recognise the Barisan Nasional only as a political party, not a government.

By uppercaise

This picture really sums up the state of the nation 53 years since Malaya became an independent country, and 47 years since confederation. You may think What’s the big deal, it’s just another boastful project signboard. The point is not the boast and not the project. It’s the mental attitude, the frame of mind, the kind of thinking that allowed such signboards to go up. The point is the blatantly obvious message placed there: that the Umno-BN power elite have usurped the position of the legal government of Malaysia, that they regard themselves as overlords, above everyone and everything else.

Yes as Malaysians go through the motions of celebrating Merdeka, those signboards remain to show that Malaysia is still not independent or free, and that the Malaysian people are still colonial subjects, having merely exchanged colonial masters.

Out went the original ruling class of British administrators, and out went the ruling class of British-influenced administrators in the old Umno-Alliance power elite, to be replaced by a whole new set of colonial masters, the present-day plutocratic power elite of Umno-BN and their flunkies, who use the emotional levers of race and religion and the corruption of money to keep the Malaysian people subservient.

Those signboards show that the Umno-BN power elite have entrenched themselves so firmly that they can blatantly show that they think they are superior to everything and everyone else.

That they hold themselves to be superior to the legal and constitutional federal government of Malaysia. That the Umno-BN power elite regard themselves as overlords, above the Constitution, above the monarchy, essentially above the law.

On those signboards, above everything else, is the symbol of the Dacing. Around the world, the pair of scales represents justice and the rule of law. In Umno-BN hands it is a symbol of the corrupted power where a party elite has made itself supreme.

But the Umno-BN power elite have usurped to themselves the position of a government. But it is an illegal one, with no basis in law.

And where on the signboard is the legal government of Malaysia, the one created by the Constitution? No words there refer to the legal government of Malaysia.

Arms of the federation, or just a logo?

There is only the official coat-of-arms of the federation, the symbol of the legal government of Malaysia. But it is in a corner, in an inferior position.

It is treated like some cheap company logo or brand symbol.

And yet this is the official coat-of-arms of the federation, the symbol of legal power, the one recognised by the United Nations, all the governments of the world, the symbol on the royal standard of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong which is flown at Istana Negara and on the royal limousine, the symbol of authority that is displayed on buildings and on official documents like the Government Gazette.

But it is in a corner, diminished in size and spirit, almost an after-thought. Treated casually. Like just a brand, that’s all. Nothing important.

Forget the Constitution, that signboard says. You think the Constitution is the supreme law? We are above it all, it says. The rule of law? We are above it all, it says. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the monarchy? We are above them all, it says. You the people? We are above you all, it says.

That is the unsubtle message of all those signboards.