Pawns in a political game
What can the six wise men do to help the cause of justice and fair play? Practically nothing.
The government was determined to crush a blossoming movement that had again plucked up the courage to stand up for all that is good. The police must surely be inching for a clash because they did not come to embrace their fellow citizens espousing a rightful cause. They were out in full force to display their muscle on orders of the political masters. All it needed was a spark to light the fuse.
Free Malaysia Today
A former inspector-general of police cannot be expected to remain impartial when he starts looking for answers into the causes that marred the rally organised for one major purpose: to seek clean and fair elections. The gathering on April 28 was not the handiwork of communists out to overthrow the government but a mass stirring of ordinary citizens called out to send a clear message that the government cannot fool the people all the time. The sit-in protest was a roaring success. All races answered the clarion call to meet at the barricades of freedom square. There, they came face to face with the men in blue armed to the teeth.
The government was determined to crush a blossoming movement that had again plucked up the courage to stand up for all that is good. The police must surely be inching for a clash because they did not come to embrace their fellow citizens espousing a rightful cause. They were out in full force to display their muscle on orders of the political masters. All it needed was a spark to light the fuse.
One spark did fly and soon violence erupted, with the state unleashing its full might on the defenceless crowd. The advantage belonged to the side firing tear gas, spraying chemical-laced water, threatening to shoot at the crowd. Who triggered the violence? No one knows and so the government came up with the same obnoxious formula: an independent panel to investigate the April 28 incident. Presumably it wants to find out the truth and apportion the blame. To the government, this is serious business. But to the people, it is just a puppet show. The strings are controlled by the hidden hand.
It is hard to swallow that six distinguished individuals selected by the government can be trusted to deliver a fair verdict. The fact that they have been handpicked by the government has destroyed whatever credibility left in them. A panel appointed by the government surely cannot be independent. No distinguished citizen who truly believes in fair play would want to play ball with the Big Bad Brother.
An independent panel must be made up of members who have no truck at all with the government. They should not be former civil servants who had at one time held top posts. How can a former top brass in the police force point his gun at his own boys accused of beating up citizens? Though out of uniform, he must protect them. A truly independent panel will nail the government without hesitation after finding it guilty of gross misconduct. A panel appointed by the government will look the other way.
