My cup of democracy is to wait for PRU14
Umar Mukhtar
Riding roughshod over agencies of the state like moving a huge sum of money, no matter for what and to and from whom, without attracting the attention of Bank Negara and the Income Tax Department, and getting away with it, leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
Similarly, collating evidence or fraudulent documents and by criminal means, and sending them to foreigners to bad-mouth your own government, smacks of surrendering one’s sovereignty when above-board recourses are readily available.
Both seem to underestimate the common man’s ability to judge goings-on for himself – the essence of democracy. There is nothing to hide if the commission of an act or the complaint of it, is based on accepted laws. But cloak and dagger seem to rule instead. To our chagrin.
When a ruling government does not respect the powers and responsibilities of its own agencies, it is turning to be a rogue government. Just as depending on foreign intervention is reflective of one’s own distrust of the power of one’s own collective conscience.
When a ruling government may succumb to the temptation to undermine an investigation of itself, individuals in those investigating agencies may have sought to prevail by covert means, then the government had proceeded to enthusiastically thwart it, thus making the original investigation an almost impossibility. The fact remains that a government has supreme executive powers.
Maybe that’s why the new Indonesian constitution has incorporated impeachment provisions. No one is expected to investigate oneself for the purpose of finding oneself guilty. It is unrealistic to expect that to happen here without that tool. No matter the rhetoric.
But there are other recourses, apart from waiting for PRU14. A parliamentary vote of no confidence, while elusive, is a valid option. Or simply removing the leader of the ruling party. By the party rules. The problem is, both require a drastic change in perceptions.
And changing of perceptions involve the robust public dissemination of both truths and untruths. In an electrically-charged atmosphere, the most enthuthiastic of us will likely break the rules. And again the executive will be compelled to act. For valid or invalid reasons. Especially when so much is at stake.
I am in favour of waiting for PRU14 where considerations for support are more broad-based and not single-issue preferences. At least two more years is enough time to for us to realign ourselves. Not a knee-jerk reaction to hating a common enemy without delving into more practical aspects of democracy. Look at what happened to Pakatan Rakyat.
I will have my own say in that voting booth. Though every grouping will have its own share of idiots, racists, greedy beneficiaries and undemocratic forces, my hope shall be that my group shall be the one that have the least of them. Even then, when my group wins, impeachment provision will be incorporated. So help me God.
