Why BERSIH appears to get popular support from people with wishful thinking
Umar Mukhtar
The thing definitive about election rallies is that the attendees are saying “We want you, not him”. It celebrates a choice of definitive options. It sets the mind to evaluate a definitive replacement. The replacement is then also subject to scrutiny. Not a generic choice between good and evil, but a real choice that manifest what and who is good over evil.
I too would like to attend an orderly rally that demands all that is good. Who doesn’t? But I also would like to know what it takes for good to happen. Is it that simplistic just to destroy all that we don’t like? Replace it with what? With some wishful thoughts that anybody who is against evil must be good people? Adolf Hitler’s rise was supposed to have been for good. Look what happened.
The reason BERSIH can move easily from fighting for a fairer elections to whatever mumbo-jumbo is because it avoids specifics. All it screams is replace bad with good. Is what is bad and good have been agreed to in specifics? It just appeals to the unsatisfied, protesting about the flavour of the day which, by the way, did not become flavour of the day without being chosen democratically.
We are allowed some measure of peaceful assembly and free speech. Not freedom to infringe upon the rights of others, though. Any attack against the former two is a terrible thing. So the Mat Rempits, who are always frustrated about everything and loves anarchy, infringe the latter, get handled by the police, and BERSIH screams injustice and claims undemocratic action by the authorities.
It’s an old tune played far too many times, and many are wise to it. But by not answering BERSIH’s call, it doesn’t mean we don’t want changes for the better. We do, too. But we just want to do the right thing, the right way. I wonder if Singapore would be prospering today if the Labour Party was allowed their mischief in the guise of social justice.
I remember Lee Kuan Yew being chastised vehemently as a heartless tyrant. Did he turn out to be one? Maybe still to some. But to most Singaporeans, apparently he was alright and to DAP he was a demi-God. I am not an LKY apologist but that brings us to what is called a democratic choice. And Singaporeans had a choice in him. Shall we work out our choice?
Not ‘good’, ‘better’, ‘richer’, ‘freer’, ‘smarter’ and all that easy stuff. Let us ponder how, and by whom specifically, and then elect them. That is a democratic process of choice. Sure we can demonstrate as a reflection of our desires. But we must be capable of being disciplined and able to exclude riff-riffs and agent provocateurs. Otherwise, do not play with fire.
People are able bring a government down by street demonstrations. That is precisely why I am against BERSIH-style demonstrations. Not the demonstration per se but because we are not done figuring out this thing yet and BERSIH is already pushing us to make conclusions. So let’s say, Najib is ousted by whatever way. Then who? What? Why? Remember, it is not the normal post-GE choice!
Do I look to BERSIH for answers? An unelected group of so-called social activists who also claims to speak for all unfortunates. Says who? It is so easy and irresponsible for BERSIH who are the real provocateurs to leave this country in a lurch where might is right. The possible consequences are unthinkable.
Why don’t we leave it to the democratic process of making choices? Can’t we wait till PRU14? After all, you and your cahoots already think you are so popular. Sure to win one! I don’t want Malaysia to be like Thailand or the Philippines where street power (not people power) install leaders.
Apparently, we the future generations of the past are still surviving. BERSIH wants to save our future generations in spite of that track record. Too bad it does not look far ahead for its own good.
