How to silence your critics effectively?
The writer takes a sarcastic and satirical look on how the government can keep dissenters quiet
WH Cheng, Berita Daily
The Barisan Nasional government’s growing intolerance towards criticism and opposition to its rule in the recent years has seen many individuals, critics, dissidents, commentators and opposition leaders being arrested, charged in the court and subsequently convicted.
By now, the government should realise that the current legal process of purging such criticisms and opposition actually takes a long time to “prove” the “wrongs” in order to convict the offenders.
As such, the question to be asked is this: Are your measures really good enough in stopping all those criticisms and opposition?
Will these individuals, critics, dissidents, commentators and opposition leaders stop doing so after they have been convicted, fined and jailed? Are these critics afraid of you after their prosecution?
The problem is that these people will keep on criticising and exposing all the irregularities in the government. And the government will only go back to square one by sending its men in blue to arrest and press charges against the critics.
By doing this, the government is only are wasting its time and efforts in purging its critics. BN should realise that its present methods will not get rid of the critics and opposition once and for all.
This writer’s suggestion is that since the government wishes to continue ruling this nation forever and demonstrate its all-powerful position so that the people will submit their total obedience towards the rule without questions, it would be better for the government to introduce capital punishment to totally silence the critics.
Capital punishment should be introduced into the security-related laws such as the Sedition Act, Communications and Multimedia Act, Police Act, Security Offences Special Measures Act (Sosma), Sections 124 of the Penal Code, Peaceful Assembly Act, Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and Societies Act, to name a few.
Asides, the BN government should also consider amending the Societies Act to ban all opposition parties, civil societies and human rights NGOs, and only allow pro-BN political parties and NGOs to exist. Apart from that, the Companies Act must also be amended to ensure all companies and business entities subscribe to the BN government’s demands and requirement.
To strengthen their grip on power, the BN government should also look into efforts to repeal the various provisions on citizen rights, legislation, general elections and judiciary system in the Federal Constitution in order to further legalise their absolute rule over the nation and to effectively carry out their “security responsibilities” against the population.
This will also allow the government to immediately put down any criticism and opposition to their rule at once, as well as to ensure stability, safety and security of the ruling coalition’s elites, associates and family members.
By introducing the toughest and harshest ever penalty into the laws as the way of mandatory punishment over criticisms and opposition, the BN government will be able to ensure that the entire population meekly submits without questions.
In doing such, the BN government and its leaders would then enjoy the stability, prolong its rule over the nation in decades to come, enforce their total rights over the use of the government’s treasury.
It can also continue to accept more “donations” from many more Arab businessmen or corporations and further increase their fame and fortunes.
This is the only option that you could take. You want an absolute rule with no interruption, criticism or any opposition that would jeopardise your quest in this “wonderful land” of yours, isn’t it so?
Grab these every opportunity while still in power, or you will not be able see Putrajaya again come GE14.
WH Cheng is director of Inter-Research And Studies (IRAS)
