Has the civil society betrayed the rakyat?
Shakira Iskandar, Malay Mail Online
What encouraged the likes of Ambiga Sreenevasan and Maria Chin Abdullah to join forces with Tun Mahathir? Foolish idealism? Obsession with driving out Dato’ Sri Najib Razak from office?
Perhaps. But one thing is sure ― they have had to eat their own words and their reputation have been tainted.
The civil society has always been the ‘third force’ of our society. Providing a check-and-balance system that ensures our politicians and businesses toe the line. This third force however, has been weakened the moment the civil society’s leaders joined forces with the likes of Tun Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
No one is questioning their fight against Dato’ Sri Najib Razak. They have a right to voice out their concerns and opinion. But I do want to question their method in doing so.
As a citizen, I am utterly disappointed that our civil society leaders have fallen into the traps of political power play. Their obsession with Najib Razak is clouding their judgement and decision-making ability. They have chosen instead to put aside their principles and work with the devil.
For the greater good? I don’t think so.
Tun Mahathir has held power for 22 years with an iron fist, angering (most notably) the civil society along the way. He has weakened and undermined our judiciary system; he has clamped down our freedom of speech by intimidating dissenters via our laws and institutions that are tainted with corruption under his rule.
Who can forget Ops Lalang, and the infamous ISA? Or 1988 judiciary crisis when the Chief Justice (then known as the Lord President of the Supreme Court) was dismissed without justification due to political interference engineered by the then Prime Minister?
Certainly not the civil society. These are the very cases they have fought against in the past.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin, Muhammad Muhammad Taib are some of Mahathir’s counterparts who had also been part of the top leadership of the same corrupted system, with a fair share of their own corruption scandals.
Yet today the leaders of the civil society are standing by the very people they condemned. Together, announcing and giving their seal of approval for the Citizens Declaration.
The very man whom they called “Mahazalim”, “Firaun”, whom they accused had destroyed the institutions of our nation is now leading their charge.
Ambiga and friends may say that the end justifies the means but in this instance their actions speak louder than ever. It shouts betrayal and screams hypocrisy.
