Monday, December 18, 2006
Young man threatening authoritarianism for Malaysia
The Prime Minister's son-in-law Khairy Jamaludin recently warned that if Malaysians don't toe the line in this "new era of freedom", then the government may step in and impose strict controls over Malaysians' right to freer speech. The "mature" 30-year-old politician who does not even hold any official government post apparently said: "This openness is good for today’s political climate but we have to approach it ethically and wisely. We cannot push it too far, too soon, as we are still a maturing democracy.” What caught my eye is the fact that he is not in government, but is arrogant enough to talk as if he is already in government, with the full assurance that his father-in-law will agree with what he spews, words which could have far-reaching consequences for all Malaysians.
I believe many Malaysians who are somewhat aware of developments in Malaysia, do not trust this Khairy Jamaludin to do the right thing. I am in this category especially after his recent antics in Penang and his cheap race-baiting episodes which reflect poorly on his claims as a distinguished scholar and a Malaysian for the new age.
His threats of a crackdown, if it materialises, would be a huge drain of government resources, simply to keep track of all sites in cyberspace on a continuous basis. It is simply not cost-effective to keep track of bloggers who don't believe in the Badawi administration. Yes, the government could haul up a few and make a severe example of them as a warning to others. But in this borderless and flat world, such archaic measures would be amplified to the entire world, with the reverberations of protest ringing loudly in the ears of investors and world government leaders. Malaysia cannot be an island cut off from the world. Yes Myanmmar has managed to do this well, but at what expense? Can Malaysia afford to be authoritarian, simply to clamp down on dissenting voices, and damage FDI inflows and the country's image even further merely to satisfy the whims of a man who was only five years old when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister in 1981? Are his thoughts well-thought out and guarantees a semblance of success? I would have expected such ominous warnings from old, weather-beaten men walking the corridors of power, afraid of Malaysians who increasingly demand accountability and transparency but certainly not from a thirty-year-old who continue to harbour high hopes of leading this country one day in the near future. ¶ 6:32 PM
I believe many Malaysians who are somewhat aware of developments in Malaysia, do not trust this Khairy Jamaludin to do the right thing. I am in this category especially after his recent antics in Penang and his cheap race-baiting episodes which reflect poorly on his claims as a distinguished scholar and a Malaysian for the new age.
His threats of a crackdown, if it materialises, would be a huge drain of government resources, simply to keep track of all sites in cyberspace on a continuous basis. It is simply not cost-effective to keep track of bloggers who don't believe in the Badawi administration. Yes, the government could haul up a few and make a severe example of them as a warning to others. But in this borderless and flat world, such archaic measures would be amplified to the entire world, with the reverberations of protest ringing loudly in the ears of investors and world government leaders. Malaysia cannot be an island cut off from the world. Yes Myanmmar has managed to do this well, but at what expense? Can Malaysia afford to be authoritarian, simply to clamp down on dissenting voices, and damage FDI inflows and the country's image even further merely to satisfy the whims of a man who was only five years old when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister in 1981? Are his thoughts well-thought out and guarantees a semblance of success? I would have expected such ominous warnings from old, weather-beaten men walking the corridors of power, afraid of Malaysians who increasingly demand accountability and transparency but certainly not from a thirty-year-old who continue to harbour high hopes of leading this country one day in the near future. ¶ 6:32 PM
