“Violence is its own worst enemy, and fearlessness is the sharpest weapon against it.”
– Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar politician
“IF men were angels, no government would be necessary,” stated James Madison in the Federalist Papers (No. 51) – the only reliable go-to reference manual for explaining the US Constitution.
Madison believed that because humans are not inherently virtuous or selfless, a system of governance is required to control both the governed and the government itself.
Simply put, guaranteed freedom from fear makes angels and government redundant and unnecessary. Bhutan proved both premises with a benevolent monarch personally caring for his citizens and residents.
The very nature of human imperfections has been able to convince voters that there is a Big Brother dedicated to good governance. “Am I my brother’s keeper” is the expected post-elections narrative.
Malaya, and subsequently Malaysia, has encountered various forms of fear starting from the Japanese invasion (1941-1945), the 1948-1960 MCP Emergency, the May 13 1969 riots to evidence the physicality of fear.
But Malaysians today are still not anywhere near freedom from fear that is psychologically and psychosomatically induced by regular doses of race-based policies and deliberately crafted deception.
Podcasters and netizens have successfully created an environment of necessary polemics that’s more reliable than the news appearing in government-controlled print media,
It’s morally fearful and fearsome when the Executive is actively engaged in appointing judges while it seeks immunity from prosecution for unofficial acts. Constitutional amendment to free the Judiciary from Executive control will be practically and politically ineffective.
Freedom from fear is impossible as evidenced in the Madani government’s failure to fulfil its election manifesto. Reformasi has died a natural death with zero chances of reincarnation.
Political and economic fear assail Sabah and Sarawak where its natural resources are within the political grasp of the federal government claiming a lion’s share. Treaty covenants like MA63 have been manipulated to assure no freedom from fear.
“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it,” warned Aung San Suu Kyi who inherited the house arrest monopoly.
Adat, particularly those related to Islam and communal harmony, promote a sense of security and protection from harm emphasising respect for elders, community cohesion, and peaceful coexistence, which indirectly contribute to a sense of safety and freedom from fear within the community.
‘Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat’ – it is better for your child to die than to contravene the customary edicts – is an ancient adat gem that describes the best of Malay culture.
And yet, unscrupulous politicians contravene the law of the land (customs, traditions, mores) in their predatory pursuit for power and authority. Religious, political, social, cultural and other societal values are ignored with alarming impunity. The rule of law cannot stop them, it seems.
Malaysians must fight for what is politically, religiously, socially, culturally and economically right.
“What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog,” observed US President Dwight Eisenhower.
And once that fight starts, fear will slowly dissipate like a neglected bowl of ice cream on a hot sunny day. This genre of fight does not require acts of violence. Constant protests to correct the mistakes and offering remedies is not seditious under section 3 of the Sedition Act.
Without a fight, fear seeks total freedom as its very nature. Concerned citizens need not wait for the general elections to right wrongs. There are many other ways and means available.
That duty to fight fear is decidedly not veiled in allegory in the nine fundamental liberties enumerated in the Federal Constitution. On the flip side, if one must fight for their rights, then those rights are merely illusory and meaningless promises shrouded in empty guarantees.
Another well-founded fear is the decisions of our courts that have not come to terms with equality and arbitrariness as seen through the lens of the rule of law, national security, public order and morality.
Sadly, the rule of law lens is cloudy and tainted with subjective opinions replacing the fundamental principles of law inspired by a clean conscience, a strong sense of purpose for law and order without exceptions or reservations.
It’s paradoxical that voters use the ballot paper as paper bullets to vote in fearmongers who are well equipped to unleash subtle fears like “if you don’t have a decent education, you will be begging for food.”
“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do,” said Henry Ford. This should inspire all the people all the time.
The public’s fear is evidenced at the absence of regular police patrols. Instead, the only time the public sees the police is when they are accompanying VIPs, escorting prisoners, precious cargo, or setting up roadblocks. The Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (POCA) is another paper bullet.
The fundamental liberties enumerated in the Federal Constitution is not a laboratory for Executive experimentation or manipulation. Lawmakers must learn to be mischief-conscious.
Freedom from fear means sustaining the spirt of incessant inquiry burning with infinite intensity when the discerning public wonders why state and federal legislators outsource their inefficiency to non-commitment.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at chiefjudge@secamtektektribe.org.
