The right to know is the right to live.
– Aruna Roy, Indian professor
Almost every democracy as practised around the “free world” lives with and thrives on the flaws that faithfully accompany its course. It’s so strongly entrenched that people are addicted to voting the same flaw-makers into power.
People usually get their best bites and bytes of information from the media. The government hardly tells the citizens what it is doing or will do. Here and there an opinion, objection or outrage surfaces with no telling effect.
Verified facts matter.
Alan Greenspan once warned that “any informed borrower is simply less vulnerable to fraud and abuse”. He may have subtly advocated agnotology – the study of culturally induced ignorance or doubt particularly through misinformation or suppression of knowledge.
Always check and cross-check facts. The hangover from self-inflicted ignorance is a nagging danger.
“Standing firm on Gaza issue” claimed a media newscast but the public did not hear this directly from PMX and his government. Our leaders better be aware that AUKUS is in the neighbourhood.
Another news item said that PMX engaged in a one-on-one dialogue with the World Economic Forum where he underscored good governance and democratic accountability. Why tell others and not our own People?
Mr. Prime Minister, why not have constant dialogue with the general Malaysian public that can and should be held anywhere anytime where we could freely air our opinions and ask relevant questions?
Meeting the public face-to-face will dispel all doubts as to the unfiltered facts that personally came from PMX. Waiting for what he said and meant from the media is not kosher.
PMX reportedly announced that “Venue approval rule for peaceful assemblies to be scrapped”. Bravo! Now, PMX and his Cabinet will be able to peacefully meet and personally tell the people what’s happening.
Another news item – “PM: Still much to be done”, while addressing the media at a press conference in Bangi. It also mentioned a Cabinet retreat where PMX and his Cabinet discussed issues concerning better governance.
Such retreats must engage the public where hundreds of fresh ideas and refreshing concepts can and need to be harvested for the nation’s progress and prosperity.
“Live daily briefings begin – PM’s Office updating the public twice a day to combat fake news”. A voracious reading of every word in that news article brought despair because PMX decided to use X (former Twitter) to publish fresh news to the public but not a face-to-face dialogue.
The obvious question is whether everyone in the rural areas has access to the Internet. “Nobody left behind” is an unverified fact – slogan or otherwise. Giving press releases on every issue that affects the public is not the coin of the realm.
Article 10 of the Federal Constitution is very clear on the right to associate. Therefore, People and organisations with a host of ideas, concepts, beliefs, and opinions translate to the right to be constitutionally informed.
Article 10 applies to our ministers and civil servants to constitutionally engage the public in disseminating verifiable information. Democracy cannot be a cloistered virtue working in secrecy and uncertainty.
For example, People have the right to know why income tax should not be abolished as the untaxed money could be put into huge savings accounts as a revenue boost to the working classes’ bank accounts.
Who is watching the watchmen who print the Malaysian ringgit perpetually controlled by the fluctuations in the basket of currencies with the almighty United States dollar playing an almightier role?
These are just some of the things that matter to People who constantly face government chatter and clutter. Without People there is no vote bank except for bankruptcy facing the powerbrokers and power-seekers.
The right to know is the commonsense threshold of democracy. Government of the people and by the people must mean something tangible for the People.
The recent announcement by PMX that a parliamentary imperative is being sought to implement and enforce term limits for politicians is a welcome wake-up call. His two-thirds majority in Parliament should ensure that the old must make way for the new – both in political leaders and political ideas.
PMX should aim for a different dimension in thinking, planning and enforcing a lasting regime of wellbeing for all Malaysians despite the “special position” status for certain communities enumerated in Article 153 Federal Constitution.
But fair and just governance means that Article 153 must not be misrepresented, misinterpreted, misconstrued or misapplied to the detriment of the ‘legitimate interests of other communities”.
Meritocracy is not supposed to clash and collide with democracy. We have our failed “education” establishment to take responsibility. PMX must act swiftly to engage parents, teachers, academicians and other stakeholders to implement life-saving solutions.
The public must be informed as to why regime changes have failed to produce a cadre of young leaders capable of meeting the high standards for bold, wise and courageous leadership.
On another score, People need to be informed of GLCs and GLICs policies and practices that humiliate trust and accountability. These entities are said to be bastions of corruption, nepotism and cronyism – a laboratory for kleptocracy and kakistocracy?
The public has a right to know directly from the government leaders. After all they cast their votes directly. Reading filtered news is not democracy in action. ‘Government for the people’ is decidedly autocratic democracy.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune.
