Tuesday, January 12, 2010

'Under Control'

The home minister says “we’ve got it under control.”

I’m sure this comes at great relief to all of us. I’m reminded of other occasions, which have been also as reassuring to me as this current proclamation by the home minister.

Those Umno general assemblies were ‘under control’ when all the kris-waving and brandishing went on.

Those Umno general assemblies were also ‘under control’ with when all that ethno-religious frenzy would be whipped up and spewed.

The situation was also ‘under control’ when the authorities were giving cover to the bigots who paraded with the severed cow head last year.

The situation was ‘under control’ when the mob was allowed to indulge in its illegal public chest-thumping demonstrations last week.

The situation has always been ‘under control’ each time the regime feels it is necessary to play the religious card and continue to use religion as a means for distracting its core supporters from the real issues that inflict our society.

The situation has always been ‘under control’ even when time after time, we are confronted with one scandal after another.

The situation is ‘under control’ despite the fact that this regime continues to squander both the nation’s resources and stability.

The situation is ‘under control’ despite the fact that Umno and BN has clearly forfeited its credibility to continue to govern.

The situation is ‘under control’ because we the voters allow Umno to continue to treat us with contempt.

The situation is ‘under control’ because the regime assumes a meager $500,000 to a bombed church is enough to buy it goodwill from the public.

The situation is ‘under control’ because we lack the courage to tell Umno that enough is enough.

The situation is ‘under control’ because Umno repeatedly talks about changing and reforming but in practice, it is the same creature.

The situation is ‘under control’ because Umno tries to make us belief that it’s listening and understands our frustration with the growing divide it creates between us but in actuality, it conducts itself in the same way it always has: divide and conquer.

Why would you think that the regime would concede that it had failed in any way and contributed to a climate of heightened tensions that led to the church bombings?

When politicians come up with asinine ideas, we have not just a right but also an obligation to hold them accountable; not become coerced – again – into having to go along with a bad idea. Doing that – again and again - jeopardizes us all – and allows politicians who undermine our civil liberties to get away with it.

And what’s the regime’s most notable solution to the Allah row? Well, of course, it’s for those of us who’ve been deemed second and third class citizens to cave in by dropping the court challenge, and further erode their rights – again.

Ostensibly, as always, the message is the same: give up your natural and constitutional rights and you'll be safe.

Oh yes, the situation is definitely ‘under control.’

G. Krishnan