It takes courage to be delicate in a cruel world

During a forum I attended last week, an elderly gentleman went up to the mic during the question and answer session and asked: “Why is our government fighting a war against us?”

I personally think his question summed up my feelings for the whole of the last two weeks. Already dejected by the fact that everything – even a meal at my favourite chap fan costs a lot more – we, the public, was slapped with: having to adjust our daily budget and way of living due to the goods and services tax; the possibility of not being able to withdraw our life savings until we reach 60 years old; having editors from The Malaysian Insider detained by police and their laptops confiscated subsequently intimidating every journalist and columnist out there; the Prevention of Terrorism Act which brings back detention without trial and legalises any means of interrogating (read: torture) for information; and amendments to the Sedition Act which basically reduces our addiction of sharing on social media a plethora of "cute cat" photos, couples-on-dates and food pictures, babies, and advertisement for sexual-enhancement products.

I am not going to complain about more “cute cat videos”, with #kucinghappy being the best thing that happened to Malaysian internet in recent times. But to be charged a minimum 3 years’ jail for sharing a post deemed to be seditious?

Anybody else feels “freedom” and “liberty” are mere words now?

It also boggles me that such important laws are passed without a full attendance in Parliament, in the wee hours of the morning, and without ample time for proper research, debate and discourse on the pros and cons of the implementation of such laws by both sides: the government and the opposition.

It really feels like the public is the last thing on the minds of our esteemed Members of Parliament (MP), especially so when our salaries remain stagnant while we face the rising cost of living, and they unanimously agreed to give themselves a significant raise. If only they can give the raise only to those MPs who actually turn up for Parliament sessions and do research on the policies they present and debate on, then perhaps it would have been more fair and made yours truly less bitter.

But, I digress. I am still able to fulfil my daily obligations, go to work, and run errands like normal. I love the work that I do and I am still continuously challenged by the need to improve the standards of Malaysian education, thus I am not inclined to switch careers. Unfortunately though, there are still cases of snatch theft and rape, and I still have this fear of walking or running alone and have to keep being vigilant in my whereabouts – but thankfully, there is no open violence on the streets.

While there are a few reports of failed attempts by terrorist groups and Malaysians joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, as well as calls from some irresponsible parties to instigate racial violence, nothing bad has happened. For that, I am grateful for our police and military for doing their jobs well. Sometimes, I do feel that it is unfair that we don’t give enough appreciation to those in civil service who work within the system to try and make a living and being professional at their jobs, especially our servicemen.

Perhaps the raise for the MPs would have been put to better use by increasing the salaries of our servicemen on the frontlines instead? Or use the money to research the many reports of the consequences of implementing detention without trial and the use of the sedition act in other countries in comparison with Malaysia, alongside the history of these laws in our own country and whether our nation has improved or regressed?

Personally, I think that in no case should anyone be denied a trial, because violence will never end by enforcing more violence and denial of one’s fundamental rights as a human being. A cruel world happens only when people propagate cruelty, bullying and control; and the answer to curbing this is only by pushing for diplomacy, kindness, and empowering humanity.

I still have hope in Malaysia, in general. At the end of the day, if this ship sinks, we all sink with it. Poverty, recession, tragedies (we lost human lives on two planes last year alone, and many are still homeless post-floods, lest anyone forget) hits every one of us notwithstanding class, colour, ideologies, or religion. 

I think all of us, citizens and elected MPs, have forgotten that. I hope that we would not have to resort to being injected with enhanced dopamine to find the compassion and empathy in ourselves. The time has passed for us to blame everybody else; let’s start right here, right now.

Demand professionalism at all levels, make a ruckus when things are not right, and be empowered enough to know that it is us who elect the government.

Yes, we do deserve the government we get. But when our hope for checks and balances fail, we must then take on the responsibility to check and find the balance again without continuing to put blame on everyone and everything under the sun. – April 15, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.