Bersih 4’s demands reveal who’s been lobotomised

Many have criticised Bersih 4. Most of them exemplify what Francine Prose, author of "Reading Like a Writer" says of the way some educated folk respond to some authors.

Prose says such folk have been taught "to prosecute or defend these authors, as if in a court of law, on charges having to do with the writers' origins, their racial, cultural, and class backgrounds".

The critics have focused on the authors, not the content of Bersih 4.

Some critics noted the rants of a few miscreants about the absence of Malays. They noted two miscreants who stomped on photos of two Malay leaders.

Based on this "data," they threatened racial determinism now and in the next general election.

Some critics noted that it was an urban protest, that members of a minority ethnic group dominated, that protesters were joyfully unhappy, etc., and then dismissed it all.

I've noted their silence about the central tenet of Bersih 4, which is that the root cause of scandals in our nation is the centralisation of power.

The insecure, smug and biased we will always have with us. I will not dignify them by mentioning their names.

I will however name the Ministers, the public servants, who have been busy showing us that they have had lobotomies, that their brains have been messed with and they can no  longer respond to fact-based diagnoses.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, the Minister for Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, is Exhibit One.

He tweeted the photo of a house which he thought was the office of Bersih 2.0, the organisers of Bersih 4. He tweeted disparaging remarks about the condition of the house and about Bersih. He chose the avenue of antics and jokes to intimidate Bersih.

When Bersih responded to his "joke" with another joke, he got angry. He ranted that he would not be intimidated. He blamed the error on his officers. He claimed "it was an honest and simple mistake".

Then, he called Bersih 4 an illegal demonstration, and he guaranteed that after Bersih's "next illegal demonstration" he would send truckloads of rubbish to Bersih.

Rahman Dahlan said nothing about the right to dissent, which is one of the guarantees in our constitution, and is one of the five core demands of Bersih 4.

Datuk Paul Low, a non-elected Senator who serves in the Prime Minister's Office and is in charge of transparency, governance, integrity and human rights, is Exhibit Two.

Low substituted for the absent prime minister at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC). (He substituted for the PM so that the PM would have one less opportunity to embarrass the nation.)

He spoke about Bersih 4 in response to a question put to him by a journalist.

Low said people who said "anything provocative" will be investigated. Low had earlier said that Malaysia is not ready for Freedom of Information Laws, because, well Malaysians will misuse it.

In essence, Low said the government shouldn't provide anyone access to data which might enable them to challenge inane statements made by lobotomised ministers.

These two ministers have zip to say about the hundreds of thousands who turned up in support of claims, which include the right to dissent and the right to information.

These ministers have been lobotomised, and they are proud of it. I do not know if Rahman Dahlan's lobotomy was performed before or after he entered politics though.

I am sure Low's lobotomy was performed after he entered politics - yes, he is in politics - since he was a corporate leader before he became a minister.

Bersih 4, through hundreds of thousands of feet on the ground, called for an end to the first enabler of scandals: a prime minister who is also Finance Minister.

Low knows it is standard practice in business governance to bar the chief executive officer (CEO) from also serving as chief financial officer (CFO). He knows boards and shareholders would be livid if the two roles are held by the same person.

So, why does he continue silent in the face of such an aberration in the Cabinet?

Our prime minister has said he values loyalty more than brains. The whole Cabinet is lobotomised. But are they the only ones who are lobotomised?

When will the critics of Bersih 4 stop focusing on the form of protest or the profiles of the participants and instead focus on the substance, the demands of Bersih 4?

When will journalists develop a list of questions based on Bersih 4's demands and array them against all members of the government?

When will preachers and teachers incorporate Bersih 4's demands into their sermons and lessons?

Our future hinges on the answers to those questions. – September 10, 2015.

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