DECEMBER 8 ― Considering the raft of national security-related legislation that has been proposed and passed in Parliament over the past few years and the many allegations of threats to national security, you could be forgiven for asking yourself whether Malaysia is a safe country to be in.
And I’m not referring to petty crime here but terror threats that would be on the scale of what happened in New York 14 years ago, the 2002 bombings in Bali, what Madrid and London endured back in 2004 and 2005 respectively, and the trauma that Parisians went through just last month.
After all, what justification could there be other than that we are under such imminent threat from a phantom menace or living under the shadow of terror for us to introduce new laws which further curtail our fundamental liberties and freedom guaranteed under the Federal Constitution?
New laws which imply that the current security legislation is simply inadequate and puny to respond to the current threat environment and requires draconian measures and powers to be utilised without the constitutional prerequisite of an Emergency declared by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.
The Malaysian security apparatus seems to be working overtime to help provide the government with justification for the introduction of such laws. But they then casually dismiss concerns from foreigners regarding safety in this country or when organisers of an international sporting event are considering postponing their tournament due to those very same security fears.
The Inspector General of Police, in particular, must be finding it hard to juggle and to stay on message. But you can’t have your cake and eat it.
Make no mistake. We should always take legitimate security threats seriously and we have learnt from the many tragic examples and incidences in the past and present when Malaysian lives have been lost and blood spilt.
However, it is my opinion that the Islamic State menace has been used as a guise (only the latest of many) to justify all manner of sins, skulduggery and transgressions. The National Security Council Bill is undoubtedly one of the latter.
The abomination that is this Bill, which actually should be renamed the Job Security Bill (because it really is about somebody’s job security), along with the several security instruments which preceded it, undermine the bedrock of democracy and freedom on which this country was built.
They trample on the legacies of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, V.T. Sambanthan, Tan Cheng Lock, Fuad Stephens, Temenggong Jugah, and dishonour the memory of the women and men who have lost their lives fighting for the people of this country.
Much has been written and voiced out in opposition and outrage to this proposed Bill. We know what is wrong with it regardless of the spin that is produced and used in its defence.
The government likes to point out that security laws similar to the NSC Bill have been enacted in countries such as the United Kingdom. That it is necessary to do so with the ominous threat of international terrorism and in the wake of tragedies such as the one that inflicted Paris.
But consider this. The UK’s Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 which received the Royal Assent in February this year, was first announced and elaborated upon by the Home Secretary Theresa May in late November 2014.
A full month had been made available for parliamentarians in the House of Commons to scrutinise, examine and debate the details and proposed legislation during committee and reading stages.
Amendments were proposed and made in committee, briefing papers provided and impact assessments on specific issues made available. It was only right that such a Bill received the full weight of serious consideration and deliberation from lawmakers. The legislation was fast-tracked and it took a month to get through that stage.
In comparison, Malaysia’s National Security Council Bill took less than 48 hours to go through the Dewan Rakyat (similar to the House of Commons) from its tabling to the third and final reading. To call it absurd and shocking would be an understatement. It makes a mockery of the Westminster parliamentary system and the purpose for which there are representatives.
Our parliamentarians on the Opposition benches did Malaysians proud by fighting valiantly against the inevitable and I salute and thank them for speaking out for us and for the country.
I ask those who voted in support of the National Security Council Bill, particularly those from the Barisan Nasional: what will be the price that we will all have to pay for your foolishness in selling out our freedoms and our liberties?
Between the time the Bill was first tabled to the final and third reading, not including meal times and bedtime, did you all even bother to read the text, before voting in favour of it? Or did you just do what you were told to do? After all, you cari makan and kena jaga periuk nasi, right?
By supporting this Bill, you have failed the people of Malaysia in your duty to safeguard our freedoms, liberty and the integrity of our institutions.
Make no mistake. This is not just about one man, one party and one regime desperate to maintain power at all costs. This is about a legacy and a future for this country that is heading down the well-trodden path towards fascism.
Consider the fact that the current understanding of what could constitute as “sedition” or “seditious.” The very nature of democracy, such as elections to consider an alternative government, to select another choice for leader, to question the fitness to lead or to call for the resignation of the prime minister, can and has been considered as seditious or a threat to the national security.
The frightening aspect of this argument is that those in power do not even recognise why this is a bad thing, blinded as they are in their race to maintain their grip on power.
Political scientist Dr Lawrence Britt identifies 14 characteristics of fascism. They are:
· Constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, and songs to push for a powerful and continuing nationalism.
· Non-recognition or disdain for human rights.
· Identification of common threat or enemies (e.g. racial, ethnic or religious minorities, liberals, communists, etc) to unite people.
· The uniformed services are given increased power and authority over the civilian population.
· Fascist governments tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated and contains rampant sexist attitudes.
· Mass media that is controlled and restricted.
· Obsessed with national security.
· No separation between religion and government.
· Protects corporate entities.
· Suppresses labour power and influence.
· Disdain for intellectuals and the arts.
· Obsessed with crime and punishment.
· Rampant cronyism and corruption.
· Fraudulent elections.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
This Bill plays into the hands of terrorists and those who would seek to destroy our way of life by allowing them to shape our laws in a way that undermines our principles and values. Laws such as this and the ones before it, turn us into a nation of suspects and provide unnecessary and unjust blank cheque powers that have the potential to undermine long term security for the country.
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
