(Penang, Wednesday): The call by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his Hari Raya Message on Muslims in the country to set aside their political and religious misunderstandings and rivalries during Hari Raya would have even greater relevance and import to the Malaysian nation-building process, Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia if it had been expanded to a call on all Malaysians to set aside their differences on the occasion of all national festivities and holidays.
Such a call would be particularly significant this year when four major Malaysian festivities and holidays namely Christmas, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, New Year and Chinese New Year would be celebrated within a month.
However, even non-Muslim Malaysians cannot help notice that Mahathir’s call on Muslims to set aside their differences on the occasion of Hari Raya is merely the latest example of the Mahathir’s words not being matched by deeds - as the Prime Minister is clearly not prepared to have his government set an example of his exhortation when Parti Keadilan Nasional youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor and Keadilan Hulu Klang State Assemblyman Azmin Ali could be arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri yesterday on their return from Mecca after performing Umrah.
In fact, how can Malaysians believe that the Barisan Nasional government is committed to strengthen the spirit of brotherhood and unity and the values of forgiveness when in the unique month of four Malaysian festivities and holidays, former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is not permitted regular family visits while under hospitalisation and the government could arrest Ezam and Azmin as well as seven others in connection with the Barisan Nasional defeat in the Lunas by-election on November 29, 2000, without addressing the real and grave issue of phantom voters which had long made a mockery of Malaysian elections.
To match deeds with words, Mahathir should take steps to withdraw all charges against Ezam and Amin, and the seven others who had already been charged in court, and establish an independent commission to inquire into all forms of abuses and malpractices in the Lunas by-election as well as make recommendations for electoral reforms to prevent their recurrence and ensure that the Malaysian electoral system qualifies to be described as "clean, free and fair".
Mahathir should be aware that 13 months after the last general election, the Barisan Nasional government suffers from an even worse credibility gap, especially in its continued and unrepentant abuses of the institutions of government to pursue blatant partisan interests of the ruling coalition parties.
Mahathir’s recent warning that the government would take "severe action … against those playing up racial and religious sentiments to destroy the country’s harmony" while condoning the blatant attempts by certain UMNO quarters using organisations like the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) and Ibrahim Ali’s Barisan Bertindak Melayu to escalate ethnic tensions over the Suqiu Appeals is the latest example as to why the Prime Minister’s political credibility and moral authority among Malaysians has reached an all-time low.
Mahathir should stop abusing the institutions of government for the
partisan ends of UMNO and Barisan Nasional as a first step to restore the
spirit of brotherhood and unity among Malaysians, irrespective of
race, religion or political beliefs in the unique month of Malaysians celebrating
four national festivities and holiday - which would be a quantum leap towards
a Bangsa Malaysia.
(27/12/2000)