THE CICAK.com

Part 1: Creating a new manifesto for Malaysia

Editor’s Note: theCICAK is looking for writers who are interested to interpret parts of the constitution. If you are interested to analyze and provide examples for your opinion, please shoot us an e-mail at write4thecicak@gmail.com.

Art by CHUAN ZUI
By ARIVIND ABRAHAM

On 27 Aug. 1957, Malaysia got her constitution. A document that lays out the supreme law of the federation.

Today, Malaysia has a government that treats the constitution as nothing more than the toilet paper that adorns your bathrooms. They run roughshod on it, treating it like joke, a document of whimsy and games.

Thus, as a result, the very structures and processes that should be there to protect Malaysians are diluted. Even the ultimate avenue of an election, in which Malaysians should be able to voice their dissent has been corrupted beyond belief, that for 50 years we have been ruled by one party which has now betrayed its people.

In the past few months, various groups have taken to the streets, for various agendas, in what they rightly believe is a show of people power. However, as always, they are beat back down and within weeks, their efforts forgotten as Malaysians get on with their lives.

Anyways, I digress. This is an attempt, not at an answer, but perhaps the construction of one. For too long we have sat and debated, objected, demonstrated, but all times without the necessary armament to back it up.

Perhaps I will begin with my opinion on the “state of things.” Note the word “opinion,” please.

The State of the Nation

A sizable majority of readers who frequent sites like theCICAK, Malaysiakini, Malaysia Today and Aliran come from a middle class bracket. Not all, but a good proportion. They are well-educated, reasonably well-off and with a number of choices and options available to them in terms of education, work and social opportunities.

Look at it from the perspective of the average young person who reads theCICAK. Their parents have jobs, they have food on the table, they have access to the best that money can buy to stimulate their intellects and have the opportunity to venture overseas to be educated.

They have nothing to lose. And with that lifestyle of comfort, one cannot blame their parents for not taking to the streets to rock the boat. They are to be commended for thinking about their families and making sure that their families get the best.

Yes, they indulge in coffeeshop politics and complain about the systems in place against their children (if they are non-Bumis), but at no point is there really an incentive overthrow a corrupt government.

So what transpires most of the time when we do have demonstrations on the street, is that while the effort may be spearheaded by the opposition (and I will come to the opposition themselves) or NGO’s, the majority of the individuals who participate in huge numbers will be largely working class, struggling to make ends meet or to have the opportunities that the middle class have.

They bear the brunt of the flaws within the system and too often they march for one-off issues, or issues to large to really deal with as a whole.

It also means, and this may sound harsh, that they perhaps are not as well informed as to what is needed to back up “people power.” It is not good enough to just pound asphalt shouting slogans and standing down the FRU. True, they rely on those guys upfront to be the intellectual component of their struggle, but this only allows the government to turn around and accuse them of being nothing more than puppets for the opposition.

Ah yes, the opposition. What opposition? We have an opposition that is just there for opposing’s sake. Keadilan is a one man party, DAP a “chinese-chauvinistic” party that is hated more and more by the Malays, and we don’t really need to discuss PAS do we?

There has to be method to defeating a regime like Barisan, one that means the coming together of the greatest minds. These minds can then build a manifesto which details what they can offer the public so that there is no angle from which Barisan can try to paint them as “liars” or “tools of the opposition.”

We begin with the law itself.

The Law

Not too long ago, lawyers in Malaysia marched to protest the corruption inherent in the judiciary. A noble effort no doubt, but again a drop in the ocean for one sole issue.

Many of you readers of theCICAK are up and coming lawyers. Get to know the constitution. You can talk about crazy Americans all you like, but one thing that always fascinates me is how many of them know their constitution. Their constitution is a living breathing document from which the very essence of law is derived for them.

This is your greatest asset in challenging a corrupt regime. The astute and righteous interpretation of the law. Whenever BN tries some stunt, be prepared from a legal perspective to challenge their skewing on some very basic tenets in our constitution and laws. We need to be able to argue them down all the time, not just in court, but in the court of public opinion as well.

Then educate the people on the law. If needs be, start at a grassroots level. Be able to talk about the law in a multitude of languages so that no one gets left behind and so that we can spread this knowledge to as many young people as possible be it via the internet of even just casual chats in the mamak.

Yes, I know that those who have gone before us, who are now part of the justice system have tried as well and still are, but let me reiterate that they are still trying amongst themselves. We have the time now to reach out to those they are perhaps not reaching out to, and make them aware of what their constitution affords them so that whenever BN tried to tell them otherwise, they won’t need to rely on the knowledge of others to save them.

Like I said, this is the beginning of an answer, so my question to you all, is what else can we prepare from a legal perspective?

Part 2 of “Creating a new manifesto for Malaysia” will touch on social policy and economics. Watch this site.

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ARIVIND ABRAHAM is a special projects manager for theCICAK.

Arivind Abraham is a writer and director who is based in London. He released his debut feature S’kali in 2006 and is shooting two movies back to back in KL this summer.

CHUAN ZUI is a graphic artist for theCICAK.

Zui is almost an Otaku but hates big-chested anime characters. He is a twisted weirdo because of his islander kiasuness, a result of living his early childhood in Singapore. Zui is an artist of few words. Visit his site.