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COMMENT We, the opposition in Malaysia today, are neither given the resources nor the institutional respect to carry out our jobs effectively. In fact, we are strategically starved of it by the ‘deep state’ and decades of demonisation by the ruling party, using the very resources we are starved of.

The oppression of the opposition by the ruling party is getting increasingly more sophisticated, yet we are expected to deliver more than ever before, for the ruling regime has become worse than it has ever been.

The use of the term ‘adversary’, by default reinforces the notion that ‘the ruling’ and ‘the opposition’ must not be enemies, as both serve the same objective of bettering the country they are elected to and have sworn to serve.

But as soon as the opposition is treated as an enemy, instead of an adversary, it becomes a whole different ballgame; a game that is not only unconstitutional and inhumane, but tantamount to being treasonous toward our sovereign nation.

When you call someone a thief because you see him walking away with someone else’s property under his cloak, you are being his adversary. When the thief counters your call with stabbing you with a knife, he sees and treats you not as an adversary but as an enemy. Not only is it disproportionate, it turns him into a murderer, too.

When we, the loyal opposition, whistle-blow and point out wrongdoings, we do, and remain so, with the intent of strengthening the nation and protecting fellow Malaysians. In the six decades Barisan Nasional has been the government of our federation, the opposition has always acted as its adversary, but we have always been treated as the enemy.

We point out their wrongdoings and scandals, and they throw us into jail. When your meaner, stronger and larger adversary treats you as enemy, what are you to do?

Consequences for the Malaysian opposition

Aside from the parliamentary and political opposition, civil society organisations (CSO), non-governmental organisations (NGO), student groups, as well as the general populace themselves too can play the role of ‘check and balance’ on the executive branch.

As we can see, there has been an overt crackdown on vocal proponents of reforms and advocates of any agenda resembling that of the opposition’s. Many have become victims of treatment worthy only of leaders of the opposition in the most despotic of regimes.

It’s safe to say that our ruling government is clearly taking a ‘if you’re not with me, you’re against me’ stance; and is not hesitating to act in accordance with that.

Since Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s imprisonment, several street protests, large and small, have been organised and held to show solidarity, as well as to urge the prime minister to step down. The turnouts have been overwhelmingly encouraging, with each and every event being peaceful and inspiring. However, the reaction from the government has been abhorrent.

Through several archaic and shocking instruments of law, namely the Peaceful Assembly Act and the Sedition Act, nine more members and activists from the opposition, most of them Members of Parliament and state legislators, have been arrested and detained.

White collar political terrorism

The latest two who got caught up in the dragnet of arrests is the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar, a young yet experienced second-term lawmaker who is a mother of two young children and also the daughter of Anwar; and Rasah MP Teo Kok Seong, also a young second-term lawmaker and is the national DAP Youth chief.

Nurul Izzah was arrested on Monday morning on allegations of seditious speech, in her critical parliamentary speech calling into question the independence of the judiciary, and spent Monday night in a jail cell on remand.

Teo was hauled up by the police last Saturday on allegations of organising an illegal assembly, a rally attended by more than 10,000 Malaysians, with their rights enshrined in our Federal Constitution.

These arrests and prospective charges, like those levelled against the other seven charged, are without a shadow of doubt politically motivated.

Nurul Izzah's charge is nonsensical as she ought to be protected by parliamentary immunity and furthermore, her speech was in no way at all seditious, by any standard. Teo was a key speaker representing Dapsy at the final public rally that was, unconstitutionally, announced illegal the day before it took place.

Though these are young comrades and leaders who are facing sacrificial oppression, and like all of us who are in this together, they were prepared for the worst the minute they swore their oaths of office. However, nothing has prepared us for what is unfolding afore us; the ‘white collar political terrorism’ that is taking Malaysia backwards to the dark ages, where politics of fear and oppression is the norm.

While the Malaysian prime minister jet-sets around the globe, posturing and pretending to be the liberal, moderate and modern reformist that he is light-years from, the despicable and ugly reality that he and his party continue to usher in are anything BUT liberal, moderate, modern or reformist.

Turning back the hands of democratic time

Nine arrests and detentions of opposition leading figures in the space of less than a month, is simply too much evidence to have any doubt that Malaysia is regressively turning into more of a police state than ever before.

The end game is not only to divert the attention from the financial scandals and mis-governance the ruling party is currently embroiled in, it is also to systematically stifle dissent by disqualifying as many vocal opposition lawmakers as possible from contesting in the next general election.

Not to mention the fear and terror instilled among Malaysians, deterring politicians and the general populace from speaking out against the ruling regime.

Yes, as it is oft-quipped in diplomatic circles, Malaysia is not as bad as many of our neighbours in the region. But many of those neighbours, authoritarian and undemocratic their systems and leaders may be, they are slowly but surely progressing towards the global and universal values of democracy and justice - Burma, the Philippines and even Singapore, to name but a few.

The Malaysian ruling regime is one of those rare monsters that is not necessarily slowly, but definitely surely, turning back the hands of democratic time despite protestations by the people.

Who is really guilty of sedition?

Malaysia may not be under martial law, nor is it seeing opponents of incumbent power players being assassinated, but its trajectory is definitely in that direction as opposed to moving towards democratisation and better social justice.

It is clear now that it is no longer individuals that the ruling regime is tackling and silencing, out of political vengeance. What we see now is before our eyes.

It is no longer Nurul Izzah being locked up and charged for sedition, but a female opposition MP being unconstitutionally silenced for doing her duty.

It is no longer Teo Kok Seong being detained and investigated for illegal assembly, but a Youth opposition leader and legislator facing persecution by prosecution.

It is no longer Anwar Ibrahim being persecuted, but the leader of the parliamentary opposition being oppressively incarcerated.

It is the entire institution of the loyal opposition being kidnapped and locked up behind bars, despotically robbed of its constitutionally enshrined place in Malaysian nation-building.

It is increasingly more difficult to continue treating the ruling party as an adversary when we, the opposition is being pummelled with treatment worse than what enemies deserve.

If ever I would agree that anything, or anybody at all, is seditious, it is those in the seat of power within the ruling regime, who wield their power in contravention of democratic values to further their own heinous agenda, are the one who are truly seditious.


HOWARD LEE is DAP’s Pasir Pinji assemblyperson and Perak DAP Socialist Youth secretary.

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