LETTER | I won’t dare tell my late grandmother if I am punished in school because she would add on to my misery. Don’t get me wrong, she was firm and did not tolerate misdeeds. She brought me up, and I loved her dearly and may Allah grant her jannah.

There were also some who were publicly caned for small thefts at the Monday morning assemblies despite saying sorry and returning items to where it belonged. At the assemblies too, we were constantly reminded of the Rukun Negara and to be a good person when we grow up.

Today, if a child complains to parents on punishments at school, teachers must be well prepared to defend themselves. Also, if authorities take action on any wrongdoings, they will be hurled with abuses. And some, while driving with children, will swear at other road users. At the park where I live, park-goers will double park, park haphazardly and even on pavements just to be near to the entrance. These are new norms, I guess.

On a higher level, we are now seeing people not paying the price for their wrongdoings, albeit having sufficient evidence and/or being charged in court. Our crimebusters worked hard to trap and capture them, but somehow we do not hear them being charged or they get discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

And there is this thing called plea bargaining (plead guilty or nolo contendere to a particular charge in return for some concession). Or do not plead guilty but just return some of the loot and strike a deal.

As for democracy, religiously, we will have general elections for the winner to put in a new government, but recently we experienced a new norm. People who lost in the last general elections are now in the government replacing those who won with the exception of a few.

Does it matter if it cost taxpayers RM500 million in organising GE14? Besides, before the campaign, there were no limits to what a political party, candidate, or third party (corporations, unions, special interest groups, et cetera) can spend. Then, there were mass defections after the poll.

All of the above appears to have done little to quell the anger of the rakyat and mockery directed at our beloved country.

We may have the gravitational pull of federal laws to put things right. Or are there loopholes that need to be plugged or are there some corresponding push away from the establishment?

It will make a mockery of our aspiration for the laws to make common sense, adherence to the Rukun Negara and nurture a progressive young generation.

Or are we propagating an afternoon of frivolity and binge drinking for our future generation?

What say you?

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