Our citizenship is not for sale

Human rights cannot be bought, sold or traded. This conferment of human dignity – i.e. one’s place of birth, ethnicity, religion and personality and the human conscience choices made – cannot be bought or sold.

Both sides of the political divide now emerging in Malaysia must understand this fundamental principle.

What lessons can we therefore learn from the people of Sibu as they spoke up in a truly democratic way for the first time; and I think quite honestly too? To me, their vote expressed their preference and option to not negotiate their human dignity.

They voiced their choice and said rather loudly that they cannot be bought by election  sweeteners, which were abused to seek a negotiated settlement of their basic rights of citizenship. They do not believe in this so-called special promises being granted by human governments.

They believed it is well within their constitutional right to receive such services which no government can deny. Ordinary Malaysians have spoken for the truth. And truth matters to them.

They know that their basic human rights of citizenship and related concerns are guaranteed under the universal human rights framework of modern 21st century good governance. Within any democracy, the duly elected leadership works for and serves the basic citizenship rights of their citizens in return for the vote of confidence.

This vote of confidence in Sibu this time went to the other side for its more honest and sincere promises, and not by attempts at a ‘buy-election’. It also signalled clearly, and to me for the first time, that the two-party model of governance is here to stay in Malaysia.

The very instant I saw the photograph of a MyKad being handed over to the older citizens of Sibu, highlighted by the New Straits Times as if it were a special privilege and priority, it was clear that the government had forgotten the basic rights and privileges to the citizens of Sibu; even after 46 years of independence.

That was a clear black lie. Fact is, every Malaysian born and registered here has a constitution-accorded and United-Nations-ensured right to Malaysian citizenship. It is never a welfare or charity service of the government of the day.

I agreed that Ong Kian Ming’s predictions on the outcome of the Sibu by-election might in fact come true, because he was the first one who publicly stated that this would not be a ‘buy-election’ but rather a ‘steal election’, pun intended. He turned out to be correct, to almost pinpoint accuracy.

Furthermore, the failure of public officials, like the police officer who played politics, was only another obvious symptom of poor governance which was being played out on stage right before the eyes of those simple but honest Malaysians who voted.

Maybe for me, the most inconceivable lapse of good governance was the fact that although the postal votes were the first to be in, they were the last to be counted, instead of being the very first. Furthermore, why wait to the very last minute to bring boxes from other regions into the counting centres? This can unnecessarily raise queries and doubts for all concerned.

Citizens are never wrong to demand and expect the rights of fair play, truth and honesty. That too is a fundamental human right. They are values of good governance in any democracy. Therefore the lesson to be learned by all public authorities is, when public trust in a system is badly broken, we need to take small steps to rebuild it.

My suggestion therefore to both the proposition and its opposition is to start assuming that the ground conditions have physically and permanently changed.

‘We’re not for sale’

Ordinary Malaysians are no more stupid and simple and they cannot be bought and traded at whim or fancy. The political tsunami has changed the landscape after March 8, 2008. We do not need experts to redefine this; only realists to understand and see what the changes demanded are.

Only the absolutely blind, like Ibrahim Ali’s mob, and his equally blind followers and supporters, cannot see what the majority of ordinary people can. We have eyes to see with and ears to hear with. Even the premier seems to have seen.

And we have to consider the historical context and perspectives.

Even the MyKad recipient, while grateful for the gesture, knows in his heart that he was born in Malaysia and has been a Malaysian since 1963. But his right to vote in Sibu has been denied all these many years. Why?

This is the first-generation perspective. That is, those who have lived through the era of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Abdul Razak Hussein. They have heard and know the promises made by these forefathers and the Sarawakian independence fighters at the birth of our nation.

Allow me to share my own perspective. My parents’ heritage is Malayalee and they originate from Kerala. However, my father is a proud Malaysian from Kedah and a founding member of the Kedah MIC. He has received ample recognition for his community work and contributions while living and working in the Sungai Petani area.

I was therefore born a Malaysian under two Articles of the constitution and I have the documents to prove it. I was never, and never will be, an Indian by nationality.

The constitution grants me a first class Malaysian citizenship. Therefore, I will never need to buy my citizenship. It is a fact of history, and which was earned by difficult choices my parents made many years ago.

No government or groups of people can rewrite this. Therefore, my human dignity and identity is never for sale at any election. May all sides understand and accept this lesson of history.