‘WITCH-HUNTS’  ARE UNDEMOCRATIC BEHAVIOUR

There is an election. Candidates offer themselves as wakil rakyat (peoples’ representatives). The people (the registered voters only) come out and cast their votes choosing their representatives. The victors get the majority(not all) of the votes case. By reason of the first-past the post system, the victors, then become the wakil rakyat, and if he enjoys the support of the majority of the elected representatives, then he is chosen to form the government of Malaysia and/or the government of the States.

Once elected, the victors and the losing candidates must put aside their differences and work together for the good and benefit of all the people in the country/state – yes, for the good and benefit of ALL the people and not just for the good of those who supported and or voted for them. The losing candidates are also part of these people that now the victor must represent in Parliament and/or the State Legislative Assembly. The victor must remember that his duty and responsibilities is towards all the people -  not just his party members, not just his financiers and/or his donors during the elections, not just his supporters. If the victor of the elections forgets this and discriminates against his opponent and his supporters, then this victor is one who has forgotten the true meaning of democracy.

WITCH-HUNT IN TERENGGANU?

Idris Jusoh, who won by a majority of 2,047 votes only whereby his opponent from PAS had obtained 4,466 votes, immediately after the swearing in as the Menteri Besar of Terengganu hastily abolished the People's Consultative Committee(JSR) introduced by the PAS during its four-year reign. About 400 members of the JSR were affected by this move. (Malaysiakini Mar 25th, 2004).

In the Malaysiakini, Mar 30^th 2004, it was reported that there was also the “sacking  en masse of some 400 staff of the Unit Pembangunan Insan and its director Ismail Osman.”. Also fired were Syariah court chief judge Dr Abdullah Abu Bakar, deputy state mufti Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Sultan Zainal Abidin Islamic College director Assoc Prof. Anuar Zainal Abidin and the Yayasan Terengganu director Yusof Tahir. The new Menteri Besar’s explanation was that the ‘their contracts had to be terminated because they had clearly sided with the PAS government and would ruin Barisan Nasional's (BN) agenda and planning if not stopped.’ In my opinion, an odd and foolish reasoning.

In the report, it was also mentioned that teachers in Sekolah Menengah Agama Sains Terengganu and Sekolah Rendah Agama Bersepadu. have been given verbal notice that their services may be terminated. It must be noted that Sekolah Menengah Agama Sains was established by the Terengganu State government after the federal government chose to close two MARA Junior Science Colleges in Terengganu in October 2002. So, what is going to happen to the students in these schools, and to the teachers and staff, as well.

KEEP THE GOOD, AND GET RID OF THOSE THAT DOES NOT BENEFIT PEOPLE

All these termination and verbal notices have been done relatively hastily, and it affects people who are not political appointees but mere public servants, and the speed by which these actions were taken (and/or decisions made) could reasonably be said an emotional reaction, rather that a well-thought out and critically analyzed action. This is wrong for people, who are public servants, are losing jobs, and their families are losing incomes and the children’s education will be affected. There should have been serious study done to determine whether these PAS-created structures, these PAS-government initiated schools are good for the people of Terengganu. It is wrong for this BN Menteri Besar to just reject anything and everything just because it was done during the PAS’s term of government.

SIDED WITH THE PAS GOVERNMENT – SO THEY ARE OUT?

“…because they had clearly sided with the PAS government and would ruin Barisan Nasional's (BN) agenda and planning if not stopped…” How does the Menteri Besar know this? Have they done anything to date that ‘ruined’ the BN agenda and planning for the Terengganu people? Mere speculations of possible future actions are not a good enough justification for the termination of employment, and/or for the dismantling of schools and community-based structures created by the previous government.

It is sad, and rather embarrassing, that this new MB is saying and doing such things as these actions and words do go against the very essence of democracy. The role and responsibilities of an elected government towards its people, not just the BN supporters, but all the people of Terengganu, is forgotten.

Imagine if another party took over the Federal Government, then within 5 days, the  most senior public servants would be out of a job. Teachers will lose their jobs. This is absurd.

Politicians and political parties must realize this and must be able to distinguish between what is political positions,  who are merely  public servants. And even if certain structures, after serious studies are to be dismantled, then the State has the obligation to provide alternate jobs to those who have been ‘retrenched’.

I hope that this Menteri Besar now do not go out there and start discriminating against the 4,466 voter who voted for his opponent, and the remaining tens of thousands who did not vote for the BN by depriving them of government aid, scholarships, subsidies and other assistance. For if he does so, this man does not understand the essence of our democracy and he should be removed from his post as Menteri Besar.

SERVE THE PEOPLE WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION

Once elected, the BN government of the day must not discriminate against those that did not support the BN. For if you do so, then you may as well abolish all political parties, the general elections and erase democracy from Malaysia. How can you tell people to chose – and then discriminate them because they did exercise ‘correctly’ this right of choice.

Elections came, the majority has spoken through their votes, so now you who have been chosen as the peoples’ representatives and/or as the government, must go forth and be the rep of the people, and must govern the people with justice and fairness. What party one belongs to, or who one supported should never …..never be a basis for you, who have been chosen by the people to lead, to abdicate your duty of serving all people justly and fairly.

Charles Hector

3 April 2004