(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): When we freed ourselves from British colonial bondage 50 years ago, little did we know that we were replacing a foreign form of autocratic government with another local version. The explosion of hope from Merdeka has been followed by disillusionment and disappointment when local government elections were banned, independence of the judiciary curbed, freedom of the press repressed, supremacy of Parliament downgraded as well as free and fair elections compromised.  

The spectre of May 13 riots were repeatedly used to silence dissent and instill fear to accept discriminatory policies that deprived equal opportunities and assisted the rich instead of the poor. Mediocrity was preferred to meritocracy and the huge brain drain in the loss of talented Malaysians was ignored.   

Malaysians have been invisible from the decision-making process for 50 years and must be visible again to reclaim our Merdeka promise of freedom, justice and democracy. Only if we take charge of our destiny ourselves by demanding our rights, can we influence the type of country we want to live in. 

There have been expectations of a cleaner, more liberal and open society under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad  Badawi following 22 years of authoritarian rule of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed. Unfortunately Abdullah has shown to be even more intolerant when newspapers were directed to ban any reports on Islamic state, Wee Meng Chee’s allegedly seditious rap video and the Chief Justice’s replacing common law with Islamic law.  

Such media bans were never imposed by Tun Dr Mahathir. Newspapers were directed to publish statements only from the Prime Minister and his deputy. What type of freedom is this when only 2 persons can speak and not the other 27 million Malaysians? 

Abdullah has also broken his promise to wipe out corruption when his government bailed out the Port Klang Free Trade Zone whose cost ballooned from RM 1.5 billion to RM 4.63 billion. In a desperate bid to avoid accountability and explain this bailout that cost the public billions of ringgit, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy sought medical leave for two weeks to seek treatment overseas. No one knows what ailment Chan suffers when he is known to be fit and healthy. 

The non-performance of judges in writing judgments have come under intense public scrutiny but most shocking of all is the Chief Justice’s ignorance of what is happening in the judiciary. How can there be rule of law when the one supposed to uphold justice do not comply? 

The rights, feelings and dignity of ordinary Malaysians have been ignored for too long until Malaysians can no longer do as free men and women do nor have the opportunity to be the best of oneself. To do as free men do not only liberates us from the culture of fear but also enables us to be creative so that we can be the best in whatever we do. 

Allowing only the Prime Minister and his deputy to comment on issues is to treat the remaining 27 million Malaysians as invisible. Malaysians must be invisible no more and demand our Merdeka rights to freedom, justice and democracy.  

To be visible we must have the moral courage to promote right and moral outrage to oppose wrong by saying, “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall!”.