In light of recent corruption and money laundering claims and accusations against UMNO Supremo and Prime Minister Najib Razak, it is beyond disgusting that a Minister under the Prime Minister’s Department would equate government openness and transparency to pornography.
While it is indeed worthy to note that the Federal Government has published 3 Auditor Reports, these reports have yet to address the truth behind the numbers, and the truth behind transactions that may have been omitted from these reports. Minister Paul Low should also keep in mind that the public has, for the past several years, questioned the truth behind statement and reports released by the federal government.
Exposing everything to the public is not a bad thing, especially if you are exposing how the public’s money is being spent with the necessary details attached to them. Questioning the ability of the Malaysian society to rationally digest and evaluate comprehensive and truthful reports is akin to questioning the ability of the Malaysian society to think. While there is no guarantee that reports or statements will never be spinned to hurt the government of the day, publishing FACTUAL, TRUTHFUL, and UNBIASED reports is the utmost priority in a democratic society. However, the present political scenario does not even give a chance for “spinning and exaggeration” because of the strict government control over the media and the press. So, in a way, what is there to be afraid of when Paul Low and his colleagues can just suspend any newspaper that dares to publish statements accusing the present government of any wrong doing?
To say that transparency is pornography is forgetting that transparency is integral in a democratic society and disrespects the very notion of the same democratic system that put Paul Low and his “masters” in Putrajaya. The Minister needs to be reminded that it is the Malaysian public who voted for him and it is the same Malaysian public that wants a government that is accountable and transparent in all their dealings using taxpayer’s money and acts which affect the lives of Malaysians at large. At the end of the day, all Malaysians want a government that doesn’t lie while looking them straight in the eyes and a government that doesn’t feel the need to keep the rakyat in the dark.