We all thought that BN and especially the Chief, The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had heard the message of March 08 General Election. However the many things that are going on do not show it. Disappointingly, Abdullah is not that open, liberal and tolerant after all.
Recently he came up with the following:
• No open forums or dialogues on religious or racial issues – no more discussion on matters of religion or race that had already been enshrined in the Federal Constitution; and
• No objection to the use of Internal Security Act and Sedition Act against those who organize such forums like the Bar Council – up to the Home Ministry to act against the Bar Council.
Abdullah has given the approval for his deputy, Najib Razak and the Home Minister, Syed Hamid Albar in lining up against the Bar Council for organizing the forum on Conversion to Islam to discuss the conflict of laws arising from civil and shariah court jurisdictions.
He also appeared to give his support to the demonstrators who had successfully stormed and disrupted the Bar Council forum together with the support ofthe police.
Does Abdullah realise that when he condones the storming of the Bar Council by demonstrators on Satyrday he was actually going against the fundamental principles and precepts of good governance . What he has done will not help to inspire confidence of investors, foreign or local, about the rule of law, the system of justice or the integrity of national institutions?
The media have published some MCA, Gerakan and MIC leaders speaking up in support of the Bar Council forum.
The important thing is whether the leaders and Ministers of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other Barisan Nasional component parties from Sabah and Sarawak are prepared to speak up in Cabinet and the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council to demand that the fundamental right of the Bar Council and Malaysians to hold such forums should not be denied but must be respected and protected.
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