By: Natalie
Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (pg 20) June 28, 2013
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe
No one would
have thought a nine cent increase in bus fare would have triggered such mass
protests in Brazil. President Dilma Rousseff's speech, which was meant to quell
protesters, was criticised for being out of touch.
Perhaps
if deliberative democracy efforts such as town hall meetings were called
earlier to feel the pulse of such an increase in bus fare, the leaders would
have realised that the statistic that Brazilians spend nearly 26% of their
income on bus fare would be the straw that broke the camel's back.
This
seems to be the global trend and reason for protest – a government that is out
of touch. On our shores, how governments of the three haze-affected countries
responded is telling. As much as ministers securing meetings across borders to
discuss the haze is important, I wonder how effective or powerful a signature
on a piece of paper is in stopping the problem.
Personally,
I don't think we need to find a solution – the burning just needs to stop. Our
lungs will attest that this is not a new phenomenon. It's been going on for
years – even Asean has its own Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution that
is over a decade old. Yet you and I are breathing in soot as you read this.
We
all know the facts but what is glaring though is our lack of management of the
issue. What does that air pollutant index (API) mean, how accurate is it and
what are the effects of this haze? Our websites pale in comparison to that of
the Singapore government.
Statements
made by our leaders about the haze show a great disconnect and distance between
the leadership and the public. There is more information and engagement seen in
Singapore with their minister of foreign affairs making stern statements that
Singapore will not be empathetic towards companies found responsible for causing
the haze. There is also a Singapore government website providing detailed
user-friendly information on the haze and measures to take.
This
even includes details of where to buy the N95 masks and how to use it. Add to
that more tangible government initiatives where the Ministry of Health stated
that their government will subsidise medical treatment for those who suffer
from respiratory problems and conjunctivitis due to the haze.
On
our end however, what we are told is to stay indoors. That's it? Surely we can
do better for our people.
This
is just another example of missed opportunities to show leadership and build
public trust. It translates into how well the public is engaged in government
initiatives and this is why structures such as town hall meetings are so
beneficial. It breaks barriers and forces engagement, and this is what will
better the nation – where our laws and government stance reflect the tenets of
what we believe in.
As
uncomfortable, sensitive and complex as the issues are, pretending they don't
exist only highlights our incompetency and portrays us as an ostrich with its
head in the sand.
We've
come to a point of our development where dictating is no longer a workable
option, discussions need to be had and the different voices heard. More space
needs to be created for deliberative democracy where the government engages
with the various layers of society.
Though
it is not an excuse, sometimes town halls turn into a verbal bashing session
and it is then understandable to see why so few are held. There needs to be a
good balance between advocacy, opposition view and genuine dialogue. Creating a
gridlock serves no purpose and walkouts defeat the intention for finding
equilibrium. How then can we move forward and find solutions for other issues?
There
is a void layer of genuine public engagement in Malaysia. If town hall meetings
are not on the cards for now, perhaps creating space in the media for engaging
dialogues might be a better option. There are enough talk shows couched around
propaganda and political party stand but what is missing is intelligent
discussions about critical issues. It's telling when even news coverage of our
election results was better covered by a Singapore news channel. Sigh.
Such
deliberative democracy is the way forward. It may not be perfect, but it would
definitely be better than what we have now.
Natalie hopes that the new parliamentary mix allows
for deliberative democracy to thrive and dear MPs please no walkouts or
gridlocks.
Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
