By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (pg 11 ) April 4th, 2013
theSun, Malaysia (pg 11 ) April 4th, 2013
Of late, quite a few people have been arrested or warned for being
critical of authority. Egypt recently issued an arrest warrant and questioned
funny man Bassem Youssef for material on his show that was deemed insulting. He
joined a list of lawyers, politicians and activists who have also recently been
arrested on similar charges – dissent.
This form of democracy in recent times has become more rampant on our
shores too not just with opposition politicians being hauled up to court on
charges amounting to a difference in opinion but also with retired generals
being threatened for being critical over the country's defence strategy in
Lahad Datu. We even took it further by referring our national football coach to
the disciplinary board for commenting on the quality of players and analysing
why the national team did so poorly in the M-League .
It's very confusing because logically this is their job. They are called
the opposition because they have opposing views, the wealth of wisdom former
generals possess does not retire just because they have, and the role of a
coach is to critically analyse his team's performance and continuously modify
it for optimum results. Instead, we are reprimanding these brave voices for
being vocal and doing their job. If we truly want to improve, we would try and
see the sense in what is being said.
Such criticism coming from experienced people might actually be helpful
and if it is not, it provides an opportunity to prove them wrong and a gateway
to better explain one's position. Instead we do a disservice to the people by
sending these so-called troublemakers to the various disciplinary boards and
subpoena them to court in the hope of silencing opposing views. Are these signs
of equal justice and a progressive democracy?
It feels like those in authority share the same complex like the emperor
in the fairy tale, who preferred to be ruined by praises when showing off his
invisible new clothes. This is even more glaring as we are teased about the
general election date. Political parties have issued themselves glowing report
cards cheapening the term good governance while the people mutter under their
breath "self-praise is no praise".
Our media is filled with illustrious reports of how successful these
political parties have been but if one is to query the statistics and figures
of improvement spewed out, it is considered dissent – when what it really means
is that you have a thinking electoral role who is engaging with the data.
Unfortunately, there isn't an equally weighted platform for both sides to
present their mandates, fund their campaigns and space for their flags, banners
and makeshift "bilik gerakan" to be placed.
Looking at the labyrinth of hurdles placed in getting equal and fair
access to media, we could learn from Myanmar's reform efforts. After 50 years
of censorship under military rule, private daily papers are back on newsstands
in the junta-led Myanmar. Their "paper-revolution" has meant
loosening restrictions on the media and journalists but also dissolving their
press censorship board, better known as the Press Scrutiny and Registration
Division. While we offer a mere 10-minute slot to the Opposition with the
clause to edit, Myanmar television even unprecedentedly broadcasted opposition
leader Aung San Suu Kyi's speech early last year.
This is not to say there is total freedom, there are still legal clauses
that curtail press freedom but Myanmar is seen to be slowly removing the
blinding scales and making positive changes.
In the 2013 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, Malaysia
ranked 145th out of 179, dropping 23 places. Myanmar may have ranked lower than
us at 151, but they moved up 18 places higher than last year. One can only
wonder by how much they will overtake us this year, especially if what our
politicians only want to hear is self-praise.
It's definitely harder to swallow the bitter pill of criticism but in
the long run the consequences of only surrounding ourselves with praise will be
far worse.
Natalie couldn't agree more with Norman Vincent
Peale's words "The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be
ruined by praise than saved by criticism."
Comments: letters@ thesundaily.com
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