When political power leads to arrogance, the voice of the people is lost.

Every citizen in a country must be treated equal regardless of race and religion. That is the basic right of every citizen. Yet, even in this century, we find ourselves with governments who do not recognize this basic right. Without equal treatment there can be no unity.

In Malaysia, one particular political party had the temerity and the arrogance to deem a particular race the master race with actions and words to light the fire of superiority. If there is a master race, then the other races in the country have to be the servants or slaves. Yet, these leaders spoke empty promises of unity. At that stage, our country was obviously moving backwards. It reminds us of the Nazis’ claim to be the master race in the Second World War. In the same thought were the Japanese when they started the First World War. Looks like there are still people who have not learned from history and still want to create a master race. The result of such an action came in the 2008 elections in which the people demonstrated their power to remove the government’s two-third majority and gave the opposition five states so that they could show their ability to be better ‘trustees’ of the people.

Every now and then, we have read of local councils with their appointed councilors blindly supporting policies while either abusing their powers or neglecting the needs of the people. With political masters behind them, their arrogance caused the loss of the voice of the people. As one very arrogant local council president said, “Who are you? I am the one in charge here.”

In Sungai Petani, for example, the local council once insisted that every resident buy a dustbin of a particular size to be put in front of every household despite the fact that such a size was against the council’s own laws.

The residents who did not comply were given summonses. The Taman Intan Residents’ Association, Sungai Petani, helped the residents by approaching a councilor to solve the problem. Upon being told that the size stipulated for the dustbin contravened the councils’ own laws, the councilor agreed. However, I think something big was at stake in that case as even that councilor could not do anything for the residents. Arrogance of power seemingly overrides even the law of local councils. Eventually, the association had to fight through the media to win their case.

What is the use of having councilors who cannot ensure that any act passed is for the benefit of the people? That is the reason the citizens have been for a long time now asking for councilors to be elected by the local residents so as to ensure that councilors serve the people and not their political masters or themselves. All this fell on the deaf ears of the government. Yet, we are supposed to be the government of the people, by the people and for the people, a democracy. It is a democracy and the people showed their understanding of it by voting in the opposition in five states.

On Sunday, 22nd November, the Star reported the case of Subramanian who won a discharge not amounting to an acquittal when the Temerloh High Court found that the local government had no right to persecute him as according to the Federal Constitution, only the Public Prosecutor has the right to do so.

Here is a man whose very future was at stake when he was asked to move his mini-market which sells vegetable and fish to a wet market near a forest where this businessman knew would be unsuitable for commercial purpose as, according to him, nobody would go there. To continue to develop his business, he stayed put and this aroused the ire of the local council which, after sending many summonses to Subramanian, decided to persecute him in court.

According to Subramaniam, other provision shops selling fish and vegetables in the same town had their licenses renewed. The question that comes to mind is: Why did the local council pick on Subramaniam? Why were the other shops allowed to go on with their business while he had to move to an unfavourable spot? Why the inequality of treatment? Where is the justice? And thinking of justice for the people, where were the councilors? What action had they taken to help this local resident? Again, here is another case for local councilors to be elected by the people, not appointed by political parties. Was it a case of abuse of power? Did it have anything to do with politics?

Whatever it is, too much political power and arrogance have seen many leaders abuse their power. And because the political parties continue to protect such leaders, allowing such leaders to cover their wrongs, such leaders continue to abuse their power.

People must understand their rights and vote wisely for the benefit of our future generation.