by Lim Kit Siang
Stop the charade of claiming to want to be the “best
democracy in the world” - what Najib should do is to immediately end Malaysia's
ranking as a “flawed democracy”
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is outdoing
himself every day with taller and ever incredible claims – yesterday claiming
that no one else but Barisan Nasional should take credit for the repeal of the
Internal Security Act and other law reforms he announced in his Malaysia Day
message and today reiterating that the repeal of the ISA is not due to pressure
from any quarter but an effort to make Malaysia the “best democracy in the
world”.
Najib should stop the charade of claiming to want to be the
“best democracy in the world” when what he should do is to immediately end
Malaysia's ranking as a “flawed democracy” before Malaysia could qualify to
rank among the full democracies in the world.
At
the moment 'flawed democracy', how jump to 'best in the world'
The third edition of the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU)
Democracy Index 2010 released early this year categorised Malaysia as a “flawed
democracy” due to “a gradual erosion of civil liberties and political culture
in the past year” with Malaysia's aggregate score dropping 0.17 to 6.19 out of
10 from the previous index in 2008, and the overall country ranking falling
from 68th to 71st out of 167 countries.
Twenty-six countries, headed by Norway, Iceland, Denmark,
Sweden, New Zealand,Australia, Finland, Switzerland, Canada and Netherlands in
the top 10, were in the first category of 26 “Full democracies” - which
includes two Asian countries, South Korea (20) and Japan (22).
Malaysia with the overall 71st ranking, is in the second category
of “Flawed Democracies”, trailing behind South Africa (30), Chile (34), Taiwan
(36), Israel (37), India (40), Timor-Leste (42), Jamaica (43), Panama (46),
Brazil (47), Mexico (50), Argentina (51), Sri Lanka (55), Thailand (57),
Indonesia (60) and Mongolia (64).
Who advised Najib that the repeal of the ISA (which is be
replaced with two new laws raising concerns whether they would be ISA type of
substitutes) and other reforms, Malaysia will catapult not only from the ranks
of “Flawed Democracies” but to top the ranking of “Full Democracies” as to be
the “best democracy in the world”?
Free
and fair elections still non-existent, how to be 'best in the world'
The EIU's Democracy Index is based on five categories:
electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of
government; political participation; and political culture.
The condition of having free and fair competitive elections,
and satisfying related aspects of political freedom, is regarded as the sine
quo non of all definitions of a democracy.
On “electoral process and pluralism”, Malaysia trails behind
88 other countries – 26 “Full Democracies” and 62 “Flawed Democracies”.
This is the most powerful vindication for the Bersih 2.0
peaceful rally for free and fair elections on July 9 and indictment of the
high-handed and undemocratic repression of the Bersih 2.0 campaign by the Najib
administration.
Before Najib prates about wanting to be the “best democracy
in the world”, when is he going to revoke the unjustified government ban on Bersih
2.0 which declared it an illegal organisation and drop all charges against
those arrested in connection with the Bersih 2.0 campaign?
- Lim Kit Siang is the MP for Ipoh Timur
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Source : LimKitSiang/Blg
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