Pendirian Organisasi Masyarakat Madani:

Hentikan Ancaman dan Keganasan terhadap Aktivisme Sosial dan Politik

2 Mac 2012

Kami, organisasi masyarakat madani yang tersenarai di bawah, menyatakan kegusaran kami di atas serangan terhadap beberapa majlis yang sah dan demokratik dianjurkan oleh gerakan sosial dan parti politik. Tindakan biadab di majlis seperti Himpunan Hijau 2.0 di Pulau Pinang, forum-forum ABU (Asal Bukan UMNO), ceramah YB Nurul Izzah di Gambang, Pahang dan serangan terhadap kereta YB Anwar Ibrahim di Sembrong, Johor di antara lain membayangkan perkembangan yang berbahaya dalam masyarakat kita.

Kami amat khuatir dengan perkembangan ini dan kami percaya ini adalah keganasan terancang berlatar belakangkan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 yang akan datang. Ia adalah petanda buruk suasana politik ugutan dan kekerasan untuk menyekat kebebasan pertukaran ide, wacana dan kepelbagaian pilihan politik.

Kegagalan pihak berkuasa untuk bertindak dengan pantas dan tegas akan menggalakkan pelakunya untuk meningkatkan gangsterisme, menjadikannya lebih kerap dan berleluasa hingga boleh menjadikannya tidak terkawal. Ini boleh memudaratkan asas amalan demokrasi seperti yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan Rukun Negara. Kerosakan pada mata masyarakat dunia tidak terhitung.

By Goh Keat Peng

First published in onGOHing (parts 1 and 2)

I. SAVE THE PEOPLE’S MONEY CAMPAIGN

When I get to the polling booth this coming general elections, the question among others that I will ask myself will be: Which of the two contesting political party coalitions will be more likely to move against those who have allegedly committed crime against the country by misusing the people’s financial resources?

This issue concerns me because, despite the fact that I myself may no longer be poor, it is unconscionable that so many Malaysian families are today still deprived of so much essential goods and services in their daily lives while some in positions of power or have connections with those in positions of power seem to be able to live it up either by paying themselves exorbitant salaries, packages and bonuses or awarded contracts which are worth a lot.

Bona fide business must of course be given space to start and grow to create jobs and enhance taxes to increase the nation’s wealth which in turn can generate work opportunities and more essential goods and services for all our people. But there must be opportunities for qualified Malaysians to bid for government contracts through openly conducted tender.

Issues of good governance are of great consequence because no country is so wealthy that it can allow an unmitigated drain on the people’s resources and yet not have adverse effects on national development and impact on its people. If we have “Save Water” and “Save Electricity”campaigns which we as the people must take very seriously, can we as a nation afford not to have a“Save the People’s Money” campaign?