The Politics of Fear.

At some point in the last thirty years…definitely somewhere within the regime of Mahathir…the Government of Malaysia stumbled onto the effectiveness of using Fear as a means of controlling its own people.  From my own recollections it started with the May 13^th Riots in 1969. What became obvious to all of us was the use of the Police and the Army to quell the volatility of the situation in a very short time very effectively. The sight of the Police and the Army roaming the street of Kuala Lumpur sobered us all up and brought order out of chaos and calm out of a stressful situation. That the Police and Army then went on to terrorize the Chinese and Indians population was simply accepted by the government as collateral damage.

Fast-forward to 1997 when Mahathir decided he did not want Anwar looking over his shoulders any more. Here for the first time we saw that UMNO had the political will to use fear as a means of controlling not only its opponents but also its people. Who can forget the running battles fought between the Reformasi supporters and the Riot Squad! Brutal and effective in going about their job of stopping the demonstrators dead in their track. Mostly Malays against Malays! What a far cry from the May 13^th Riots! Then it was also overwhelming force against defenceless citizens – but this was excused as a way of teaching the other races a lesson  - now how do you explain the use of Malays against Malays?

As the Nation watched this use of force to instil fear and bodily harm onto the demonstrators the people began to understand that Malaysia had entered into another era. One where Fear was the weapon of choice by its own government to rule over its own people.

Since the racial riots of 1969 and then the reformasi days I personally started to look upon the Police – especially the Riot Squad as being the Tonton Macoutes of UMNO.

The name Tonton Macoute originated from Haitian Creole mythology. It was the name of a bogeyman who walked the streets after dark, and would kidnap children who stayed out too late. He stowed them away in his gunnysack, never to be seen again. Papa Doc Duvalier the cruel Dictator of Haiti employed the Tonton Macoutes in a reign of terror against any opponents, including those who proposed progressive social systems. Those who spoke out against Duvalier would disappear at night, or were sometimes attacked in broad daylight. They were never seen again. They were abducted and killed by the Tonton Macoutes. Anyone who challenged them risked assassination. Their unrestrained terrorism was accompanied by corruption & extortion. He granted them automatic amnesty for any crime they committed. He used them to maintain power Wilkipedia.

Now the politics of Fear is already entrenched into the minds of our people.

Looking at the blog that I write – people commenting on what I write routinely signed off as  ‘anonymous’ – and they do the same in other blogs – worried that the Special Branch will be able  to trace them for reading undesirable articles.

Yesterday Manjeet Singh Dillion house was fire bombed – for Manjeet’s involvement in  the PI Bala’s case.

Bloggers are routinely called in by PDRM to have ‘chat’s. RPK is constantly threatened to be incarcerated under the ISA,

Everybody looks over their shoulders before they say anything against UMNO – against the government.

UMNO uses MACC to harass the legitimate opposition.

UMNO used their brave, strong and loud Pemuda to threaten Karpal Singh who is in a wheelchair – outside Parliament!

Constantly Ministers threaten its own citizens.

“I will fill the jails to the brim with ISA detainees”.

“I send back letters not written in Bahasa”.

“Police Kill Five Indians in shootout”

“Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin  arrested”

THE caning sentence imposed on 32-year old part-time model Sari Kartika Dewi Shukarno will still be carried out despite the delay 

And the list goes on. Day by day as UMNO sees its grip loosening over its own people it increases the use of fear to maintain its control over its own people. PDRM and MACC is the chief proponent of this despicable means of exerting political dominance over the people of Malaysia.

Our Prime Minster is no longer loved by the people as his father was. How could we love

him when we think of his complicity in blowing up Altantuya with C4.

The IGP continues to be the leader in this – using cutting edge technology via the Special Branch and the Riot Squad to do his deeds in collaboration with MACC.

Woe betides those that goes against UMNO and find themselves at the mercy of the AG and the Judiciary. Tiada maaf bagi mu. The Judiciary is used not only to spread terror and fear but also in UMNO’s relentless quest for more power and in covering up the excesses of its corrupt leaders and cronies.

Power and Fear goes together in Malaysia. But the public is now past fear of UMNO or the Police. There is now contempt and a will to overcome these insidious forces. It will take time but like the last general elections change is a given outcome of it all– what needs to be worked on is the pace of change.

The Politics of fear will not dampen the enthusiasm of Pakatan Rakyat leaders. What more can UMNO do to them? Throw them inside under ISA – hell that will only make the people angrier.

Convict Anwar on sodomy charges again? Just think of this – if Anwar is convicted and jailed Malaysian and the world will know it is a sham. The Malaysian government will be severely compromised and its integrity questioned by all – and more unsettling for them  - the jailing of Anwar will only make him into a martyr and a hero to his supporters within the country and overseas! If he is free – then UMNO and Najib is left with eggs on their face and again left naked to the charge of using trumped up charges to go after their political opponents. Damm if they win. Damm if they don’t.

The Politics of fear will not threaten the people of this country anymore. While outwardly they will show fear when confronted by PDRM – inside them will continue to grow this dislike for all things UMNO and Barisan Nasional – and what they represent. The people will be silent and sullen – with everything bottled up in them. You tell them to bow – they will bow. The Police tell them to disperse. They will disperse. You pay them to attend gatherings to greet the Prime Minister..they will take the money and come. You put on Malaysian day parades they will attend….but in their hearts, as in the last general elections, they will wait for their time to act. So be afraid Najib. Be very afraid. The Politics of fear will eventually come back to haunt you – not us.