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Posted on December 11, 2007
By Tricia Yeoh
I am by no means a healthy eater, and adopt instead idiosyncratic
dietary habits. Salads, for instance, are chosen because they are a
healthy source of fiber and nutrition. Fresh vegetables consumed and
digested leave me feeling tremendously proud of myself. This, however,
sets the prelude for the subsequent unconscionable urge to eat a fair
amount of chocolate (insert any other fattening dessert here). An
oxymoron, if you wish. The healthy properties of one directly canceled
out by the other.
Much of what takes place in Malaysia strikes a resembling chord
here. It has often disturbed me that our policies effectively cross out
each other at a frail attempt at creating a better society.
Take, for example, the very well-intentioned set of programs and
activities conducted by the Department of National Unity all around the
country. Sports and games, forums and seminars, camps and educational
trips galore mushroom throughout Malaysia with the goal of bringing
different races together. Whilst it is true that greater exposure and
interaction form close bonds between people of different race groups,
these relationships are effectively negated when other overarching
policies of unequal wealth distribution come into play. Interpersonal
friendships can be well and thriving, but when opportunities to access
goods are not equal amongst them, that same friendship can turn sour.
Healthy unity activities and programs are just as redundant for
inter-ethnic relations as my salads if they are counteracted by
chocolaty-policies that govern otherwise.
More recently, the issue of human rights and the police force has
taken public prominence, with the numerous public rallies, street
demonstrations and memorandum-handing in recent weeks. This includes
the Bar Council Walk for Justice, BERSIH march, HINDRAF rally, and just
two days ago, the Festival of Rights, all of which involved some level
of police action, ranging from firing of tear gas, water cannon
spraying, and/or arrests.
Malaysia and human rights has always been an issue of contentious
debate amongst observers of Malaysian politics and public space. On one
hand, you have Malaysia sitting pretty amidst its other
worse-performing South East Asian nations on human rights violations.
Malaysia has its own Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) with fat annual
funding packages and an ample supply of staff. To top it off with great
salad dressing, Malaysia sits on the Human Rights Council
internationally. Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has even stated
strongly that the Palestine resistance is in opposition to oppressive
policies and practices of the "Occupying Power" on the basis of human
rights. Human rights is therefore a phrase not unknown to our
Government at large.
Further healthy salad enhancements as recorded in SUHAKAM's annual
report are its numerous human rights workshops for law enforcers,
focusing on the police amongst other groups. These were held with the
objective of raising rights awareness, enabling discussions on
violations and abuse of powers, and developing officers' abilities to
prepare orders in line with human rights principles. All well and good,
wonderful ingredients that contribute to (one would imagine) an equally
wonderful resulting human rights-conscious police force.
Multiple arrests have taken place over the span of the last few
days. When 31 members of the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) were
arrested in connection with their rally, they were denied bail (a
fundamental right of every citizen). Just yesterday, eight people were
arrested for turning up at a human rights walk in conjunction with
International Human Rights Day (10th December), as well as one more for
stopping the Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) from taking down
banners set up at a privately-owned car park. Many other arrests have
peppered our newspapers, and more are expected to take place. It is to
the utter disgrace of our police force that a simple gathering of
citizens concerned with human rights was disallowed.
The ultimate slap on the face of a Human Rights Council member:
performing acts violating human rights principles on the very eve of
International Human Rights Day. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
It's patching up holes with one hand, but digging the hole even
deeper with the other. To every action there is an equal and negative
reaction.
One cannot, of course, discount the political struggle at play in
this equation. Ultimately, as always, it is a game of position and
influence. As the election heat approaches, fundamental principles of
human rights all but lie quashed at the bottom of heavy handed feet,
most of whom are labeled politicians (note: not police). It was only
recently that the former Chief Justice Tun Salleh Abas reminded us of
the discreet constitutional changes made to allow the Executive greater
powers in the past two decades. This has severely affected, amongst
many others, the processes of police permit issuance, where the system
itself is now flawed. Denied permits are usually informed too late for
one to make consequent appeals at a higher level.
For every ringgit being spent on positive programmes and activities
by well-meaning Government departments, another two ringgit are used
up, that negate its benefits. It's eating salad followed by a
disproportionately greater amount of chocolates. Human rights training
and education mean little, especially for the groups that matter
(police force and other law enforcement agencies) if the root policies
and practices ultimately fail the citizens whom they are rightfully
serving.
Unless we address structural and systemic flaws, coupled with power
political play, such patterns will continue to take shape. So, lavish
on the chocolates as we mourn the sorry state of Human Rights Day 2007,
Malaysia.
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Tricia Yeoh | 
