Unfortunately for us Malaysians, the democracy that we imported from the British following their departure is missing its blueprint. We were taught that democracy involves electing a government, and this government will have the power to run the country the way they see fit. With this limited understanding of the philosophy of democratic rule, we have conducted 12 General Elections and elected numerous Prime Ministers, Members of Parliaments and Members of State Legislative Councils.
I suggest it is time to remind ourselves: What is a democratic government?
A government is formed where the people in an area (Malaysia) give up some of their rights and powers to a group of people (government) so that order can be achieved and in a democracy, the selection of this group of people is made through an election. For example, we give away our rights to punish people who do bad things to us to the cops and judges; we give away some of our money in the form of taxes so that public amenities can be built (roads etc.); we give away our petroleum and natural gas (rightfully owned by the people of Terengganu and Kelantan) so that the rest of the country can prosper. It is important that we understand that all the money and power that the government have are actually given by us so that they can function and serve us, their paymaster. We even pay our Prime Ministers, Ministers and MPs good salaries so that they can live decent lives. It is preposterous for a government to claim that they brought prosperity and development to their people, when it is the people themselves who worked hard to pay for the amenities that they enjoy.
So, the next time your government reminds you of its good deeds, remember that they’re not doing you any favour; they’re just doing their job!
