Monday 26 February 2007

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?


" I, of course. "

- Sir Samuel Vimes, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series


" 2002 - 33
2003 - 37
2005 - 39
2006 - 44 "

- Malaysia's Ranking, Corruption Perception Index

_____


Who Watches the Watchers?
(Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?)

Juvenal
Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?


The answers; how about a combination of:


1. Clear and real separation of powers; without concentration of absolute and ultimate power on any one group, be it the executive, legislative or judiciary;

2. Freedom and respect in the generation and dissemination of knowledge and information;

3. A population with strong social-cohesion?


How relevant are these attributes in Malaysia? Please discuss this rhetorical question.


Teehee.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm... Who watches the watchmen if not the watched?

All that you have written are true but item 3. relating to social cohesion is the hard part.

We seem to have politicians bent on keeping us divided on racial lines and reminding us what had happened May 13, 1969.

The solution is to leave all that baggage behind and move on as Malaysians but with people having disparate incomes and vision of what Malaysia is, it is quite hard to see us as one people.

We have started the journey and the answer/solution is with us, but at what cost would we bear solving this issue.

And how many share this vision or would rather the status quo because the chaos is easier to handle than the cohesion?

26 February 2007 at 20:22
Elanor said...

Just wondering how much of the lack of social cohesion is the product of political opportunists, and how much is from the actual conviction of the masses itself.

Both are interrelated and self-perpetuating of course. But if it is more of the former, and the majority of the people disagree with such social division, then it will only be a matter of time before the society gets more mature and those in power will be revealed to be powerless (yes yes, Vaclav Havel again...). Malik Imtiaz mused about this scenario nicely in one of his blog entries, and all that is needed is for us is to stand up together.

Unfortunately, it is my fear that reality is not so, and the political power is merely a derivation and reflection of the belief and conviction of a divided society.

27 February 2007 at 10:11
Anonymous said...

i personally am very much of the belief that social cohesion reflects politics and political manipulation, not the other way around.

look at the kids in the neighbourhoods, or society in rural areas. my impression is that racism runs much much weaker out there.

just like so many places in the world that has seen ethnic conflict, i believe ours is the result of incitement. what can you expect from racially based political parties? the logic is blatantly damning, imho.

have a little faith, and vote opposition! :P :)

27 February 2007 at 12:28
Elanor said...

definitely what i hope for too, but my fear lingers...

27 February 2007 at 16:03
Anonymous said...

Sunday Star dd. 4 March featured an article titled " Who Watches The Watchman? " see page F32

4 March 2007 at 17:18
Elanor said...

darn that wong chun wai. hahaha.

9 March 2007 at 14:18

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