Our Choice

“Freedom is a rare and delicate plant. Our minds tell us, and history confirms, that the great threat to freedom is the concentration of power. Government is necessary to preserve our freedom, it is an instrument through which we can exercise our freedom; yet by concentrating power in political hands, it is also a threat to freedom. Even though the men who wield this power initially be of-good will and even though they be not corrupted by the power they exercise, the power will both attract and form men of a different stamp.”

- Milton Friedman, 1962

You do not have to be a liberal to appreciate this passage; any Malaysian who cares enough to be marginally aware of the current situation of the country would find it difficult to disagree. It is not about philosophy or ideology. It is about reality. It is agreeable not because we are captivated by the convincing reasoning of Milton Friedman, but because we are informed by very own experience on what is happening now.

And this is what I am trying earnestly to convey about the state of our country. Most were enthralled by the apparent conviction of the current Prime Minister to fight corruption in 2004, and for the right reasons. Ironically, we reacted by giving him near absolute power. If corruption is what we fear, giving the ruling party absolute power is about the last thing that we should do.

And herein lies my sorrow too; that Malaysians will make the same mistake again of allowing such concentration of power to persist due to apathy, fear and indolence; and due to the tyranny of status quo and fallacy of reasoning.

Most of us would be lying if we say that we do not want a change for the better, but change would not happen if we insist on granting the current government absolute power. Political competition is absolutely vital, for the country and for the future.

Elanor