There once lived an old rich farmer who owned a large farm. He had a young son whom he bequeathed the major part of his entire estate with the balance going to some relatives. One day the old man passed away and the young man did not know how to manage the farm.
So he hired an experienced farmer to take care of the farming and the livestock. After some years, the farm prospered under the hired hand. And the young man trusted his farmer. After giving him a three year mandate to manage the farm, the young man left the country for 3 years to study abroad.
But in the 3rd year, due to some internal disputes, the hired farmer fired almost all his workers and took over the profits of the farm to be safeguarded for certain relatives who were left out of the old landlord's will.
When the young master came back, he was shocked about the fraud and betrayal. He filed a report against the hired man but to no avail as the district police said it was a private business matter. Some of the young owner's friends advised him, before going through the legal channels, to talk to and reason out with the hired man. This he tried but the hired man claimed he had the support of the majority of the relatives. What is he to do? Will the courts and justice system administer justice for him?
As a parable, therein lies the crux of the Selangor crisis:
The Menteri Besar is an elected representative (hired hand) elected by the ruling party coalition PR which won the state elections.
The young man and his relatives (heirs to the estate) are the citizens of Selangor who provide the tax revenues of the state.
Morally, ethically and politically speaking, the MB who has fired his ex-co and refused to leave his position has taken over the rights of administration of the state against the mandate given by the real stake holders (the residents of Selangor).
He may have the judiciary or any powerful party implicitly supporting him on 'technical grounds' but he has lost all moral, ethical, professional integrity because he has undermined/subverted the mandate entrusted to him.
Is he willing to trade these qualities for being the man who turned his back on his original stakeholders for personal reasons? There is still time for him and all players concerned to reconsider how to resolve this reverse takeover of the people's rights.
Is he willing to trade these qualities for being the man who turned his back on his original stakeholders for personal reasons? There is still time for him and all players concerned to reconsider how to resolve this reverse takeover of the people's rights.
Money and power will only last a generation and the power-seeking players will be truly vilified in the history books (and the eyes of God). But noble values acted upon with wisdom last forever. Malaysia's future as a young and vibrant multi-ethnic democracy stands in the balance.
3 comments:
And now that PAS is attempting to interfere in the management of Selangor by rejecting the removal of the MB, they are like the relatives who had a minority share in the estate and who seek to decide who gets to be the chief administrator of the farm.
But don't you forget that without 15 eleceted assemblymen and women from PAS then Selangor won't be in PR hand. Do consider that and channel your blame to other party who initiate this stupid 'Kajang Move' without consulting PAS beforehand.
Any political coalition is like a marriage of partners united in one vision. Mistakes of communciation will be learnt and should not undermine a coalition that offers hope to Malaysians, whether those citizens are 52% or 45% or even 10% of the voters, regardlress of race.
The purpose of this parable is not to apportion blame or be partisan to any political party.
It is to show that the electorate's democratic rights are enshrined in the constitution.
We want to see an end of the monopoly of power entrenched in a government system that is half corrupt, half capitalist and without due process in the judiciary. We want a government that is not half past six because nations today cannot survive the onslaught of evil regimes that are arising to destabilise and destroy nations.
Look at Iraq, Ukraine, Libya, Syria and other places. The two airplane tragedies in 2014 are warning signs to nations that are half sleepy, complacent and self-absorbed in their own tribalistic mentalities.
Post a Comment