LETTER | Crossing the line, absolute power corrupts

LETTER | In Malaysian politics, everything is fair game. We, politicians, reluctantly understand and accept this as a rule of thumb.

Personal insults, racist and religious labels, tactical police reports, slanderous accusations, poison pen letters, and the abuse of social media are the norm in what has become a very toxic political environment.

But this is in the field of politics, where politicians and political parties attempt to build narratives to stay relevant and convince the electorate of whatever they stand for, or claim to stand for.

It is up to the electorate to decide who they vote for. That’s part of the game.

However, there are institutional pillars that must remain sanctimonious. That must stay beyond the interference of politics. And these are the pillars that safeguard our country - the rule of law, our education system, our health system, and the security of the nation.

Hospitals and schools do not ask if you are a Pakatan Harapan or Perikatan Nasional supporter before seeing to you. The police do not ask for your political affiliation before saving you from a bank robber. A judge does not ask who you voted for before passing the court’s judgement.

However this system will only work at an optimum if lines are not crossed. If politicians stay in their lane and do not impose their political whims and fancies onto these institutions.

Today, lines have been crossed.

For nothing more than political survival, the attorney general’s office has been put out to dry. Judges have been embarrassed and left exposed. A public prosecutor had to opt for early retirement in the middle of a high profile trial. The civil service and the rule of law have been made a complete mockery.

It will take many years for our institutional pillars to recover from this travesty. The black stain to the system will remain for generations.

This is not fair game. These institutions have no access to a proper defence or even a right of reply.

It has nothing but the sanctity of the Constitution and the rule of law to depend on.

Safeguard these institutions

I, just like all other Malaysians believe that these pillars should never be used or abused for the sake of politics. We can argue and fight all day long about political narratives, but not a finger must be laid on these pillars.

We must never allow politicians to make a mockery of these pillars. We must never allow for those who abuse the system to remain in their ivory towers.

The Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara must always be the benchmark that we all adhere to in safeguarding these institutions. Vote in politicians who respect the rule of law and respect the constitution.

Vote for politicians who remain committed to the rule of law when it is hardest to do so.

Let us not forget that a leader’s true character only gets displayed when he or she is given power.

The author is a former minister and menteri besar.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.