Malaysiakini Your Say | Jul 19, 11

‘Chandra, where’s the larger picture with the detention of Dr Michael D Jeyakumar under the Emergency Ordinance?’

July 9: Look at the bigger picture, says Chandra

Loyal Malaysian: Yes, Chandra Muzaffar, the rakyat is looking at the bigger picture. It is Umnoputras like yourself who have chosen to look at it through blinkered dark glasses.

A Samad Said, the conscience of our nation, has openly accused Umno of playing the racial card, and any impartial observer will conclude the same, guilty as charged. Where’s the larger picture in the detention of Dr Michael D Jeyakumar and the other PSM 6 under the Emergency Ordinance, Chandra?

Josephine: To thwart the efforts of Bersih 2.0, the BN government and its cohorts have spun a long list of red herrings, aimed at deflecting people’s objective appraisal of the eight demands for electoral reforms.

One main line of attack was in the form of support by Pakatan Rakyat. BN spun it in such way that made Bersih look like it was ‘hijacked’ by Pakatan. It is untrue that Pakatan is calling the shots at Bersih, which is a coalition of 62 non-political NGOs.

But even if it is true, does it make it wrong for the rakyat to ask for the Election Commission (EC) to mend its ways? After all, wasn’t BN also asked to join Bersih’s efforts, which for reasons best known to PM Najib Razak that BN had declined?

I also hear that S Ambiga was said to have a hidden agenda. I was also told that Ambiga is lobbying to get a judge position. But haven’t Malaysians known by now that the shortest route to get anything good is by being a friend of BN?

G Annamalai: I used to love to listen to Chandra’s talk during my varsity days. It was vibrant, energetic and was sort of an inspiration. Now it’s the opposite.

By the way Dr Chandra, what have you got to say about Dr Jeyakumar’s detention under ISA? Bother to comment?

Abil: What is there to look at a bigger picture, when the government could come up with false charges of communism against social activist Dr Jeyakumar and the other five PSM members and put them under EO?

Chandra, you would have fought for him when you were in Aliran, but now having sold your soul to the highest bidder, you need to look inside you first before asking the rakyat to look at a bigger picture.

Pants On Wire: Dr Chandra used to earn my respect from his Aliran days. Now I see a man, sickly embedded with the establishment and no better than some of the Umno apple-polisher politicians.
Perhaps the comfort of working with the pro-government NGO at the expense of your much touted values far out weight the latter.

Anti-Fascist: Dr Chandra, I used to read a lot of your papers and writings and they were good especially the years when you were the Aliran president.

But in recent years, I must say I am very disappointed with your analysis of issues and the stand that you arrive at. There is a vast difference between the Chandra then and the Chandra now.

Frankly, I don’t pay much attention to your writings now because you have changed; you have, to use your own words, become more partisan to the extend your analysis becomes faulty and you compromise your integrity on things that matters. I sincerely hope you would return to the Chandra that we used to know.

Anonymous_4031: I agree with most of the points raised by Dr Chandra. But the demands of Bersih are old issues which opposition leaders have been raising long before Bersih 1.0 and Bersih 2.0 were born. I, for one, have witnessed all the 12 general elections.

What is wrong for the opposition parties to join the Bersih march? Even Marina Mahathir and her daughter joined the rally.

Obviously, you see the opposition parties taking advantage of the cause of Bersih, and why not? Bersih’s demands are the opposition parties’ demands.

Yes, all people should look at the bigger picture. Fair play in sports, and in politics, is what all are crying for.

Ruben: Chandra Muzaffar, I had a lot of respect for you when you were a professor in USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia). I admired the political forums that you facilitated. But all of that has vanished and actually I feel sorry for you.

Anonymous_4031: The abolition of indelible ink (which cost RM2.4 million of taxpayers’ money) just days before the 2008 polls was telling. The EC chairman, flanked by IGP and AG, announced with a straight face that somebody might try to sabotage the election with the indelible ink.

Later, the home minister told the whole truth: the sabotage was a lie. So, who was trying to fool who? Was there a hidden motive to abolish the indelible ink?

Anonymous_3e8f: The Bersih rally was not the type of demonstrations that the Umno goons are famous for (KLSAH hall, American embassy, PKR headquarters).

The parties that created havoc are the PDRM under orders of the ‘cow-head’ minister. Bersih 2.0 marchers were of all ages and from all walks of life. There was not a single case of violence or vandalism on their part despite the barbaric behaviour of the PDRM.

Avatar1: Dear Chandra, today you are talking of the bigger picture, but do you know that you were defeated in 1999 general election against Tan Chai Ho due to electoral fraud?

You were leading during the vote count and suddenly a large amount of so-called postal votes brought you down. I am sure you will remember that moment for we were there to support you in your bid for the Bandar Tun Razak seat.

What Bersih wants is a fair and clean elections and the eight demands are not something that cannot be fulfilled by a transparent and democratic government. You preach good governance, but you practice something else just to please the powers-to-be.