Why can’t we protest? 30 June 2008

I noticed that a lot of people are very unhappy with the government these days.

Be it corruption, be it indecision, be it insensitiveness, be it because of the fuel hike or because of Anwar Ibrahim.

There’s a multitude of reasons why people are sick and tired of this present administration.

But what do we do to show our displeasure?

Well of course, we can vote against the party in power. But the elections have just recently been concluded. Some of us voted against this government, yet we still have to live with it. Such is democracy.

Does that mean that in these 4-5 years time, all we do is wait for the next elections? If so, we might as well live under a monarchical system in the past: take it all in until the present ruler whom we despise dies or the country is taken over by enemies.

But we live in a democracy. And democracy guarantees certain rights to the citizens.

Article 10 of our Federal Constitution states that every citizen has the right to freedom to assemble peaceably and without arms.

Yes, regardless of what the authorities say, we have the right to peaceful assembly. Most of the time, we’re told that demonstrations and protests jeopardizes public security. We’re also told that such demonstrations are ‘not our culture’. This is especially true when the demonstrations are anti-government.

Of course, whenever it’s someone from the ruling party, it’s quite alright to demonstrate. They are supposedly a peaceful lot, and would never create any trouble.

But back to our enshrined rights. So we do have a right to demonstrate peacefully, don’t we?

Because it gives our country a bad image? Well unless we start burning effigies and start rioting, a peaceful assembly is normal and would not be frowned upon by the international community. They have protests all the time in the West.

So what’s the problem? Why can’t we protest?

Do we sit quietly, resigned to our fate as nobodies in our own nation?

Or do we exercise our constitutional rights?