SEPT 17 — Glued to the radio, I listened as the prime minister took away some laws and announced plans for new ones. 

While it was heartening to note that the next time my friends and I are at the mamak running down the latest idiotic statement from a politician or debating a government policy, we wouldn’t be arrested for our opinions or because we were an “illegal assembly”, the cynic in me cannot help but wonder what future legislation awaits the common man.

I celebrate learning that the Internal Security Act (ISA) will be abolished. But I still worry about the new laws that are to be enacted to protect peace and harmony. And wasn’t buying submarines we couldn’t afford to protect peace and harmony, too? If the two new laws are only to be used in instances of terrorism, how do we first define “terrorism”? And who decides who’s a terrorist? 

I worry that we are swapping one evil law for two. We need to know the details of these new pieces of legislation. And will the authors of these laws be open to debate outside the two Houses of Parliament? If these laws are to protect our people, then our people, including civil society, needs to have a say in it.

Hishammuddin Hussein may have his job made easier in not having to defend the ISA anymore, but that is not to say that the home minister is not going to whip out another “waging war against the King” excuse for another ridiculous reason.

I need more convincing here. The government’s track record has been sordid. While these announcements on Thursday night may at first glance seem to be a step in the right direction, they are not.

The doctrine of the separation of powers is a beautiful pillar of democracy and, when practised in reality, will ensure that the rights and interests of the common person are looked after.

Unfortunately, teh tarik sessions and laws being amended so a judge can enjoy his pension does not give me enough faith in the system for the executive not to have a hand in deciding that a “terrorist” should be jailed for however long.

Similarly, the PM announced that media laws are to be amended. But while newspaper and broadcast organisations may not have to apply for yearly permits any longer, they are still under threat of their licences being revoked. 

The decision to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act sounds more of an administrative benefit rather than a freedom of the press insignia.

If under existing laws, Utusan Malaysia can get away with murder, I rest my case.

Political survival or not, I am not won over. We still have a deplorable state of human rights protection. I still sigh when I pay my food bill. I am constantly cheesed off with the education system. I hate the fact that I earn lesser than people overseas who do half my job and I’m irritated with myself that I love Malaysia too much to want to leave.

It is going to take a lot more than these whitewashed announcements to win my vote.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.