It is amusing how Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday said that he had granted freedom to Malaysians. In the Malay daily Utusan Mingguan today:
“Saya bagi banyak kebebasan dan semua orang boleh bersuara, macam-macam boleh cakap tetapi pandai-pandailah uruskan kebebasan, kalau tidak dihargai semuanya (kebebasan) akan hilang” [Amaran PM — Keamanan boleh tergugat jika kebebasan bersuara disalah guna. Utusan Mingguan. August 4 2007]
That could be roughly translated into:
“I’ve granted freedom and all may speak freely but do practice freedom responsibly or else, it will disappear”
The Prime Minister forgets that he derives his mandate from the people; we, the people do not derive our rights from the PM.
One reply on “[1321] Of your mandate is derived from the people, sir”
What else is there to say? This mentality is breed out from the ‘autocratic strongman’ type of politics.