Street protests our way of life?

Acting to stop street demos becoming our culture

Within just 2 months Malaysians witnessed 3 mammoth street demonstrations in Kula Lumpur. There is no doubt these rallies had caused tremendous hardships to the people. The extensive road blocks and influx of thousands of people caused massive traffic jams all over the city resulting in people getting stranded and businesses adversely affected. Above all they have caused a great deal of anxiety and even fear among peace loving citizens.

Now we are told that there may be more such public demonstrations in the coming months. Are street demonstrations going to become our culture? Our leaders say it is not our culture and rightly so it should not become one. The government must act to ensure such a culture does not evolve. It must get to the root cause of such demonstrations and act to discourage people from taking to the streets to seek attention.

Instead it is timely and wise to cultivate a culture of civilized dialogue and debate where everyone should be encouraged to openly and freely express their views without fear of reprisal. It can only be achieved by providing proper avenues for people to express their views including dissenting ones peacefully and not by forceful suppression.

Most Malaysians would agree that street demonstrations are not the way to vent their grouses. Apart from being waste of time, money and energy, they are definitely prone to risks of violence and riots. This in a multiracial and multi-religious country this is the last thing we would want.

Despite being declared illegal and subjected to so much risk why do people still resort to street demonstrations? The main reason is that people, especially the young, are not provided with adequate proper avenues to air their grouses. Even if they are allowed, their grouses are not heard by the relevant authorities.

Prime Minister,Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has responded positively by saying he hears the voice of all the people. His reassurances may go a long way to correct the general perception that the government is not receptive to the pleas of the rakyat. The voices of the people must not only be heard but also must be seen to be heard and acted upon.

In a global world ruled by sophisticated Information Technology, the people especially the younger generation are more aware of developments in the international arena. The demands for their voices to be heard and their rights protected will only continue to increase with time. The government is left with no choice but to make available proper avenues for the increasingly literate citizens to air their opinions and be more receptive to them, including dissenting ones.

Dr.Chris Anthony