IT WAS wrong of Pakatan Rakyat state leaders, especially those who were members of the state executive council, to erect a "Democracy Plaque" in a public area on March 8 without permission from the Ipoh City Council. As lawmakers, they should adhere to the principle of rule of law unless they see their actions as "weapons of the weak".The plaque was erected under a raintree where the Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen held an emergency sitting of the state assembly on March 3 when they were prevented from entering Bangunan Darul Ridzuan. They have also dubbed the tree as the "Democracy Tree".
The Ipoh City Council was right to remove the plaque on March 15. No one, especially politicians, must be allowed to put up permanent structures and messages in public areas without permission. Still, it should be added that many Ipoh ratepayers only wish that the council is as efficient in cleaning drains or removing illegally parked cars.
The constitutional crisis, or "a comedy of errors" according to some, together with the shenanigans of some politicians and their supporters, have given the council an opportunity to rise above party politics and make the city be associated with the struggles for democracy. When news broke that three Pakatan Rakyat state assemblymen had become independents, even Alfred Hitchcock could not have hatched such exciting twists and turns in the struggles to be the government of Perak.
Malaysians have learnt a lot about democracy and its fragility. More specifically, we have learnt much about the role and power of the sultan, mentri besar and speaker, not to mention those of the state secretary, state legal adviser, judges and the police in the struggles to be the government of a state. No civic lesson could be more spell-binding and attract so much attention.
Cities all over the world are spending hundreds of millions to grab attention. For instance, Kuala Lumpur built the Petronas Twin Towers. Dubai is building an even taller building, besides the Palm Islands and the Al Burj Hotel. Paris, already famous with the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa, is embarking on an attractive park to rival Central Park in New York.
Ipoh did have its heydays. From the 1950s until the 1970s, it was noted as the cleanest town in the country. Furthermore, according to the Royal Commission of Inquiry to Investigate into the Workings of Local Authorities in West Malaysia under the chairmanship of Senator Datuk Athi Nahappan, "Ipoh Municipality was singled out to us in different parts of the country as an excellent example of efficient administration." The council was led by the Seenivasagam brothers of the Peoples’ Progressive Party.
The Pakatan Rakyat leaders have promised to erect another plaque. This is silly. It will be vandalised, as it happened to the first one, although the broken pieces were auctioned off for RM42,000! More importantly, no local council can allow the law to be broken with impunity. Besides, if the Pakatan Rakyat leaders flout the law, it will be difficult for them to expect others to be good citizens when they take over the state government again.
The Ipoh City Council should erect a plaque or plaques to record for posterity the struggles for democracy in the city. The purpose is to record the facts and leave the observers to make up their minds on the rights and wrongs.
The Pakatan Rakyat leaders should support the project since they were responsible for making the raintree, which hitherto did not attract a second glance, famous. If they want to tell their side of the story, they should write books or comments in newspapers and blogs.
The Barisan Nasional state leaders should also support the project. They were appointed according to the interpretation of the law and were participants in the struggles for democracy. Surely, they should be proud of their roles and actions.
At present, Ipoh City Council might be seen as too partisan to put up a balanced commemorative structure. It should appoint a committee of elders that both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are comfortable with to oversee the project. The challenge is whether the council leaders have the wisdom to rise above party politics and seize the moment to make the city famous for democratic ideals. What is termed as a constitutional crisis today could be remembered as "Struggles for Democracy".
Dr Goh Ban Lee is a retired academic interested in urban governance, housing and urban planning. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com.
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