Let Us Hear It! We have the Right to Know

You tell the people the stories the best you know. If there is something you don't know, you be up front and make that clear. You always give the aggrieved party the chance to respond before you publish or go to air. That's just my kind of old-fashioned news values.

Wolf Blitzer

Never before in the long and colourful history of Alliance party and its successor, National Front, its constituent members hurling criticism among each other be it on personal basis or collectively as an entity in the open before the whole to see and listen. It is different when it comes to the 'infant' People's Pact or previously Alternative Front where it is common occurrences. Some, particularly the ruling coalition or its supporters, are of the view that such is sign or them breaking up, sign of their internal squabble or sign of their superficial solidarity whatever one calls it. Perhaps it is true and there is a conflict among them. But, don't we suffer from conflicts ourselves? The answer is a resounding YES!

However, may counter by saying since they are bind together in an entity it is better and in fact it is incumbent upon everyone to settle and solve their conflicts internally rather than exposing or have it for everyone to see and listen. Such will only cause anxiety among others within the organisation and will be a delicious issue for the other side to cause further damage to them. Again, I have to concede as I too believe that such matter can be solved internally without others interfering.

Nonetheless, trying to solve it internally will not necessarily solve the conflict and the more you try to hide and suppress dissatisfaction within , the bigger and more complex they will become. Suddenly, those conflicts blow up in the open and at that time nothing effective can be done other than picking up the pieces. It is merely a cleaning up exercise but the problems are still there. Look at the issue of Malay supremacy, the issue is actually a non issue and the conflict is only about the term but not the practise. The more they try to suppress the issue from coming the more rebellious some have become and suddenly it has turned into a racial issue.

Having their conflict in the open is certainly not a sign of them breaking up rather it is a sign that they are maturing and can have an open debate before others. They have reached a level where they can be different and is not ashamed of the fact instead the ruling coalition has to endure a cancerous dissension for as long as 50 years. They never have the experience of having to bear it all in the open and once they bring it to the fore, troubles start to brew and they start to call for another's head just like what happened between UMNO and Gerakan. In fact, for them an internal matter stays internal and those who bring it out are risking disciplinary action under the auspicious collectivism.

Keeping a conflict within for a long time will only deteriorate the matter until a time it is no longer containable. Gradually, it seeps out for everyone to see. By keeping conflicts to themselves has another disadvantage, the people whose problem is the origin of the conflict will feel that they are not being look after in a manner satisfactory to them. They feel that their leaders are not doing anything to solve the matter just like what happen to our Indian friends when matters surrounding them are being kept internally by design. As a result, they feel that they have not been properly represented by MIC. They have the view that their leaders within the coalition are not doing enough and just 'kowtowing' others.

Bringing a conflict to the open will enable the People to share and aware that their problem is being considered and things are shaping to solve that conflict. They will see that their leaders, people who are representing them are really doing their job. A conflict in the open will usually bring about resolution compared to when it remains hidden from the public. It continues to drag on and on but no clear or concrete sign of solution to end the problem. People today would rather see a problem being discussed in the open and by it bring a finality to the problem rather them continue to hide it why trying to solve it among themselves hidden within four walls. Today, people prefer to see action oriented leaders who dare to bring the people's problems into the open.

Today, ministers in the ruling coalition are no longer strictly following the rule of collectivism which is detrimental as what happened after the March 8 election. Leaders like Muhyiddin Yassin, SK Devamany and T Murugiah are following the trend set by the advanced PR leaders like TG Hadi Awang, LKS, LGE and now KS. For the People's Pact, it is no longer a novel working ethics but it has become part and parcel of their working style - to tell the people that they are doing things necessary to bring forward their predicaments.

However, bringing certain issues to the open is nothing free from causing anxiety among members or supporters and perhaps the worst is when the other side with the help of mainstream media which are under their control will then paint negative images and hearsay that the People's Pact are now breaking up just like what they do when KS is calling for DSAI's head.

Such, of course will have little impact as People nowadays are no longer paying much attention to their divide and conquer tactics. The only purpose of them listening and reading their news coverage is just to update themselves of what has or is happening on the other camp. To believe and then act according to the dictates of the main stream media is highly unlikely. They have been doing their dirty tactics for so long but gradually the ruling coalition are losing control and today if not because of the Black 5 (February 5,2009) People's Pact are controlling 5 states.

If KS is being enticed to join the ruling coalition due to his differences with DSAI, perhaps his only response is - OVER MY DEAD BODY and EVEN IF I DIE I RATHER BE BURIED INCOGNITO THAN MARKING MY GRAVE WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HEADSTONE ENGRAVED WITH THE SYMBOL OF THE RULING COALITION!

I, for once will never be easily duped by those news reports as it is their intention to divide and finally coerce the People to believe and lend their support to the ruling coalition. For those out there, read and listen to what they are reporting merely as venues for us to release stress and have a good laugh.

Main stream media is a rumour monger machine which can never be trusted