This is a government that doesn’t care!

P Ramakrishnan, ALIRAN

In a very determined and desperate mood, the Barisan Nasional has bulldozed through a pliant parliament the much opposed amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959.

These were rushed through the night and passed well past midnight on the morning of 3 October 2013..

The BN did not care that there was no need for this unholy rush to pass these draconian laws during the night when MPs were tired and exhausted by the long day of debate.

It did not care that after more than seven hours of debate during the second reading, weary MPs would not be fresh in body and alert in mind to continue debating the amendments late into the night during the committee stage.

It did not care to postpone discussion to the next day so that the amendments could be debated in a more cordial atmosphere after a good night’s sleep.

It did not do any of this because this is a government that doesn’t care!

It is ironic that the BN which only received 47 per cent of the votes wields so much power that it could ignore and be dismissive of the 51 per cent of voters who oppose these amendments for very valid reasons.

It is unthinkable that 115 elected BN MPs could be so callous and arrogant as to be indifferent to the many voices of dissent that have spoken up against these amendments so forcefully and passionately. They have turned a deaf ear to the critics’ arguments and justification as to why these amendments should be jettisoned.

They just don’t care what you think and what you want.

Their conduct is an affront to the entire nation. Their indifference is indecent and shocking and smacks of dictatorship.

These amendments are so abhorrent, repulsive, outrageous and scandalous to our notion of the rule of law that it is inconceivable that a democratic government preaching good governance and sitting on the UN Human Rights Council could have come up with such atrocious amendments.

But then, they just don’t care.

This is a government that doesn’t care two hoots for parliamentary democracy or for the rule of law. It has clearly forfeited its right to continue to govern this nation. They have lost their moral legitimacy to remain in power.