Civil Disobedience

I don't really how to hit this.

I am very concerned of how things will be shaping up with the actual fact from MalaysiaKini. Quote:

PM: Yes, we ARE an Islamic state
Yoges Palaniappan
Aug 27, 07 7:35pm

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has today for the first time said that Malaysia was an Islamic state and not a secular state.

Abdullah, in a parliamentary written reply, said that Malaysia was an Islamic state ruled by Islamic principles, and at the same time, was also a country that believed in Federal Constitution.

"Malaysia is an Islamic state, ruled based on Islam Hadhari which I have introduced," he stressed.

This is a clear departure from his stand made earlier this month that Malaysia was neither 'a secular nor a theocratic state' without saying the country was an Islamic state.

This was indeed contradicting what was written in Bernama. Malaysia is ruled by a big group who utilizes the mob-rule mentality to make the others follow according to their ideals. In the recent case where Wee Ming Chee produced the 5 1/2 minute track of Negaraku, they started bashing at Wee and demanded for punishment for insult. From what the statement by MalaysiaKini says - indeed the truth one - , this implies that the polarization is getting bigger each day and again, I stress that the minorities are the ones suffering, in terms of rights, freedom and religion being trampled by the majority Muslim enclave.

If that is the case, there would be need to call upon Thoreau's concept of Civil Disobedience.

According to Wikipedia, Civil Disobedience, being used by key figures like Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi means the active refusal to obey certain commands, laws and demands made by the majority or the government - with non-violence and used only if they are in a position of being threatened by any means.

The rule above absolutely forbids killing a person. Satyagraha is a philosophy and practice of non-violent resistance developed by Mohandas K. Gandhi. Gandhi deployed satyagraha in campaigns for Indian independence and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa. Satyagraha theory also influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. during the campaigns he led during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

Many who practice Civil Disobedience do so out of religious faith, and clergy often participate in or lead actions of Civil Disobedience. A notable example is Philip Berrigan, a Roman Catholic priest, who was arrested dozens of times in acts of Civil Disobedience in antiwar protests. Also, groups like Soulforce, who favour non-discrimination and equal rights for gays and lesbians, have engaged in acts of Civil Disobedience to change church positions and public policy.

Civil Disobedience inflicted on the basis of religion is often controversial. For example, disobeying Catholic policy in Northern Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day may be viewed by Irish Catholics as defamatory. Also, disobeying religions persecuted during the Holocaust has been equated with neo-Nazism.

Civil Disobedience only plays a part of what has to be done if cases are worst. If we trace back the causes of potential polarization, it is mainly because of in terms of maintaining the line that defines peace and religion, there has been hardly a mixture or mingling of people of many races. While at the same time, each religion champions their own - resulting in a battle of wills of seeing who is better of the lot.

Malaysia is now facing a Constitution crisis that is worst and the first time ever since the removal of rulers immunity in 1993. Maybe clinging to the help of the nine Rulers would be the last resort that every Malaysian who is suffering has to depend to.

According to this article:

The next general election is not due until 2009; but analysts say Abdullah wants an early election to pre-empt a challenge from former deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of the opposition Parti Keadilan (Justice Party). The charismatic Anwar, who has been convicted of corruption charges, is barred from holding public office until 14 April next year. Although Anwar’s party is unlikely to unseat Abdullah’s United Malays National Organisation (Umno), at the polls, analysts say he could take away enough Malay votes from Umno, the dominant party in the 13-member Barisan Nasional (national front) government, to humiliate Abdullah and force him into retirement.

Constitutional experts say the Malaysian parliament is Abdullah’s only recourse to neutralise the rulers. His government controls two-thirds of the votes in the House of Representatives that would allow him to amend the constitution to take away the last vestige of power that the rulers and the king now enjoy. But there are doubts as to whether Abdullah could muster enough support in parliament in his confrontation with the rulers, they say. Since winning an overwhelming mandate in the 2004 general election, Abdullah’s popularity has plunged to its lowest ebb as he has failed to deliver his promised reforms to weed out corruption, stop wasteful spending on mega projects, and overhaul the judiciary and the civil service.

Remember of Article 150 of the Constituition where the King has the right to refuse a recommendation / call of elections, if less than 5 years, and can force the hand of ministers if there is substantial proof of malpractices and things that could split national unity apart.

Continue quote:

Analysts say many Malaysians, particularly the non-Malays, are increasingly clamouring for the rulers to force Abdullah’s hand in reforming the judiciary that has fallen into disrepute over allegations that the Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Rahim has promoted lesser and errant judges to important judicial posts. The Chief Justice has denied these allegations and has demanded proof of his judges’ misdemeanours.

Whatever the outcome is, analysts say, the king and his fellow rulers have made their position clear: They are not Abdullah’s rubber-stamp. And they expect Abdullah to do their bidding in cleaning up the judiciary. In this, the Malay rulers have most of the 27 million Malaysians on their side, they say.

Now to the point: if we are put in a situation where we are forced to do things that we don't want or it is against your individuality / privacy, what are likely to do except to show total disobedience to directives? Remember Smith's line from Matrix Reloaded: "I was compelled to stay and to disobey..."