I refer to a recent news report on Free Malaysia Today (March 7, 2012) quoting YB James Masing saying that the rakyat are not the “boss” (loosely meant master) but the elected representatives. This article explains why YB Masing is WRONG. YB Masing must understand that Malaysia practices parliamentary democracy. It means that the rakyat elect their leaders to represent them in parliament. As opposed to direct democracy, representative democracy gives the opportunity to the rakyat to voice their problems in parliament through their representative or wakil rakyat. YB Masing’s claim that the rakyat are the boss before and not after the election is also seriously flawed and shows his lack of understanding of how our political system works. The rakyat are the boss before and even after the election. YB Masing is an elected representative chosen by the rakyat who are his boss. Just because he is a YB (read YANG BERKHIDMAT) and holds a ministerial position in the state cabinet does not mean that the rakyat are subservient to him. Respect to the YB and being subservient to him are too different matters. Respect is earned and no rakyat should be subservient to their YB as they are not slaves. If YB Masing wants the rakyat to respect him, he must first respect the rakyat who are his boss.
YB Masing must realise that his fate as a YB rests in the hand of the rakyat. He is no boss to anyone except to the rakyat who elected him. Another reason why the rakyat are the boss is because YB Masing is accountable to them. He is answerable to the rakyat whose votes give YB Masing the power to safeguard the interest of the rakyat. Without the rakyat, YB Masing is powerless. The rakyat’s interests should come first and not YB Masing’s. He should serve the rakyat, fulfill their needs, understand and solve their problems. Therefore, the rakyat are the boss and not YB Masing.
The problem with YB Masing including some YBs from both sides of the political divide is that, they are still caught in the feudal mentality of the past. Leaders with such a mentality are an impediment to the “People First, Performance Now” slogan championed by Prime Minister Najib Razak. The transformation agenda that the government is now promoting is doomed to fail if the rakyat are treated as slaves and not as equal partners in transforming the country. The rakyat must not be afraid of their YBs. Yes, they must respect them but they must not be subservient. The rakyat must realise that their YBs are their servants as the main role of the YBs is to serve the interest of the rakyat. It is time for the rakyat to rise and to show who the REAL BOSS are.
