Pak Lah: Not so people-friendly anymore

Is the shine of Pak Lah's new administration already dulling? Elected officials are meant to have a hundred days grace period before the public and press begin criticisms. Well, I beginning now, sixty days into his term.

Amongst my complaints:

• A disregard for NGOs and, worse, commisions established by the Government
  The Prime Minister has denied that ISA detainees have been abused. How do I put this? Best let the man speak for himself:
  

  "There are no such abuses. There is no such thing"

  "I have never heard anything specific about such atrocities, unlike those which we have seen taking place at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq"

  "If they (the human rights organisations) have anything specific, they should have come to talk to us... They do not have to carry out random interviews because this makes it more difficult for us to take any action"

  
  And another thing. A lot of the recommendations made by the Police Commission have also been made by Suhakam two years previously. I mean, it's not as if these problems are new. But instead of taking stock of what the commission has learnt so far, we have representatives of Special Branch dropping by the commission and observing people. And did anybody from the Government step forward and back the commission? Nope.
  Pak Lah, if you're for the people, act like it.


• Letting the young turks run loose without protection
  In his keeness to wipe the slate clean, the prime minister has begun to replace the old guard with the new. Most of these are Oxbridge graduates, all under 35. The problem is the perception that they've risen too high, too quickly and many are just waiting for them to slip up. They're either labelled as incompetent or already corrupted. Perhaps that's true, but it's almost like they haven't had the chance to prove themselves yet. If they are to step up and make a difference (which will take time), they need both guidance and protection and not to be in the spotlight alone when muck-throwing begins. The seniors should stand beside them to take the good with the bad.