OUR elected representatives have started their main duties at Parliament.

Since this will be the last sitting before the 14th general election, we expect them to voice our pressing concerns, which may also be issues that will be played up during election campaigns.

We do not want them to treat issues like tissues, without a ‘T’ – to be discarded anyway.

Of late, there are numerous issues that need attention. I will not touch issues on economics as this would require discussion on its own. We do not have to guess on the proposed law to curb fake news because of the speed with which it went through to be in a final draft stage.

The British and the French mulled over it around the same time as us. Even the Yang di-Pertuan Agong touched on it in his royal address.

Fake news are fictitious messages and it exploits the functional logic of social networks. Some hot topics can be fabricated and sensationalised to accomplish a purpose with evil intentions: the abuse of power, racial conflict, war, etc.

If the news is not clear whether it is fake or correct, people lose their confidence in the state. This mistrust is a poison that destroys every society and fake news is the poison that is injected in small doses.

A recent example are articles written on one of Malaysia’s most decorated sons and also one of  the richest man.

At first glance, I knew the articles were mostly fake and are mere conspiracy theories, but surprisingly ministers jumped on the bandwagon saying his business boomed due to government help.

They say he is ungrateful, forgetting his roots and most dastardly, they have engaged in name-calling.

It demonstrates their cognitive bias in propaganda. I truly wonder how they can make such statements without questioning the veracity of the articles.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has since instructed the writer to remove the articles citing violation of Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

This section criminalises the use of network facilities or network services to transmit any communication that is deemed to be offensive and could cause annoyance to another person.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a fine or imprisonment, or both. However, there is no mention of any charges or investigations.

I do wonder how the ministers who jumped on the bandwagon would consider and act on the proposed law on fake news when it is open for discussions in the cabinet.

The next topic has some connection with the articles written above in the area of political funding. This topic has been discussed for nearly three decades but regrettably, no solution has been found.

It compares unfavourably with the speed that the proposed law on fake news was drafted.

Two articles, Financing politics and the 14th general election’ by Prof Edmund Terence Gomez and another, Who funds the general election by Chandra Muzaffar gave good accounts on facts, conditions and events on why we are not seeing any light at the end of the tunnel.

Another topic to be discussed is the widespread corruption in the country.

We have dropped seven places to the 62nd position in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2017. We should not rest easy knowing that the threat of corruption has not abated.

Hardly two weeks after the drop in CPI was announced, we are fed with two other sensational cases.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is now investigating a government-linked company (GLC) suspected of being involved in corruption and power abuse involving more than RM100 million.

MACC has also begun an investigation into a police CID director over some deposits into his Australian bank account. Hopefully, details will be sought from the Australian authorities.

For the CID director’s case, it really does not help when a cabinet member said Australia is trying to embarrass our beloved country and also MACC has to wait for a report to be lodged to start investigations.

Even the latest statement from the inspector-general of police saying the CID director fully intends to regain his money, contradicts with what the latter said earlier about not fighting to have the money returned because of high legal costs.

Further, saying the director – a senior officer, being ‘naive’ about Australian laws reflects very badly on our police force.

The next topic to be discussed should be on security. As everybody is gearing up for the ‘mother of all elections’, the police had conducted drill exercises and have tested police teams’ responses to social unrest since November 2017.

Such drills including ‘evacuating the prime minister during post-election’ were never carried out in the past. To show seriousness, the Selangor police had just completed its second drill and are carrying out a post mortem before deciding on a third.

I for one would not want to believe there will be social unrests because many Malaysians want to forget May 13, but sadly there are still people trying their best to remind us and relive the moment of tragedy.

To allay fears on security or social unrest, I would suggest the august house to invite the inspector-general of police to give a briefing ‘in camera’ in Parliament on the security situation and state the police’s allegiance to the winning group, whomever it may be. I have complete trust in the abilities of our police force.

Bearing in mind, in Malaysian political and constitutional terminology, a caretaker government starts when Parliament is dissolved and for a period after the election until the next cabinet is appointed.

A caretaker government is expected to conduct itself in accordance to a series of well-defined conventions, although there is no law compelling the caretaker government to do so.

“O you who believe, stand up as a witness for Allah in all fairness, and do not let the hatred of people deviate you from justice (‘adl). Be just, this is closest to piety (Quran, Al-Maidah, 5:8).”

Borrowing the words of another minister, ‘Do it for the people, not political gain’ and never bite the hand which fed you i.e. we the Rakyat.

What say you? – March 9, 2018.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.