Of Not Politicising Issues

Whenever someone links a current issue to the state of political affair, some kind souls would make their routine appearance and quote this line: "Hey don't politicise the issue"

Well, I don't understand.

I don't understand how it is not appropriate to link anything to politics, when politics is linked to everything.

I don't understand how it is not appropriate to talk about politics, when effecting a change in the political scene is able to improve the issue in hand.

Consider what happened in Lee Nian Ning's facebook memorial group:

A: One way of not having this happen again is to vote the current government out... It might be for a better... Vote for a responsible government!

B: A, let's not try to politicise this. I might not be a fan of our current government, and I do think that their policies has indirectly led to such an accident (see, e.g. price controls on bus operators, forcing the drivers to drive a lot more to get an acceptable salary, few people wanting to work as bus drivers, leaving bus companies not being able to hire more able drivers who would naturally demand a higher pay)

Let this remain as a memorial and a reminder to the others.

C: I'm with you B, lets keep this friendly and politics free. Accidents happen.

To begin with, I agree that a solemn memorial group may not be the best place to bring about a political discussion. I wouldn't want to talk about politics to Nian Ning's parents or her boyfriend when they are grieving. I would commiserate with them, and offer comfort if I am able to. I can imagine that they wouldn't feel too good coming to a memorial group only to be inundated by lots of finger pointing and fiery tirades.

Also, I do not fully agree with what A said - voting the current government out in a single election brings about more harm than good, as I have always maintained.

However, I disagree with some of the sentiments expressed by B and C, in that they vaguely imply "not politicising the issue" is the attitude we should hold in this tragedy. C says "accidents happen", as if the inefficient government has no role to play with this VERY AVOIDABLE accident. B seems not to understand the issue in hand - I am not sure whether that particular damn driver is suffering from sleep or salary problems, but the main issue here is a driver with 13 summons still driving at large with his SMS habits, culminating in the death of three young souls. THIS, is the very DIRECT consequence of the complacency and leniency of our public agencies.

Or in other words, satu lagi Projek kerajaan Barisan Nasional.

Now I am not saying that Dato Seri Chan Kong Choy or Abdullah should step down for this accident. Nor am I saying that if Lim Kit Siang or PAS President becomes the PM or transport minister tomorrow, the bus accident incidence will be reduced to zero immediately. However, I am saying that, this AVOIDABLE tragedy is the deadly manifest of our lembik enforcement authorities, which is in turn bred and spoilt by the current government. And for this reason, it is absolutely appropriate to link this accident to politics.

If I am voting for the opposition tomorrow, I will do it not because I want them to replace BN. In fact, they may very well be equal to BN, if not worse, for all their inexperience and disorganization. However, if I vote for the opposition, it is to steer the country to a better track. Curbing BN's domination should be seen as the first step in lifting this country out of the pit of pseudo-democracy.

We should mourn for the loss of the resplendent lives, and we should sign the petition for improving bus safety. However, let's think about it - bringing about a positive move to our politics is yet another thing we could, and should do to save lives like Nian Ning. And saying that "We should not politicise it" does not quite justify not linking this to politics.