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Author: Dr Te Whetu O Rongo

Te whetu Orongo

Elective dictatorship

Politics is more dangerous than war, for in war you are only killed once. – Winston Churchill, wartime British prime minister The theory of utilitarianism first conceptualised, established and politicised by Jeremy Bentham promotes a sovereign’s actions that maximise happiness and well-being for the affected individuals with benefits, obligations, duties, advantages, rights,

Constitutional hernia

If the machinery of government is of such nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then I say, break the law. – Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher and essayist Malaysians from all walks of life have started taking stock of the conditional movement control

Te whetu Orongo

Of MCO, mice and men

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. — Ernest Hemingway, American journalist and novelist The movement control order (MCO) triggered and necessitated by the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2020 [P.U. (A) 87/2020] seems to be effective

Te whetu Orongo

Jejune jurisprudence

Public policy is an unruly horse but it is up to an able and competent judge to ride that unruly horse and bring it down on the side of justice. – Lord Denning, English lawyer and judge A great judicial escapade occurs when judges believe that their job is to

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Constitutional conundrum

The strength of the constitution lies entirely in the determination of each citizen to defend it. Only if every single citizen feels duty bound to do his share in this defence are the constitutional rights secure. – ALBERT EINSTEIN, THEORETICAL PHYSICIST Einstein’s dictum is wholly relevant to right-thinking Malaysians, especially

Te whetu Orongo

Customary law

The epoch of Customary Law, and of its custody by a privileged order, is a very remarkable one. – SIR HENRY JAMES SUMNER MAINE, BRITISH JURIST AND HISTORIAN Customary law is the sharpest arrow in the quiver of “the law” since custom or usage is the best interpreterof laws –

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Law revisited

Every legal power must have legal limits, otherwise there is dictatorship. – Raja Azlan Shah, Lord President and ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong It is a blessing to be home — more often now — to spend quality time marshalling one’s thoughts about family and profession; to understand the prevailing germ

Te whetu Orongo

Why-rus attack

 Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears. – Rudyard Kipling, English journalist, poet and writer The war waged by an almost invisible microbe is baffling, belittling and embarrassing governments. Governments and their militaries are humbled, silent and impotent since there is no known

Te whetu Orongo

Sowing and navigating chaos

The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem. – PROFESSOR MILTON FREIDMAN, AMERICAN ECONOMIST  I have taken up darts. My dartboard is adorned with the pictures of the fathers — mothers unknown — of political philosophy and political science like Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), Hugo Grotius

Te whetu Orongo

Vaunting voters’ voices

The ballot is stronger than the bullet. – ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES Poor Abe lost his life instead of an election. The bullet sang its ballad while the ballot stood still, stunned and speechless. Fortunately, the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, through the reinstituted and reconstituted