OUTLOOK — By Mohammed Al Rahbi — I met one of the sitting members of Majlis Ash’shura and on the second day I called an ex-member who returned back to normal life with his family after a two-term membership lasting for 8 years. The new member was a bit anxious and pessimistic about the hard challenges and obstacles that are aimed at weakening the Majlis.
However, the ex-member is having peace of mind because he is now away from troubles and his mobile hardly rings as if it is being kept on silent mode. Nobody bothers him with personal requests that might trouble him either as a normal person or being a member in Majlis Ash’shura who is able to bring miracles to the people of his wilayat.
People believe that as long as the member of the Majlis is available, all roads should be paved, there should be no problems and no applications should be stopped. With only a word from this member to any official or a minister shall make everything possible, no matter how hard things are!
The new member in the Majlis watches a detailed TV report on several personal requests from members of the Majlis such as the members’ request to be called shaikhs and maintain their immunity even after the end of their membership term. In such reports, he notices that the public starting a campaign to stop all these personal requests of the members.
This member considers the public rejection as an attempt to affect the image of the Majlis by focusing only on discussing the demands and needs of the members and leaving aside the issues and concerns of the public. Such discussions also reflect that the members are trying their best to get as many advantages and powers as they can instead of working for the betterment of the country.
However, the member was amazed to see all this happen because of a personal request from only one of the members and it was discussed during the meeting and it became a big issue.
On the other hand, when a question is directed to a minister, it takes weeks and months to be answered because that particular data is not available with the minister at that moment. However, in the era of technology, all information should be saved in the computer and with a pressing of button; he can get all the data of his ministry.
This member in Majlis Ash’shura said that the Ministry of Housing represents a valuable treasure if there is a real transparency that allows us to know how much the previous government officials own of the wide land plots. We will also realise in what way they got all those huge lands and what is left from the sands of Bausher to be preserved?! How about what has been already taken? We need to know what happened in the sands of Bausher and other parts of the country.
I asked him if he wants to disclose all this in a press interview and he welcomed the idea and suggested that there should be transparency and courage to discuss this and present it. What happened by the beginning of the last year, should be well-understood to build a bright future considering the citizens at the first place instead of accumulating the wealth in the hands of only a certain group of people. Those kinds of wealth are not made by those hands, but they found the doors open and they took the advantage.
Away from the comparison between the sitting and ex-member in the Majlis, I got a call from an ex-minister due to our friendship which started just some years after leaving the ministry.
He was very pleased and thankful to Allah after all what he heard about those lands and millions which have been taken by some decision-makers. However, he left the ministry with many loans that mark a burden on him now. In fact, I wouldn’t believe what he said if it was not my faith and trust on him!
