More on demolitions etc later today. For now -

General Assembly live telecasts: as many have pointed out, it’s ridiculous to say that live telecasts are the problem.

Umno has been doing its fair share of spin, but MCA - who seems to have been making a political career out of apologising for Umno - may be even more guilty. As Eng Kiat already pointed out, this leads the ludcriousness:

The annual general meetings of any race-based political party will be racially charged and should not be heard or seen by the general public, said MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

“All AGMs are racially charged, including the meetings of the MCA and MIC,” he said here yesterday.

As I commented, that’s like saying it’s ok to lie/cheat/steal/rape/murder, just make sure no one sees you doing it! :| Are the AGMs of PKR, PSM, etc racially charged? Don’t buy into this backwards fatalism.
On the Umno side:

Deputy Prime Minister DS Najib Razak said the live telecast was viewed as inappropriate as it gave a distorted picture of the ruling Umno proceedings during its key general assembly.

“The cabinet has come to the conclusion that there are more negative than positive implications from the live telecast of the opening proceedings of Umno,” Najib, who is also the deputy president of Umno, told reporters.

Distorted picture? Don’t bluff DS, the unedited telecast is the clearest picture one can possibly get! The ‘more negative than positive implications’ are not from the telecast wei, they are from the content of the proceedings!

Despite all the assurances the government and Umno have been scrambling to provide (including some less than persuasive explanations about the keris fiasco), I’m reminded by politikus, who watched the entire proceedings, that all the ‘controversial speeches’ met with thunderous applause, and no intervention from the party leadership there and then.

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I have found some of the responses in the media curious. One trend seems to be to hate the party but love the party president. I don’t see any logic in this, and refuse to accept the bullshit about not really being able to control the grassroot sentiments within Umno and the leadership actually being a lot more enlightened. Exert leadership and the Umno faithful sure follow; what we are seeing is a lack of interest to subdue racism complemented by weak attempts at damage control.

Echoing Zainon Ahmad, even Jacqueline Ann Surin, whose work is often pretty darn good and who garnered much fame over her ‘PM (actually not) for all Malaysians’ open-letter, all of a sudden seems exceedingly and surprisingly reassured by Pak Lah’s “Oh don’t worry, we’re all very tolerant actually” - as if that support for Pak Lah gives one the required license to bash Umno. It’s obviously better than spewing hate speech, but I’m ultimately baffled by her newfound confidence. Compare excerpts from the open-letter:

Why would you lend legitimacy to the argument that Malaysians should steer clear of discussing issues which affect us all as citizens, whether Muslim or non-Muslim?

By continuously telling Malaysians these issues are “sensitive” and “dangerous”, isn’t your administration really creating a self-fulfilling prophecy? Aren’t you in fact supporting the argument that these issues should not be discussed?
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And I’m constantly reminded that my views and concerns must give way to the privileges and rights of the dominant race, and a specific interpretation of the faith they profess.

But really what I want to ask you is this: Why do I have to constantly feel afraid in my own country? Why am I continuously told I have less rights to discuss important issues affecting my community?

You promised to be prime minister for all Malaysians. We hope you will remember that promise.

with Monday’s article:

Abdullah should be applauded by all Malaysians for taking a stand, setting the record straight and for reminding all Malaysians – Muslims and non-Muslims – about what Islam is about.

More importantly, Abdullah, has demonstrated, at least in word, that his leadership is committed to a peaceful Malaysia based on mutual respect and tolerance among the races.

Well, half credit for the ‘at least in word’.. but the article does seems just a tad bodeky.

Is it not frighteningly obvious that Pak Lah can’t give two hoots about matching word with deed? Cakap tak serupa bikin leh. IPCMC and the fight against corruption are only two among many examples.

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Enough on ethnocentric Barisan, what about ‘multiracial Barisan’? Much has been said about the potential PPP-Gerakan merger. Today, PPP President and Dep Min in the PM’s Dept Dtk M. Kayveas takes a swipe:

“I am quite disappointed with Keng Yaik’s views, he is being narrow-minded on the matter. Perhaps, he thinks I will try to wrest a party post after merging with Gerakan.

“I have explained to Tsu Koon that if both our parties merge, he will assume the presidency,”

What is probably being discussed by those like KTemoc and Tian Chua - from whom I originally gleamed this information - is that Dtk Kayveas is in danger of losing his (party’s sole) parliamentary seat in Taiping to Gerakan anyway. His propsed merger (a win for Malaysian multiracial politics! blablabla) is thus actually him fighting (struggling) for his political survival, ministership and all, from a position of political weakness.

After all, what big sacrifice is the presidency of a fledgling political party in return for retaining federal posts?

Tags: Malaysian Politics //