I checked in to work today early, for reasons best left for someone else to provide. It was barely a day after the protests against Condi Rice’s visit and the newspapers were all screaming headlines about it. The front pages of the New Straits Times and the Star featured two distinct photos juxtaposed against each other: that of Khairy in the midst of a protest mob above a picture of a very distressed Mahathir. I suppose these papers, including the Star, have decided to toe the line, after recent statements made by big, scary parties [(1)].
And if the picture featuring Khairy wasn’t big enough, the Star has resorted to creative photo-shopping to include a nice yellow circle to highlight that true, bona fide hero. What else could Khairy be after the big protest [(2)]? The fact is, both PAS and UMNO Youth make strange bedfellows. But given their tendencies to fulminate against almost anything they find contentious, perhaps their common outrage was genuine. I wouldn’t know, but I suppose it’s only fair to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Or should I? I’m a bit torn. On the one hand, all this inter-party incest is all nice and chummy, and yet on the other hand, I’ve always wondered if UMNO Youth participated because PAS participated. Sort of like a competition, to see who was more interested in protecting Muslim interests, like. For example, if PAS condemns Israel, UMNO Youth condemns Israel and America; if PAS supports Hammas (sic), UMNO Youth supports, heck, I don’t know, Hizbollah? But I shouldn’t be saying this, should I? After all, there were non-Muslims protesting yesterday, too, I understand.
It doesn’t matter, really, because the newspapers are having their way, and are hell-bent on portraying Khairy as Malaysia’s hope for the future. He is, apparently, a bona fide jaguh kampung who, despite his injuries, strove against the line of riot police; who with his faithful followers, stood against the establishment’s allowing Ms Condi Rice to set foot in Malaysia; a real Hang Jebat willing to stick to his own ideals despite the wishes of his father-in-law’s government; and who finally broke through the line of FRU guards with his coterie of friends.
The above may have been a bit romanticised, but that’s how the papers are portraying it, in my opinion. It’s just sad how public displays of outrage tend to serve the interests of the ruling elite. But I’ve said enough about that, I think [(3)].
Comments (10)
This is just a show for the gullible umno members.
He should go to Lebanon immediatly and fight along with the Hezbollah to revenge the killing of innocents by the Zionist !
Instead he is behaving like a monkey in front of the Americans !
So shameful man !
hmm, political motivation i sense… interesting to see wat khairy will be up to in the coming months…
xpyred:
When commoners gathered by the hundreds near KLCC recently to protest the 30sen per litre petrol hike, for THREE consecutive Fridays! the newspapers like The Star (People’s Paper!) and NAST treated it as if their reporters were the 3 Monkeys — Eyes no see, Ears no hear and mouths no speak!
Ah, PAS and UMNO Youth desreve each other as Sleeping partners — maybe one day like that Low guy MCA “datuk m. Chong counterpart’ yes? –Xpyre, you’re like Desi, giving new meaning to the phrase “Strange bedfellows”!
“I’ve always wondered if UMNO Youth participated because PAS participated.”
You and your silly non-existent conspiracy theories. UMNO Youth was there because Pas Youth in a letter dated 24th June 2006 addressed to the Youth head invited UMNO Youth to join in the demonstrations against Israel’s terrorism. I even have the letter to prove it. Since people are so fond of disparaging this “common cause” alliance, I will post the letter.
Sheesh. Some people.
- MENJ
Awww….Xypre…see…Ultra paid you a visit. You should be so flattered. I would be, if I were you.
Conspiracy theories? They don’t need one! Do chameleons need conspiracy theories to change their coat colours? ;)
‘Ni betul2 wayang’
Fact 1: Umno had permit
Fact 2: KJ could have easily arranged for a cosy handover.
Fact 3: Has anyone ever heard of protestors *breaking through* a cordon so easily?
Where’s the tear gas man?
Or KJ forgot to add this to the script?
@CK: while I wouldn’t want to label all Israelis zionists, I do agree with you that in this instance, action is preferable to dramatic handing-over of statements… LOL :)
@chris: It’s something a number of us have been watching. I didn’t realize how much clout he was wielding (whether in reality or in the perception of others, like RPK) until I saw him standing behind Hishamuddin during the UMNO Assembly sometime last year. Since then, what I’ve seen of how he’s risen to power is, if you’ll forgive me, fascinating.
While it would be easy to dismiss his climb to power as aided by his father, still, to have achieved quite a bit requires some savvy maneuvering. Tun Dr Mahathir has, I think, realized the kind of threat KJ poses, finally.
@desi: what to do? Looks like PAS is forcing UMNO Youth to prove it is far from secular. And that’s worrying. PAS appropriating the UMNO agenda? It might be interesting to speculate in that direction…
@menj: my point still stands, invitation or not; UMNO Youth could have simply said no to the invitation. UMNO Youth said “yes”, and perhaps that should be the focus of your considerations?
@howsy: I think its inevitable; political parties, except parties purporting to support minority races, appear to have been undergoing a process of discarding secular credentials and benchmarks as standards of proof of their capabilities, and have adopted - or sought to adopt - religious ones. I wonder if we should be surprised if, 10 years down the road, UMNO looks no different than PAS today.
@shagadelica: heh heh.. that’s a good point; it all does seem staged, doesn’t it?
http://www.menj.org/wp-content/uploads/surat_kpd_pemuda_umno.doc
I think the contents of the letter should make it quite clear.
- MENJ
@menj: thanks for the link to the letter. I’ve gone through it, and I note that the letter takes great pains to say:
As you are no doubt aware, there are quite a number of ways to interpret the letter: in what the letter says, and what the letter means.
Literally, it’s no doubt heart-warming that two parties at loggerheads with each other are willing to lay down arms for a common cause (pun unintended). I think you may favour such an interpretation?
The letter, and the parties in question, however, don’t exist in a vacuum - I think you can at least agree with that; the discourse on Islam doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and neither do the machinations of our ex-PM and our current PM’s son-in-law.
I think you would agree that there exists, currently, a tussle between both PAS and UMNO over who represents the muslims - as opposed to the Malays - in this country? I think you’re sufficiently aware, since you have declared in the past, if I’m not mistaken, that you are a Muslim first and everything else second; that is to say, you recognize the differentiation, obviously.
If the above is the current state of affairs between both PAS and UMNO, would you not agree that the acceptance or refusal of PAS’s invitation becomes highly significant?
Could UMNO - or in this case, UMNO Youth - decline PAS’s invitation without inviting questions about its commitment to Muslim interests in Malaysia and in the Middle East?
Btw, don’t you think it’s politically significant that the invitation came from PAS rather than the other way ’round? I certainly think so.
well, it seems like aab ,not only got a lousy sil who can’t even get alone with is daughter,but we malaysian(esp. youth got a hyporite deputy youth leader).like many says he might be the product of OXFART,the real selling one.
for malaysian this KJ poses another headache and fear and worry.
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