In case you’ve not read the Bernama reports, you’ll have a good run-down of the situation off the Malaysian’s blog over here. The post features Bernama reports on comments by Lim Keng Yaik and Ong Ka Ting in reaction to the racist, bigoted and chauvinist speeches delivered during the UMNO General Assembly just past.
Ong Ka Ting, in particularly, had this to say:
He said Abdullah’s speech signalled a clear message to the country, especially towards racial unity, which reflected his strong commitment towards all Malaysians.
“He reiterated that Umno will be responsible for all races and never forgets the rights of other races stipulated under the constitution.
“The PM has again demonstrated the spirit of a leader for all Malaysians,” said Ong, who is the Housing and Local Government Minister.
And Lim Keng Yaik? Who knows what he’s talking about this time. I certainly don’t. Is he trying to say, “We’re are not going to hit out against other parties in our General Assemblies. I hope UMNO, our political masters, will follow suitâ€? I’m not sure. Where’s the righteous anger? Where’s the protest?
They must concede, now: there is no coalition. There may have been one way back then, but not now. They’ve allowed UMNO to spew their hatred with impunity, they have not even demanded apologies. What, would demanding apologies infringe on Malay rights? And why haven’t either Gerakan or MCA come out to dispute the sheer lies allowed to stand this past week?
In the meantime, the police fire warning shots to disperse a crowd of worshippers trying to protect their Nine Emperor Gods temple from demolition. In the meantime, the police arrest two people trying to protect their Hindu temple from demolition. At the same time, UMNO fumbles over equity figures and gets caught in its own obfuscation, following which, UMNO declares the ’spirit of NEP’ perpetual as long as spurious disparities exist.
While this is happening, Zakaria Mat Deros and Mohd Said walk scot-free in the ensuing confusion. In the meantime, Abdul Razak Baginda’s travails occupies the first two pages of the NST while news of this country’s impending plunge into the abyss is relegated to second place in importance.
I’m smiling as I type this, oddly enough, because the sheer absurdity of it all is just funny. In the meantime, watching MCA and Gerakan scurry about is like watching prisoners getting shaved bald.
Comments (6)
Meanwhile, Must I Comment (MIC) keeps swindling the money from the Indian community and as silent as a mouse.
Malaysia is going to the dogs. MCA and Gerakan has been politically castrated since decades ago. I for one was never impressed by MCA. My MCA-symphatiser friends points out for me that MCA organises so many of those ‘How To Avoid Getting No Uni Places At All’ and ‘How To Appeal For A Place After You Weren’t Given Any’ workshops during his uni application period after his STPM.
Well, I told him this then: “Why is MCA only ‘helping’ students by giving them redundant advice, or by only helping them in the appeal process? As a political party, in government, theoretically having the power to influence or form national educational policies, why isn’t MCA forming those policies so that students won’t unfairly miss out on uni places in the first place?
Malaysia is going to the dogs. MCA and Gerakan has been politically castrated since decades ago. I for one was never impressed by MCA. My MCA-symphatiser friends points out for me that MCA organises so many of those ‘How To Avoid Getting No Uni Places At All’ and ‘How To Appeal For A Place After You Weren’t Given Any’ workshops during his uni application period after his STPM.
Well, I told him this then: “Why is MCA only ‘helping’ students by giving them redundant advice, or by only helping them in the appeal process? As a political party, in government, theoretically having the power to influence or form national educational policies, why isn’t MCA forming those policies so that students won’t unfairly miss out on uni places in the first place?
Pathetic. And MCA’s another ‘one race only’ party as well. Supporting monoracial parties goes against my Bangsa Malaysia beliefs. I hope it loses big time in the next GE.
I am of the opinion that in order to check the excesses of UMNO without letting it make any opposition to it into a racial issue, we voters must strengthen to only secular and multiracial Malay-majority Opposition party, PKR. I feel that a loose alliance between PKR and DAP can bear a lot of electoral fruit in the next GE. PAS with its particular brand of ideology which doesn’t mesh with either PKR or DAP, should just be left to contest the next GE on its own, and not be invited to join PKR-DAP, as it will only cause those 2 parties to lose vital non-Malay votes.
Anyway, if you want to know more about what why I think PKR should be strengthened politically, feel free to check out my sidebar entry on this topic on my blog. Cheers!
I would like to add my one cent worth. MCA and Gerakan? Too little. Too late. You bright boys should have walked out of PWTC the first plausible moment you got. If you can proffer meaningless excuses on behalf of the UMNOputeras now, I am quite sure you could have offered the same sad sorry excuses for any enforced absence from PWTC. If you have had done that, you merely being polite. They were being Kurang Ajar.
@howsy: Wait till you hear stories about how the Rajah, Sammy Value, organizes his charity drives… from home!
@sigma: isn’t that typical? MCA provides “solutions” to “work around” the very problems that have made the Chinese so pissed off! Why can’t these idiots offer a win-win compromise instead of kowtowing to UMNO idiots?!?!
@robin: now this is interesting. I’ve been giving some thought about the BN coalition itself, and as sigma points out, the only way to solve an intractable problem like BN would be to dislodge it with an alternative coalition of our own.
That said, what interests me is the feeling of Malays on the ground: suppose today the coalition fails, but Malays still support the UMNO brand of governance, what point is there for MCA and Gerakan to pull out of the coalition? In their minds - to give them the fairest assessment I can - they might be thinking it is better to stay in the coalition to try and do some good rather than leave it.
Then again, what good are they doing? It’s something they’ve got to ask themselves, and I think they’re caught in a bind: what chance does an alternative party have if Malays refuse to budge from supporting UMNO?