Posted on by Kit

Perak DAP convention doormat incident a lesson to all politicians

The Perak DAP convention doormat incident on Sunday was not the best of political judgment, taste or example.

I was taken by surprise when confronted with the doormat and tried to avoid stepping on the three pictures but not completely with success.

I fully share the apology made by the DAP leadership over the incident. In fact, I had on the very same day of the convention suggested to the Perak DAP leadership to tender a public apology over the incident.

The Perak DAP convention doormat incident is a lesson to all politicians to be particularly mindful about sensitivities of Malaysians in a plural society and the propensity of irresponsible politicians to turn a non-racial issue into a racial one.

The DAP leadership has learnt from the mistake.

But have the UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaderships learnt any lessons, whether before or after? The answers to both can only be in the negative.

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24 Replies to “Perak DAP convention doormat incident a lesson to all politicians”

  3. If you want to apologize…pls do it sincerely….Why must you relate others all the time…Started me wondering if these public apologies are just a trend of political gimmics or are we genuinely learning from our mistakes

  4. Hello hello.UMNO are thugs and gangster lah.They have the police and the AG to protect them.IGP can wollop an ex DPM.UMNO members carrying cow’s head and burning effigy are all OK.Anyway.DAP’s apology is accepted.Please do not act childishly.Malaysian politicians are more mature than this.

  5. cintanegara: Kit and the DAP have apologised. You doubt their sincerity. The simple question is this: Have BN Youth apologised for the stamping of a picture of the CM of Penang recently and publicised in the mainstream papers ? Do you think they should apologise ? Or do you think that since BN can do no wrong, an apology is not warranted ?

  6. Hello YAB Datuk Seri Najib,

    OK, maybe the doormat is in poor taste just like throwing shoes at Bush. The actions, no matter how u look at them, are symbolic. They simply convey the people’s disgust with these leaders and their actions.

    Now, more seriously, is the prayer of Nik Aziz for divine retribution on u. Now, 5,000 more Kelantanese have joined the prayers today. People dont need to carry out a signature campaign to pray…they just pray. U cant stop people from praying And when enuf numbers pray, God acts. I suppose there are enuf examples of this in The Koran. There certainly are lucid examples of this in the Bible. God acts when his people pray.

    Now what I dont know is how many millions more have joined Nik Aziz in his prayers since the latest call. I mean when millions pray, God isn’t just going to close both eyes and ears.

    I shud consider beginning my prayers too….and hope the Hindu brethren, Buddhist devotees and Christian believers will have some direct lines to the Almighty for recourse when human efforts, reason and intellect fail.

    Shud we worry if God thinks fit that UMNO-ristas shud also start falling like flies or like the plague of locusts being wiped off.

  7. In line with what Hornbill said above, I would like to relate how a big East Malaysian tycoon was riding high with his UMNO connections many years ago, and won contracts from BN in both East and West Malaysia. He could walk into any minister’s office and demand that his companies be given this and that.

    His arrogance and greed also meant that he treated his subcontractors with total disdain – and he would be very late with his payments, or not bother to pay at all. Soon all the subcontractors started cursing and swearing at this tycoon. They all prayed for justice from the Almighty.

    In recent years, this tycoon has had several strokes, can no longer walk without assistance, and his speech is slurred. He has billions, but he can’t enjoy his wealth like a normal person.

    Yes, the Almighty works in mysterious ways.

  8. I would like to have one… and put it in my toilet floor… so that everytime i see their face on the floor.. i give them a damn good piss to their faces… they deserve that from me and my family…

  10. “In recent years, this tycoon has had several strokes, can no longer walk without assistance, and his speech is slurred. He has billions, but he can’t enjoy his wealth like a normal person.” (Godfather)

    I wonder whether Godfather is referring to Mr Ting who made Dr. Mahathir bearing a nickname of Mr 80%. I heard that this Mr Ting had been a declared bankrupt for twice but Dr. Mahathir still put trust on him during Dr Mahathir’s tenure as the PM. He might still be a billionaire at the moment. However, he might also have multi-billion Ringgit of financial obligations to be settled with the merchant bankers with his signing as a personal guarantor who promised to bail out the bonds being issued by a KLSE-listed company.

    Worst still, he has had a prodigal son who is the only son who knew nothing much about doing business in a smart way except for squandering his father’s money.

    Some wise men might comment that it is not necessary for us to envy so much about the personal wealth of a multi-billionaire who is rich and famous. God is always fair to everybody. Noone can take all he wants from God if he does not follow the will of God.

  11. Yes, bad taste, DAP, grow up n b mature
    Leave ‘ta siao ren’ 2 others 2 do
    Shot yourself in the feet n made DAP vulnerable 2 attack by BN n msm
    Might as well distribute toilet rolls with tissues containing faces of d 3 frogs
    Wonder how many DAP members dare 2 poison their exits with faces of d 3 frogs

  13. DAP do apologize when they make mistakes.

    But not UMNO. They never apologize when they rob the poor Malays; murder one’s rivals within and without the party for political ascendancy; destroy the fabric of the country, and even insult Allah with their arrogance, ignorance and distortion of what is truth and evil.

    They are the fascists, the corruptors, the ugly Communists and the destroyer of everything that is decent. They don’t understand what is civility and humility. They are just crass fools that will eventually destroy themselves.

  17. Yes…I think DAP should not fight UMNO with low class insults.
    We can talk….but not show like that.
    All know the 3 are frogs…why need to be poor losers?
    Better spent energy and time to see no more frogs leaping out.
    What if two more in Perak leeps off DAP tomorrow?
    Does DAP need new doormat with 5 photos?
    That is stupid and childish.

  18. YES and NO Kit,
    Yes you did the right thing in apologising and realizing that it is wrong to disrespect another human being. We may be the bitterest of enemies but yet respect one another as a human being.

    “No” because you took the opportunity to compare your apology to “no apology” being made by the other side. This makes your apology hollow: Is it a sincere apology or is it made to score a point?

    A morally upright action will naturally be acknowledged. Even if not acknowledged the law of karma will ensure due rewards to the person who initiated it. Conversely for a bad deed. ;)

  19. ///This makes your apology hollow: Is it a sincere apology or is it made to score a point?/// – #17 by lkt-56

    YB Kit rightly apologised for the Perak DAP convention doormat incident. The basis of apology is correctly stated in his opening statement that “it was not the best of political judgment, taste or example.” For it contradicts DAP’s claim to uphold more matured politics. Stepping on posters of the defectors as a gesture of scorn is juvenile, ad it opens the avenues for political opponents to discredit the DAP. That’s about it – nmo more, no less!

    However Kit went further to add, “the Perak DAP convention doormat incident is a lesson to all politicians to be particularly mindful about sensitivities of Malaysians in a plural society and the propensity of irresponsible politicians to turn a non-racial issue into a racial one.” Now this is a classic elliptical statement on his part that requires only an elliptical mind to divine its implications.

    To most of us, though stepping on the doormat of 3 frogs’ faces is not the best of taste, there’s no racial connotation involved in this incident. Its just faces of political defectors who happen to be a Chinese and two Malays stepped upon. They were stepped upon to signify the contempt for political frogs that caused the backdoor power usurpation of Perak State Assembly contrary to majority democratic will evinced in the last GE. The act of stepping on frogs’ face can no more be morally reprehensible than the act of those who faces were stepped upon. The incident is not even then an issue involving morals – on who has more or less – the one stepped upon or the one stepping – let alone racial!

    It is however Utusan Malaysia, in its editorial, that skewed the doormat incident as one of racial implication by warning that the “DAP leaders should be reminded not to test the patience of the Malays. The act of stepping and leaping across the pictures of Malays is very rude. They have challenged the dignity of Malay leaders,” it said.

    So when Kit made the additional statement about the so called “lessons to all politicians to be particularly mindful about sensitivities of Malaysians in a plural society and the propensity of irresponsible politicians to turn a non-racial issue into a racial one”, was Kit directing his comments at:-

    1. those within DAP responsible for putting such a doormat heedless of the political repercussions – OR

    2. Utusan Malaysia and those other BN politicians who may seize the incident, turn it racial to attack the DAP? OR

    3. both ????

    It is not clear whichway and to whom Kit is directing his counsel on lessons to be learnt.

    If it were directed at or against DAP politicians as in 1. above, it may give the impression that Kit actually endorses the view or at least acquiesces with view of Utusan Malaysia in 2. (This is reinforced by his further rhetorical question – “But have the UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaderships learnt any lessons, whether before or after?” since it is UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaderships which are popularly associated by many with fermenting racial sensitivities).

    But if one holds the view that Kit he is not likely to agree with Utusan Malaysia’s skewing of the issue to one of racial implications, then one will have to infer his additional remarks as being levelled obliquely at that news agency, and other BN politicians hence making this a public apology for DAP for the incident – yet coupled with a veiled admonishment against the critics of the incident as well.

  20. Likely “Lessons to all politicians to be particularly mindful about sensitivities of Malaysians in a plural society” is directed at all politicians including DAP’s and maybe especially BN’s politcians and the other part “the propensity of irresponsible politicians to turn a non-racial issue into a racial one” is definitely directed at exclusively BN’s politicians.

  21. To the DAP’s politicians responsible for this doormat incident, Kit’s message is something like – “Think carefully before doing things. You may think is creative or harmless – and it mmay well be- but it is dangerous and inimical to the party’s interest if they present opportunities for the other side to capitalise, seize on, skew, interpret on racial lines in incitment of racial sentiments against the DAP in particular and PR in general.”

  22. Oh personally, I would have stomped and yelled “tiuliama” at the same time. Who wouldnt? But as public figures, esp as representatives of the people, such acts must be avoided. Still I say good reaction by dap. Willingness to acknowledge errors and to apologise to the people for the errors are good and positive traits – which is unlike umno, forever in denial and are arrogant even when in clear error.

  23. All the much earlier comments to condemn these three politicians and yet why is there such a sentiment now ? You have all your people reporting to you. Why didn’t you know this before you came for the convention ? You could have walked to the side of the doormat and avoid stepping on the faces. Or there and then, tell someone to just remove the doormat. Beside the negative comments, one of the politicians had her house splashed with paint. Is this an indication that there is a willingness to forgive and forget and accept them back into the family again ?

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