The Malaysian Insider
July 02, 2011
JULY 2 — Of course, any visit to Kelantan makes a politician a bit more religious in his outlook. Datuk Seri Najib Razak is no exception.
But Kelantan doesn’t make anyone less Malaysian or less inclusive.
Yet the prime minister chose to use his visit to Kelantan today to lash out at Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan in a very base way. The kind of attack one expects from others but not the political aristocracy that has given us two Umno presidents and two prime ministers.
“Who doesn’t know Ambiga. She’s the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu,” Najib told a 20,000-strong crowd here, referring to the Bersih chief who once took up a case involving the faith and the new PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu.
The prime minister’s remarks were carried by Radio Malaysia news at 1pm. The station also played public service clips against the rally and praising the prime minister as leader of all Malaysians.
What happened to duelling over policy and issues that matter rather than dwelling on personalities?
Why go down this low road of talking about people rather than confront the issue?
Such methods are more suited for the likes of Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali. The only difference today is that the Umno president is a lot more eloquent.
His attack betrays the ideals he has espoused in 1 Malaysia, of a united country where economic and social reforms will make us a developed nation by 2020.
What use is all these potential wealth and unity when we talk about people in such a derisory tone? It might be a crowd of Muslims in Kelantan but that doesn’t mean one should put down a person as an enemy of the faith.
This country is secular. This country tells the world it’s polite, that Malaysia is truly Asia.
But our prime minister today showed an unpleasant side of stooping so low to make a personal attack. A side that betrays his own ideals and casts a shadow on our international image.
What a pity. He was doing so well to charm Malaysians to support his government and its policies.
Who doesnt know jibby jib. And above him is fat mama ros.
Do we need the banning/clamp down of Bersih now to be disillusioned enough to ask “where’s the 1 Malaysia?” Regardless whether this is a question or an argument, it’s superfluous because well before, the same question has been asked umpteenth time and position known! The charming style has always been the very velvet glove that conceals an iron fist, if you know what I mean. The moment the attack becomes irrational (ie saying Ambiga, the one who threatened Islam and below her is Mat Sabu”), it’s the clearest sign that all concerns for rationality and civility are off the table, the glove is taken off, and what is left is the showing of iron fist and who smashes harder! I am not saying anyone should be frightened or conversely unnecessarily brave but there you are – you will get exactly what you see. Taking the high road to talk about moral, hopes or what is right or wrong – will these considerations bear on or influence the other side’s calculations or sheathe the fist?
Who does not know Altantuya. The poor woman that was blown into pieces by c4 and the man above her…ummmm… who does not know.
Continuing from preceding post: If not, does Bersih or opposition know their own calculations (objectively as regards force to force) in their push to a showdown against the full weight of the police the army and the law and the courts + the mainstream media + the other groups identifying with ruling coalition’s interest? Does it know the implication of being “banned” (just like the Communist party of Malaysia or Al-Arqam)? It means they can now arrest anyone howsoever connected to this organisation/movement whether as a directing will, organizer leader or a follower and supporter! It is easy to now cheer the march to go on – the more important thing is to calculate whether there’s cause to cheer in the aftermath when the iron fist smashes with full force. To Pakatan Rakyat (which I treat as an entity separate from its de-facto leader Anwar), I’d ask whether you have enough shield, weighed fully the relative strength & weakness/cost vs benefit of such a showdown, and confident that you will emerge out of this triumphant or very worse off if you in conjunction with Bersih continue the inexorable course of this brinkmanship game to its final conclusion.
I repeat here my earlier question raised in earlier thread: if the opposition were confident enough of making electoral gains in the next imminent GE (which is what some PR’s leaders say) – in spite of electoral irregularities and fraud – how will it specifically help the Opposition’s Cause, the Malaysian Cause or the Common Democratic Cause (“Causes”) more by now presenting on a silver platter to the other side, with their complexities of agendas, an excuse and pretext (in the form of support for Bersih that is npow banned) to crack down and detain opposition politicians and civil society champions, and by so doing, an opportunity to take away their political participation by arrests nd detention, whether or not the 13th G election proceeds soon after that or for that matter called off due to declaration of emergency??? How will this stance to proceed to an inevitable faceoff logically help the Causes mentioned above? Or are you saying that by your realistic calculations you will win by people power?
It is an all gloves off fist fight where the dirtiest of dirtiest will only survived.Even for a man of Najib’s stature to go on a personal attack on Ambiga speaks for itself.Najib should leave this small fish squabbles to jumping froggie Ezam.He should concentrate on titans like the top leaders of PR.
If the General will go on the ground and fight a foot soldiers war,then why have an army of soldiers.Better have a one man army.By the action of the authorities the worst is yet to come.A major clampdown and tightening of the nets on activists and opposition members this next few days.Be very careful.
This unelected PM is what he is…made of..no quality….to be one.
He is hungry to be elected.
Bully…insult …provoke…arrest…what else?
With or without BERSIH…he is between the devil and the deep blue sea.
He simply refuse to accept PAS governs Kelantan for so long…because PAS does not steal from Kelantanese.
Why did BN looses out Penang?
Getting rid of CORRUPTIONS and double standards..will be voters priority…with or without BERSIH walk.
Getting rid of UMNO B will solve all problems.
So lets save our energy and stay focus with no fear.
“Who doesn’t know Ambiga. She’s the one who threatened Islam.”
YB, you and Pakatan must not let this go unchallenged in Parlaiment. This is as racist and religion bigoted as it comes and at that by a PM professing to lead 1 Malaysia.
The Constitution provide for the right of any citizen to legal representation. If Ambiga had not defended Lina Joy, then it would have been someone else. How was Islam in M’sia and/or the World as a whole threatened by 1 person wishing to convert out, when it says no one should be compelled to stay?
This is the most blatant playing of the race and religions card by any PM in our history. He must be stopped dead in his tracks!
dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
The issue with the rhetorics is, like has been his ENTIRE administration, WHAT IS THE PLAN? What is attacking Ms. Sreenevasan going to do? Did he think it could get Ms. Sreenevasan or the organisers to call off the rally? Did he think he could convince the masses not to show? Its the height of vanity to believe any of these scenario he can achieve himself.
That is the real problem right now. The complete suspension of realistic thinking and responsibility by Najib, Hishamuddin and collectively with UMNO machinery. No one really know what the plan is AND they are willing to commit murder and treason in history just because they don’t have a clue what to do.
Najib is a desperate man that he has come out of the dart starting barking at anything that is YELLOW. He has also order his police hounds to seize and arrested anyone related to yellow T-shirt.
Najib try to replay his old man’s “May13 mark 2” by mobilising his supporters to cause maximum trouble with the blessing of his police hounds; mainly in opposition Penang and Kelantan state and soon it will be Selangor.
Is this the sign of the beggining of the end of corrupt UMNO dynasty ???
Najib, to me one Malaysia is ONE EQUAL RIGHT FOR ALL MALAYSIAN, if this is simple enought for your simple mind to understand ?????
Or is that means One right hand taking the monies and one dirty left hand wiping the stinking monies elsewhere ?????
Najib’s 1Malaysia is all falsehood and pretense aiming to fish votes. His words speak the his mind.
And I have also repeatedly said that by merely organising the demonstration has probably galvanised and created awareness among Malaysians to the gross unfairness and injustice committed thus far. See the damage BN has done to itself even before July 9, never mind many opposition and NGO leaders have been arrested. When push comes to shove, this is who they are, every one of them and there is no exception: that no matter how high and how honourable their positions, it is raw power, their own positions and the extremism in them that matter most. It has strengthened our resolve that BN is beyond reform and reason. The arrogance, the third world tribalism, and the extreme unreasonableness are there for every one to see.
stupid PM, let’s just say he is not as cunning as M,
The sage is talking rubbish. He did not realise that it was precisely doing things and thinking like him that this country is in stalemate and heading no where the past 50 years. Hello, politics need posturing, support and sacrifice. Ask Suu Kyi whether she won popular votes. Ask her whether she gets to rule Myanmar for a single day.
but M is getting stupider as well…come on, i respect you more if you are cunning and smart, but greedy and stupid?? all this media brain washing no longer works!anything out from your mouth is just lotsa hot air, not even making sense.
Coming soon breaking news by utusan—
1. Ambiga confesses to be the Chairwoman of the Liberation Tigresses of Tamil Eelam
2. Mat Sabu confesses to reading Chairman’s Mao’s Little Red Book
3. Nik Aziz confesses to links with Nortin Topp and Mas Tak Selamat
Basically, UMNO/BN has caused Malaysia to be what it is today – a failed state. Just compare Malaysia and Singapore. In Singapore, race and religion have not been an election issue for decades. In Malaysia under UMNO/BN, race and religion issues are becoming worse by the day! The lack of unity among Malaysia’s multiracial and multireligious society has affected and retarded socio-economic progress in the last 50 years relative to what Singapore has been able to achieve with a united society. What is shocking and deplorable is that the ruling government UMNO/BN is the main cause of the rapid deterioration in inter-racial and inter-religious harmony. UMNO/BN continually play up race and religion issues to try to divide and rule the country for political expediency. UMNO/BN selectively persecutes and prosecutes its opponents, whether members of the opposition party or ordinary citizens highlighting UMNO/BN’s corruption and crimes, and applies unlawful and cruel enforcement through its cronies in the major enforcement agencies e.g. PDRM, the judiciary, and MACC. UMNO/BN uses media under its control e.g. Utusan Malaysia and RTM, and UMNO/BN-linked NGOs e.g. Perkasa and Pembela, to spread false, malicious and racist reports calculated to discredit and politically assasinate its opponents. UMNO/BN has a myopic view and basically has no idea and plans to unite the country, although it tries to portray a different but false image of Malaysia in international forums. World leaders and the international community are becoming aware of UMNO’s lies and distorted portrayal of Malaysia’s religious freedom and minority race rights, and hopefully they will take serious action and sanctions against UMNO. UMNO is a corrupted and incompetent party and UMNO has never been sincere about building true and lasting inter-racial and inter-religious unity in Malaysia. All UMNO wants is to maintain its grip on power and continue plundering the country’s wealth for the selfish gain of its corrupt and criminal politicians. Over the last 50 years, Malaysia could have developed into an advanced country like Singapore, perhaps even better as our resources are abundant compared to Singapore, but UMNO/BN has failed miserably. Singapore has overtaken Malaysia by leaps and bounds within less than 50 years. Is this the type of government we want to continue in our beloved country? Vote wisely in the coming GE. Vote UMNO/BN out forever and give Pakatan Rakyat a chance to bring back the shine and glory of our beloved country! Go Bersih 2.0!
Among the 20,000 crowd were busloads of UMNO-paid stooges from outside Kelantan. This goes to show how fake Najip and UMNO is!
I wonder who is talking rubbish! Those who goad others to fight the common cause on the streets are likely to include many who will not themselves be at the front line facing the tear gas canisters whizzing past, a thick cloud that burns the eyes with water cannon shooting, and before the charging FRU with their batons get trampled or stampeded by a fleeing crowd! More likely they will be in some shopping malls far away from the center of action, keeping tap of whats happening from news media and internet.
Sacrifice? Thats OK provided one has done the calculations objectively and determined how the events of such a venture will be positive with one emerging a winner and not a loser, losing all that one already has previously gained. Talking great hopes and high principles is pointless as the other side is not on same requency and the stage is beyond that now. The struggle on the streets: what makes you think that Bersih will be able to galvanise sufficient numbers/ people power to prevail over the security forces? Can one compare Suu Kyi with Ambiga? Or Malaysia with Burma – or even Egypt or Tunisia? Even Malaysians, are we united in sufficient numbers to speak and act in one voice? Or are you hoping for some kind of genocide happening for international intervention as in Colonel Gaddafi’s Libya? Don’t talk irresponsibly and let others including women and childen get their heads bloodied in the melee.
Instead of reform, Umno/BN has created a police state.
/// politics need posturing, support and sacrifice/// – LimKamPut
Of course but do it in the way that the objective boundary conditions present in a faceoff/showdown are such that one can reasonably win and one’s agenda is served rather than dis-served (if there’s such a word!) Here it looks as if Bersih is falling right into certain ruling elites’ gameplan to serve their ends instead. Is it smart to be used and walk straight into a trap they set out? The earlier Operation Lallang served whose purposes more in hindsight- TDM’s stamping his authority in the struggle with Ku Li or the Cause of Chinese Education, the immediate reason for the then protests?
Perhaps in taking care of people’s interest they are not bothered but when it comes to strategising how to preserve power and neutralise the Opposition they think 10 steps ahead…and one understimate their ability inn this respect at one’s own peril. Look at how the Opposition goaded them to charge the trio Datuk T, how they sandiwara and give in to what the Opposition/civil society demanded, throw the charge, with the trio quickly admiting guilt more with glee than apology, and use the trial to bring in Dartmouth expert evidence to do the collateral damage to Anwar. Tell me if their gameplan had been known earlier would PR/Civil society have pursued the same course of demanding vehemently the trio be charged? 50 years of abuse also means 50 years of experience in every trick of the trade in how to preserve their position and do you in. When one engages in an epic stuggle of such or whatever sorts against a powerful incumbent opponent, make sure you have done all your calculations, know where the other side is coming from, and where and how eventually the fallout will be- and not just armed by good conscience, hopes and rhetorics of democracy as weapons. In this kind of thing you play to win because as ABBA sings, the winner takes all here.
First they link her with politics as well to foreign agents.Then the arrest and ban of yellow and Bersih2.0. Now try to drag her in as anti-Islam.
Later is using ROC to ban Bersih2.0 as illegal!
What man are all these and do you see future of Malaysia with these around?
Better give them some nuts than wasting efforts or times.
They won’t learn at all!
Who doesnt know jibby jib? He is the deputy of that owner of US 1m designer handbags.
How come no action on the mamak monkeys on the bridge and streets? Umno monkeys can run amok in the streets but Bersih peaceful rally cannot?
Like the middle east corrupted and repressive regime, the govt is digging their own graves.
20000 supporters. Each got paid 100ringgit. Together with buses/transport food/drinks and accommodation taxpayers must hv paid wot? 5-10 million ringgit. That is an expansive mass public orgy.
ROC may declare Bersih2.0 illegal.
You just make another undemocratic step to force them to move to underground,isn’t you so?
Bersih2.0 for freedom will live on everywhere and every place and in every malaysian’s heart now!
We fight for righteous till end.
Hidup justice!
It is clear that Hisham is protecting Umno/BN, NOT the interest of the rakyat. If Hisham is sincere in protecting the interest of the rakyat, he would have banned Perkasa and Umno Youth as well, as the two are also dangerous parties which bend on creating trouble.
I think some what Najib has skewed thinking when under pressure and gets himself easily intoxicated with irrational statements, just like what he said during the Sibu by election, “you help me and I help you” . Well a fool never learns, but he is lucky because he is aided and abetted by bigger fools who can only fool the poor kampong folks. The fact that they lost almost all the seats in the urban areas is a clear testimony to this. I need not explain much on how they had fooled the rural folks. Would he dare to step into the urban areas and make the same statement that “Ambiga, she’s the one who threatened Islam. And below her is Mat Sabu,”. I think he do not even have the guts to stand in front of the urban crowd let alone making such obtuse and inflammatory statement. He has lost his credibility long ago. The C4 has totally annihilated his credibility.
To me his rational is, if you defend a criminal, you condone crime. You defend a drug peddler, you condone drug peddling. You defend a corrupted person, you encourage corruption. You defend a person charged under the sedition act, you are a threat to the security of the country. You defend a war criminal, you are a threat to the nation.
Under the same rational, when the table is turned the next day, the lawyer who defend him must be hanged even before the trial .
UMNO is like a cesspool full of filth and rubbish. Whether such person is suitable to be PM, I leave it to you to your rational thinking.
If Michael Jackson still live I believe he sure would hear us.
His soul still live to support us the righteous.
Hidup Bersih2.0!
We are The World
It’s now proven this PM is picked from the gutters. He is a low down scum unfit for this high office.
Hey, Moo!!!
Based on your speech, you’re certainly right that foreign power are taking over our country.
You see all those mamaks running around freely, masquerading as malays protesting here and there.
You see all those foreigners inciting hatred against us Malaysians, trying to split and to make us “kill” each other.
You see all those foreigners taking over our businesses in chow kit areas.
And you could also see foreigners being ministers as well.
Foreigners have already taken over our country since that mamak started to rule.
You could be any one of them too.
Loh See Mah is having a bad day at the roulette tables in Las Vegas. She’s down to her last $50. Exasperated, she exclaims, “Celaka! What rotten luck! What in the world should I do now?”
A man standing next to her, trying to calm her down, suggests, “I don’t know. Why don’t you play your age?” Then he walked away.
Moments later, his attention is grabbed by a great commotion at the roulette table. He rushes back to the table and pushes his way through the crowd. The lady is lying limp on the floor, with the roulette wheel operator kneeling over her.
The man is stunned. He asks, “What happened? Is she alright?”
The roulette wheel operator replied, “I don’t know. She put all her money on 29. When 61 came up, she just fainted!”
Moral of the story– God works in mysterious ways
Who doesn’t know Allah ? Who doesn’t know Allah is not threatened by any human being ?