— The Malaysian Insider
March 24, 2013
MARCH 24 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein took time off from leading the war against the Kiram clan in Sabah to remind the youth to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN).
The Umno vice-president said PKR leaders like Chua Tian Chang had insulted the country’s armed forces despite several of them losing their lives to protect Malaysia’s sovereignty.
“What is going on in Sabah should not be politicised, this is an issue on our sovereignty.
“Whose hand is it is behind the intrusion, is there a third party involved? Who is this person who would forsake his own race and nation just because he wants power?” Hishammuddin told some 1,000 party youth supporters who responded with loud shouts of “Kill Tian Chua”.
This comes from the home minister who sent a tweet on February 18 describing the Sulu gunmen as “Fact: Most of the intruders old or malnourished. Wear sarongs/slippers…a few… hv arms.”
All hell broke loose a few weeks later and eight Malaysian policemen and soldiers are now dead.
Because the authorities showed restraint, thinking that these Sulu gunmen are old, malnourished, and some say, because they are Muslims.
We know better now. We had to get real policemen and soldiers to fight our battles, not politicians who were tweeting pictures of themselves in bomber jackets and attending operational meetings in Sabah.
Hishammuddin’s comments are not surprising. He is trying to cover up the earlier incompetent handling of the Sabah crisis and his foibles that only ended when Datuk Seri Najib Razak ordered the troops in.
One can divert attention from the inept way Malaysia faced the crisis. But who is politicising it now if not Umno itself.
This from a man who said he will stay on in Sabah until the crisis is over. Fact is he flew back across the South China Sea for an event in Gombak, Selangor, where he admitted there is political violence but blamed it squarely on opposition provoction.
He should stop right there and tell the police to do their job, and not give Umno a free pass if their supporters are found to be behind such violent acts. No one should be spared of being taken to task but this minister is only good at pointing fingers at others.
That itself speaks volumes of this Umno minister, if not the handling of the Sabah crisis.