By JD Lovrenciear : The on-line and new media is abuzz with reactions to the
Home Minister Ahmad Zahidās speech at a Forum in Malacca on Saturday. As the
recorded speech spilled into the alternate media, the nation is now into
spasmodic grips as to how come a Home Minister could make such remarks in
relation to racism and crime.
The UMNO Vice Presidentās speech is drawing a slew of
reactions. Some say it is āracist remarksā. The DAP MP YB Teresa Kok stated that it is āextremely
dangerous viewsā. The Home Minister's public statements are also regarded by some as an āabuse of powerā
and as āinsensitive remarksā.
The
call for him to be āsackedā from his position as Home
Minister therefore is not out of the ordinary. And rightly so, Datuk
Ambiga's telling the BN coalition parties, namely Gerakan, MIC and MCA
to āleave
BN out of self respectā is therefore clearly understandable.
Now let us place our justifiably hurt, shocked and even raw
emotions aside for a moment. The question we need to ask and also ponder over some
expected answers is:
WAS THE HOME MINISTER OF THIS NATION MAKING A STATEMENT OF
FACT OR WAS HE MERELY MAKING HIS PRIVATE AND PERSONAL OPINION?
There
are two issues here. First, it is about his association
and claims about the underworld groups called PAKIDA and TIGA LINE; and
the
other hinges on the shoot first policy against suspected criminals while
indicating that Malays are falling victims to Chinese and Indian
gangsters.
And now let us take in the possible answers.
Let us suppose that UMNO-Baru responds by stating that the
Home Minister was making a private, personal and misinformed opinion. Then why
did he do it on an official platform? And if true that it is deemed as
personal, private and misinformed, then what is the President of UMNO-Baruās
stand?
Should the PM of a nation, in acting in the best interest of the 28
million citizens, not immediately sack Ahmad Zahid and ensure that the due process of
the law falls into place with appropriate and acceptable justice dispensed?
As
a benchmark, do we have the kind of resolve like Indonesia that
recently convicted a high-powered politician to the gallows for
corruption and abuse of power?
On the other hand, maybe the Home Minister after all was indeed
making an honest statement of fact with regards to:
- a shoot first policy
against suspected criminals.
- claiming that the TIGA LINE were his
friends.
- stating that an UMNO Supreme Council member is one of the
members of TIGA LINE.
The fact that he made these statements in his official
capacity as Home Minister and Vice-President of UMNO-Baru, we have every reason
to worry all the more. And in that case we have to conclude all of the following:
That UMNO-Baru has been subscribing to triads, secret
societies and the underworld to remain in power.
It is also to be concluded then that UMNO-Baruās political
agenda and mantra is spun tightly around race discrimination. It targets to
garner the support of Malays by making the Chinese and Indians as the number
one enemies of the Malay population.
Indeed we are at extremely critical moments in the history
of this nation and its future from here. We have to ask pertinent questions.
Would sacking Ahmad Zahid do away with fact or fiction? Would
subjecting him to the due process of the speedy laws and dispensing appropriate
justice put us back on track?
Or would seeking apologies and an apparent show of mending
bridges make truths disappear?
In the wake of Ahmad Zahidās speech that is already beginning
to precipitate in the minds and hearts of caring, concerned citizens, can we
blame the citizens for thinking that it looks like it is going to take a
miracle to set this nation on a righteous, honorable and democratic pathway of
success for all citizens given these marginalizing political frameworks that
certainly keep the select few in power for the reasons and well being of solicited
select sector segments of society.
Can we blame the citizens for seeing a link between the āover
our crushed bones and dead bodiesā outcry and this recent spill by Ahmad Zahid?
The government of Malaysia certainly owes all citizens,
political watchdogs, investors, concerned citizensā groups and the
international and regional communities a quick, clear and acceptable resolve to
the dangerous matter at hand.
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