I refer to the Malaysiakini report Daily threatened racial harmony: Syed Hamid .

I find it absolutely shocking that despite the Umno-controlled Barisan Nasional’s (BN) humiliating performance at the hands of the opposition during the March 8 General Election, their ministers can still continue to lie to the Malaysian people.

Haven’t they learnt anything at all? When are they going to stop insulting our intelligence with ridiculous comments? Seems like every time a BN minister opens his mouth, he either lies, or says something so daft, it leaves us with a feeling of utter incredulity.

Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar, can actually say that he decided to stop the leading Tamil-language daily newspaper Makkal Osai from being published because it ‘had violated guidelines threatening racial harmony’.

Didn’t Umno Youth Chief Hishamuddin Onn threaten racial harmony when he waved his keris around at his party’s general assembly?

And didn’t our prime minister’s son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin threaten racial harmony when he used unbecoming language to criticise the Hindraf leaders and supporters when he called them ‘ berok-berok di jalan raya ’ among others?

Syed Hamid claims, and I quote: ‘We have media guidelines and we do not simply cancel a publication permit. In the case of Makkal Osai , we do not cancel the permit but decided not to extend it.’

This is a most stupefying statement to say the least. Is there any difference in the result between ‘not extending’ a permit and ‘canceling’ it? And Syed Hamid is a minister in the federal cabinet? God help us.

It is a fact that Makkal Osai had given more than the usual coverage to the opposition during the general elections. And now they are being punished for it.

The rakyat from the Indian community is watching. The Umno-controlled BN government has made so many false promises and serious mistakes, no thanks to its incompetence and arrogance.

They made even more promises after being humiliated in the last general elections. One would have thought that they had learned a lesson. Apparently not; their continued incompetence is going to further anger the Indian community.

Umno and the coalition it leads may not last very long if they continue in this line of action .