YOURSAY | ‘Is he the only Malaysian facing such hardship?’

Threatening legal action, deputy minister explains lengthy NZ stay

Vijay47: Deputy Federal Territories Minister Edmund Santhara, let me first extend my sympathies that your wife has certain medical issues. I wish her a quick and complete recovery; your presence would be of great comfort to her, I am sure.

I can also understand, in all sincerity, the anguish both you and your nine-year-old child must be going through from a long separation.

I too have not seen my daughter, son-in-law, and their two children, two of my seven grandchildren, for close to a year now even though they live relatively near. The absence grows only more painful each day.

I believe you are a doctor, sir. Did you never learn in medical school that in situations such as your present one, you do not climb your high horse and display a belligerent attitude?

Threatening to sue and make police reports does not scare anyone nor earn you compassion. You only remind us that you are simply another of those arrogant political leaders we are saddled with.

Make a police report over someone’s statement you are unhappy with? Was the police force established to heed the beck and call of politicians like you?

I would have stopped here, but since you came out fighting, I must continue awhile in like vein.

There is this implication you have at least two children in New Zealand, the nine-year-old child and another who is “furthering studies”. You seem to have no faith in our wonderful education system.

Regretfully, I must finish with this. It appears that your entire family is in New Zealand - there is only one conclusion we can draw.

Gajahduduk: Serving in public office is an honour and a privilege. Those who choose public office are expected to make sacrifices. Those sacrifices are not just personal or financial, but also involve one's family members.

You cannot always "be there" for your family, especially during a crisis, and that's something you signed up for. If you decide that your family needs you more, you can always resign from public office. That's your right and many will respect you for doing so.

Fifty-five days is an absurdly long leave: most contract employees have around eight to 16 days of annual leave and don't have the flexibility to "work on weekends" to extend their leave the way Santhara has.

If Santhara was still working in the private sector, it’s perfectly acceptable that he shuttles up and down between Malaysia and New Zealand. That's entirely his own private business. But he is the one that has chosen public office.

So enough of the excuses. Enough of the legal threats. Resign now, while you still have a little bit of honour left.

Anonymous_15897060865429524: Santhara, if you took five days or even 15 days off to see your family, I think most can understand. But 55 days?

What kind of job allows an employee to take 55 days holiday? And keep in mind yours is no ordinary job. You are an MP serving the rakyat of Segamat.

For an MP to disappear for almost three months is just not acceptable by any measure. It doesn’t matter if he went to visit his wife, mother, or grandfather.

You might have been able to save some face if you were transparent from the get-go and informed the rakyat before going. But you only came out with this pathetic response after Sarawak Report and Batu MP P Prabakaran exposed you.

Whichever way you cut it, you look bad in this debacle. And by threatening to sue, you look even worse.

Bobbyo: Did Santhara’s boss forget that during Chinese New Year last month, families were not allowed to visit their fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, even if they stayed in another district?

Did the boss forget that many Malaysians have not visited their elderly parents for a year as this nation had been in one movement control order (MCO) or another? As a result, they cannot cross even the district borders.

Did the boss forget the thousands of people who had been turned back, fined or jailed just for breaking the MCO as they cross ‘imaginary’ district borders or state lines?

How do those people feel from being separated from their loved ones? Yet he gave this deputy minister 55 days of break to be with his family.

Is he the only one separated from their children? There are thousands stranded in Singapore. There may be more overseas who cannot return due to the quarantine rules.

Yet this deputy minister after being found being away for 55 days, comes with guns blazing trying to frighten those who exposed his holidays with lawsuits.

Léon Moch: Indeed, is he the only Malaysian facing such hardship and has to be given such extraordinary leeway and exception to resolve his problems?

Fathers and mothers all over Malaysia, including civil servants, are having a hard time trying to care for their children's basic needs. Are those civil servants given such generous leeway by the government?

What's more, his family is tucked away in New Zealand by choice. Not many have that luxury of options and yet he feels more entitled than others to perform his fatherly duties as a matter of right.

We sympathise with his wife who has health issues but let's not forget those Malaysians whose wives have not only health issues but lost their lives and some don't even get to see them for one last time due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Dr Raman Letchumanan: Sue for what? You left the country without informing the public as a deputy minister and MP. And you only issued this clarification and spoke so righteously after the matter was exposed. It is like a thief who wants to sue the neighbour for calling in the police.

We notice your unblemished record in serving the people and 100 percent attendance in Parliament, but how come you slipped up on informing the public about your long leave?

Yes, go and sue everyone. Hopefully, all of us can get RM500,000 each as costs and penalty. After all, I think you declared your net worth at about RM130 million? I am sure the courts will rule against you citing fair comment and public interest justification.

By the way, Prabakaran should also sue you if you are found to be a New Zealand PR (permanent resident), which you didn’t deny in the above statement. The Segamat voters too can also sue you for frogging political parties, and Malaysians in general for frogging overseas.

Anonymous65: It is amazing that the minute somebody reveals the distasteful truth or says something that the other person dislikes - whether true or not - they run to the lawyers, threaten defamation suits and other legal actions.

It must be very lucrative to be a lawyer in Malaysia.

Bravemalaysian: Your reputation damaged? The greatest damage was done by your good self when you hopped (from PKR to Bersatu). I don't think it’s possible for anyone to damage it further.

At the next election, you will find out how intact your reputation is. I would wager that you will even lose your deposit. Stop the blame game and have a good long look in the mirror.

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