On Ahmad-bashing continues

Nantha Kumar: Let us take a few steps back. The Bukit Bendera Umno chief made the pendatang remarks on Aug 25 in Permatang Pauh, a day before the by-election. Why didn’t the MCA, as an esteemed member of Barisan Nasional, voice out its displeasure with such remarks there and then?

Is it because MCA wanted Barisan’s candidate to win in the election, and was afraid that if these remarks were exposed, the Chinese community would reject Barisan? This is clear proof that the MCA does not care for its own community. MCA only dared to speak up after Barisan candidate Arif Shah Omar Shah was thrashed at the ballot box by PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim. Such cowardice from a party that professes to champion the rights of the people is indeed despicable.

Rest assured that the Barisan government will not take any action on any of its party members for raising racist sentiments, for fear that support for the prime minister will further plummet.

Stop the juvenile behaviour. Malaysia is for all Malaysians, not a select few of cronies and fanatical party members.

Kilo Tango: Najib Razak's apology on behalf of Umno over Ahmad Ismail's racist remarks may appear a little ironic if it did not reflect the position and attitude of Umno and its leaders. If Najib regards such a statement like Ahmad’s as personal one, there is no reason why the deputy prime minister should apologise on behalf of Umno. Let Ahmad face the rakyat himself.

On the other hand, I urge all other politicians to put this case to rest. Reactions by Thor Teong Ghee of Gerakan, Lau Chiek Tuan of MCA, and Ng Wei Aik of DAP would just worsen the situation.

Such reactions provide opportunities for radicals within the Umno leadership to further spark racial tension, as they can manipulate such reactions to undermine the Umno grassroots. After all, Sept 16 is approaching and this incident provides a good opportunity for Umno to repeat the history of 1969 and 1987.

Nevertheless, police investigations on Ahmad based on the various police reports filed in recent days, should continue. Politicians should stay away from this incident for the sake of preventing any opportunity for counter-bashing, so as to prevent this incident from being further manipulated.

There is no need for anyone outside Umno to push Umno in to taking disciplinary action against Ahmad. Let criminal law take its course.

Kian You: The deputy prime minister is reported to have said, "We will apologise. Umno apologises." This despite the fact that he had earlier said that Ahmad’s comments did not reflect the position of Umno.

I think even a child can tell you that if you are not guilty of something, why even consider apologising? So if Ahmad if not guilty of making inflammatory remarks, why did Najib apologise on his behalf?

Before I even touch on the possibility of the reasons behind such a move, I would like to ask this question : If Najib says that Ahmad’s statement does not reflect its stand on the issue, what makes him think that his stand of 'apologising' to the Chinese reflects the stand of Umno? The whole party must regret Ahmad’s comments, not just one member.

I can only think of two reasons why Najib apologised. One is that things are getting out of hand and an apology is the easiest way to calm the emotions of the aggrieved Chinese community.

Secondly, the apology is just a plot to stop people from further slamming Ahmad, Umno and the whole government.

I might be wrong, but one thing is for sure, Umno has still not learnt its lesson from the March general elections and still continues to bully the other component parties in Barisan Nasional.

So Umno better buck up. I do not harbour any ill feelings towards Umno. I just want it to reform and emerge as a more mature and responsible party.

G Malayalam: Bukit Bendera Umno division head, Ahmad Ismail made a demeaning remark. He seems happy about it. In a civilised society, even those from the lowest strata will hesitate to do that.

Such remark does not speak highly of his intellectual standing. Nor does it speak highly of his social and political stature. He has had no credibility as a politician. He is a barbarian politician to say the least.

Surprisingly, the prime minister seems to extend his unflinching protection to the social outcast. The prime minister said Ahmad did not mean what he said.

Then, what did he mean to say?

Did he mean to say that Chinese Malaysians are citizens and have equal rights as others and they are also to be categorically considered as the ketuanan in the civilised Malaysian society?

The prime minister has the answer. Since the prime minister has the extrasensory power to read the mind of the recalcitrant and belligerent Ahmad to gauge the actual and true meaning of what he really meant, it would be imperative that he (the prime minister) magnanimously shared what was actually meant by Ahmad. This will at least enlighten us.

We were foolishly subservient and gullible to blindly support politicians for the past 50 years. Our slavish behaviour has emboldened the politicians and created an impression that they can freely hurl filthy remarks against the society with immunity. Such largess and generosity should not be expected anymore. Be warned if you are still ignorant.

Ahmad Said, please learn to respect humanity and the rights of others.

Solutions: People like Ahmad have polluted this country. Their actions and words plant seeds of discord and mistrust in people, especially the young. Even though the PM and DPM says he (Ahmad) acted on a personal capacity, the damage has been done. Even an apology can't reverse the consequences. All politicians should think before they speak.

Gone are the days of ignorance, the rakyat know every step or deceiving action made by the administrators and/or politicians of a country. If such words are being preached, I am sure there will be someone somewhere listening to it.

To the rakyat : kindly nurture your children and if anyone makes such a blunder, blame it on the individual. Please do not generalise and blame a whole society. I believe we, the rakyat, should play a role and depend less on the political actors and actresses. Lets bring back unity to our country.

Tim FP: The rallying-cry of UMNO, Bangsa! Negara! Agama! wouldn't hold water in any other part of the world except Malaysia. Since when did God and race go hand in hand?

Not too long ago, a Malaysian Home Minister whose policy-making 'brilliance' made people stop in their tracks, decided to ban a Steven Spielberg animated movie based on a biblical story on the grounds that it ‘extolled the virtues of a single race’.

Clueless as ever, what this hypocrite did not know or pretended not to know was that he and his ilk have been blindly practising it (extolling the virtues of a single-race) in their own backyard since 1947.

JY: So many people are watching to see if Malaysia goes the way of Thailand. I agree with Chandra Muzaffar that political stability is of utmost importance. Only then will all the races be able to live in peace and harmony.

At a sensitive time like now, it is most insensitive for Ahmad to talk of racial politics. It is very archaic. The whole world knows the contributions of the immigrant races. The Chinese, Indians, Pakistanis, Punjabis, etc, have all toiled for the land.

Putting down one race by harsh criticism will not elevate the other. Now is the time to unite the races and take the nation forward.

Tan Foong Luen: It doesn't give me any real pleasure in pointing out the blunders made by Barisan National. But as a responsible rakyat , I am duty bound to give a little input, if you may.

The Bukit Bendera Umno Division chief Ahmad Ismail - appears to be someone who needs help - medical or otherwise. He has sought attention in absolutely the wrong way.

Pak Lah once said, "I do not want our country to be destroyed. I do not want the country in disarray. This is the action of an irresponsible few."

This recalcitrant Umno chief definitely falls into this category of irresponsible few.

Umno Deputy President Najib Tun Razak has apologised and commented that the pendatang comment was completely unwarranted and regrettable.

MCA vice president Datuk Ong Tee Keat welcomed the move by the DPM and called the Umno apology a sincere gesture.

My suggestion is let's accept that sincere gesture and move on.

Let us also be mindful that over the last 51 years, we have all become used to the BN system and accepted it as an unchangeable fact and thus helped to perpetuate it. In other words, the component parties and the rakyat - though naturally to differing extents - are responsible for the operation of the BN machinery. None of us are only just victims, we are also its co-creators.

We have to accept the sad legacy of the last 51 years as a sin committed against ourselves. If we accept it as such, we will understand that it is up to us all, and up to us only, to do something about it.

We cannot blame the previous government for everything, not only because it would be untrue but also because it could blunt the duty that each of us faces today - namely - the obligation to act independently, freely, reasonably and quickly.

Let us not be mistaken, the best government in the world, the best Parliament and the best prime minister cannot achieve much on their own. And it would also be wrong to expect a general remedy from them all.

Freedom and democracy include participation and therefore responsibility from us all.

If we realise this, then all these horrors of racism that this government inherited will cease to appear so terrible. If we realise this, hope will return in our hearts. We are a country which practises the sharing of power and in the government, there are representatives of all races. Let us work together and decide what is best for our country and our people.

Let me conclude by saying to all component parties in BN that in this human situation, the solution does not lie in leaving BN and abandoning our BN dream.