YOURSAY 'Controversies over its slogan, song, logo and now the invitations. This Merdeka will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.'

Rais offers Kit Siang a seat next to PM at Merdeka bash

Wira: The Merdeka celebration has already been hijacked by Umno through the adoption of Umno's election slogan as the National Day theme.

What a blatant use of public money for BN's disgraceful re-election effort. Better send a cow to sit between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Information Minister Rais Yatim.

This will keep everyone reminded of how relevant cows are to the Merdeka celebration this year.

Stories: LOL (laughing out loud). First the song was said to be plagiarised. The logo was a joke. Now we have an invitation fiasco. What a Merdeka to remember. Thanks a lot for the memories.

FellowMalaysian: After the complaint by Lim Kit Siang, Rais, on behalf of the ministry, relented and offered seats to the public as well as Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Afterthoughts don't earn you brownie points, Rais.

Onyourtoes: Think about it, at first it was opposition leaders with their followers standing outside the stadium watching the screens.

Now opposition leaders are invited to sit inside but minus their followers. So what is the point - leaders sitting inside without their followers and having to listen to cock and bull? What would their followers think of them?

This is scheming and manipulating to the hilt. I say forget about it - in life we must decide who we can do business with and who can't.

They can do what they like, we can stay away; it is not a National Day celebration anyway.

Anonymous_3ff5: The Information Ministry secretary-general said opposition leaders were not invited but now the minister says they are, but under free seating arrangements.

By VVIP guests protocol, something is grossly not right. This is a Malaysian national event for all Malaysians. The ajak-ajak ayam (insincere) attitude of Rais Yatim makes our opposition leaders look cheap and unwanted.

Quigonbond: Note the operative words "if they come early", which in essence is a continued display of arrogance that just because you are in government, you can ignore the opposition coalition which secured the majority popular vote in Peninsular Malaysia.

Does Rais expect Lim Kit Siang or Anwar Ibrahim to be there an hour early? If he is sincere, he would have extended an official invitation to all opposition MPs and requiring them to RSVP.

P Dev Anand Pillai: If the sudden change of heart is really sincere, then the invitation must come from the head of the administration, which is the prime minister.

They have never bothered inviting the opposition during the Merdeka celebrations of yesteryear so the invitation now must be viewed with a little suspicion.

All this while, the BN has been regarding the opposition as incapable, so why the sudden change of mind? Is it because they may form the next administration?

Don't Play-Play: I think if DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang believes that he is a true Malaysian and rejoices in the spirit of Merdeka, he will not miss the opportunity to stand with the government leaders on this auspicious occasion and show his supporters that he is also a patriot.

Or maybe Lim Kit Siang and the other opposition leaders are afraid to be seen sitting with the prime minster, afraid of being labelled as traitors by their supporters like what happened to former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa.

How to progress if you have members and supporters who are such shallow thinkers?

RealSoldier: Don't let the Pakatan trio next to the prime minister. Let them take the seat of the prime minister for the next five years. Everybody will be happy.

Vasudevan: This is a cheap shot - by trying an old and tested trick - put the Chinese leader there, portray him as the next leader of the country, and scare the Malays into thinking the Chinese will rule the country.

We have had enough of these old games. Why not invite Anwar to sit with Najib? Or are they afraid? This is an underhanded invitation, if you ask me.

Abasir: Najib should do the offering, not Rais who is already in 'injury time'. And the offer should be to Anwar as head of Pakatan Rakyat to be seated next to the unelected PM.

@carboncopy: I have seen the same thing happening. Oh yes, at a kindergarten playground. Rais, grow up! I know you are biologically old, but your mentality is worst than of a primary schoolkid.

AB Sulaiman: 'Bersopan santun' and 'berbudi bahasa' are commendable attributes of Malay culture, and Rais Yatim as minister of culture should be practising it at every opportunity.

But by him inviting opposition members to the nation's Merdeka bash virtually at the very last minute is more akin to 'melepaskan batuk ditangga' - something extremely rude and definitely very 'unMalay'. Lost your marbles, huh?

Conmen: Let the rakyat show the corrupt BN regime their middle finger by joining Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor Pakatan at 8.30 tonight at Dataran Kemerdekaan Shah Alam for the ‘Janji Merdeka selepas PRU13' mass rally instead.

To be effective no less than 500,000 people all wearing bright shining yellow should be there on a ‘Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! shout-till-you-throw-up' mass rally.

Are you guys and gals so sporting and game to join in and partake of the fun and gaiety on that historic occasion and make it your much-cherished Merdeka moment?

Bring the whole family along, bring also the family dog and cat if you so wish. It will be one big helluva ‘Janji Merdeka selepas PRU 13' in Shah Alam.

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