YOURSAY | Response on racial quota queries, probe against activists put spotlight on govt.
COMMENT | Lip service paid to 'don't be afraid to criticise' credo
MS: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's shockingly interruptive performance at the Penang Matriculation College on Aug 5 exposed his intolerance for uncomfortable questions and contrarian views.
More importantly, it trained a searching spotlight on the uncivil nature of Madani and the falsity of its touted attributes: care, compassion, and respect.
Caught off-guard by the curved ball of a question on racial quotas in education, the Madani man, to quote an observer: "Ticked her off for not listening to questions in earlier Temu (Meet) Anwar sessions; kept cutting her off even before she could finish her question; hectored her on not knowing history or about the social contract; scolded her for allegedly not thinking about the plight of disadvantaged students in Kapit. He was confrontational and belittling in his tone throughout."
That was Madani in full bloom and it has set the operational tone for all Madani agencies to follow, which neatly explains the directed harassment of the two activists Arun Dorasamy and S Shashi Kumar.
The duo was questioning the man's act of leading the conversion of the Indian youth as the nation's prime minister with a camera crew in tow and then uploading the proceedings on Facebook.
Apa pun boleh: The police must be seen to act fairly. Whether it is the majority or minority, if the law is breached, the police must act. If not, it is selective persecution. But is this what the police have been doing?
Are Arun and Shashi the first ones to have criticised Anwar over the conversion show? It was a 'show' because it was filmed and circulated on social media and Anwar did not object.
In our multi-racial country, race and religion is a highly sensitive matter. We are repeatedly warned not to provoke the sensitivities of those of other faiths. Even more, one's religious belief is a private matter between the adherent and God.
Those who choose to wear it on their sleeves and make a spectacle of it for whatever reason cannot cry wolf if others find it to be offensive. Let us keep our beliefs within our communities if we do not want to be criticised.
Anwar was criticised because his actions were seen to be unwarranted. It did not resonate with the political image he had created as a moderate and enlightened Muslim leader who was against the race and religion-centric policies of the previous governments.
That stand of his was also instrumental in creating for himself a large non-Muslim following and political base. Anwar knew very well the amount of hurt suffered by the non-Muslims on the various illegal conversions that have taken a toll on non-Muslim families. They saw Anwar's action as insensitive to the feelings of the non-Muslims that had backed him.
Though what he did was lawful, the spectacle of it was uncalled for and highly insensitive as well as antithetical to the moderate stand and image Anwar had created for himself among his supporters.
The barrage of cries and criticism came from disbelief and disappointment at Anwar's unprecedented act that could set a precedent for other moderate Malay leaders in Pakatan Harapan. Not the conversion per se, that was a private matter.
Under the circumstances where many leaders have expressed unhappiness with Anwar's conduct, the questioning of Arun and Sashi comes across as unwarranted.
Libra: The people are the same. Whose fault is it when you don’t know and then the perception changes, for you have come to know?
When people are elevated to a high position and have a tag that they are privileged, even pointing a finger at them will be responded with anger.
So, Anwar is getting that reaction for he is now the PM and Islam, his forte. There are so many disparities that must be taken note of and informed of, otherwise, they don’t know.
Never mind this human behaviour. You don’t expect high-value wisdom, do you? Forget about the hope given - again whose fault to believe it? Corruption will be eliminated - you think so. Takes time they say - you want to wait. A country for all - multi-racial. That’s fine, but why only for Muslims - it is ok too. So, what about others?
Is there certainty that the weaker ones will be protected or not abused for they don’t hold any power? And the list goes on but why pick here and there and the parliamentarians chosen to take care seem to forget the principles for which they were chosen? What to do? A screwed-up country, isn't it?
Baijebo: The current government is useless, unprincipled, incompetent, and to a certain degree, shameless, based on its performance for the past eight-odd months. How many ministers can we describe as decent, never mind good?
The less said about Anwar, the better. What reformation have he and his ministers implemented during these eight months? Repealing of draconian laws, maybe? No. What he could and should do, although Umno is part of the coalition, what has Anwar done?
To Anwar's hardcore supporters, don't even use the excuses that he needs time, that Umno is part of the coalition. I give him benefit of doubt. He has failed to do other things that he could and should have done.
To those diehard Anwar supporters, you can enumerate Anwar’s achievements since mid-November 2022. Perhaps then, other readers and I will be convinced as to his and his government's ability.
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