Ismail Sabri a victim of larger
forces like last French monarch...
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is merely a victim of larger political and economic forces at play, just like the last monarch of France, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, said Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy. He said Bonaparte was able to last in the position for a while not because he was an able or clever leader, but because he sought to represent or gave the impression of representation to all segments of society.
“He was a hero to the peasants, the workers, the petty bourgeois, the landed class and the aristocrats. But in an actual sense, he became a victim or pawn of the growing capitalist class in France.
“Comparing Ismail Sabri to Bonaparte might not be fair given the vast gap in history. But the fact that Bonaparte sought to represent all sections of society bordered on naivety and foolishness,” Ramasamy said in a statement today.
Ismail Sabri (above) is a “man of all seasons” and has been said to have all the qualities to unite the different factions of Umno, as well as bring Pakatan Harapan into the fold through the memorandum of understanding (MOU), he said.
However, the Perai assemblyperson insists that Umno’s nomination of Ismail Sabri as their prime minister candidate for the next general election is merely a “game plan” to entice him to call for an early general election.
“What happens after the general election can be anybody’s guess,” he said.
‘Earning praise for doing the ordinary’
While he acknowledged that Ismail Sabri has not been controversial as the prime minister, he does not deserve much credit for keeping the country “just going for its sake”.
Even the management of the Covid-19 pandemic should be credited to the availability of the vaccines rather than the prime minister, Ramasamy said.
Harapan’s MOU with Ismail Sabri’s government, he said, was to keep the corrupt Umno leaders from seizing power. “For just doing ordinary things, Ismail Sabri has earned praise.
“The fact that he lasted in the post until today speaks not about his uniting abilities but rather the deep and insurmountable divisions within and without,” Ramasamy said.
Umno has been very keen on calling for an early general election following their success in the last three state elections of Malacca, Sarawak and Johor.
Ismail Sabri previously said he would consider extending the MOU with Harapan, which includes a promise from the government not to dissolve Parliament until at least July 31, 2022.
However, he later signalled his willingness to dissolve Parliament during the Umno general assembly.
The Umno supreme council has also recently decided not to extend the MOU with Harapan, which is set to expire in July this year, though Harapan leaders have said this decision cannot be unilaterally made by Umno. - P.Ramasamy,mk
Not seeing the forest for the trees...
There are many important issues that are often overlooked, either deliberately, or for reasons of their own, quietly brushed aside. For instance, the story about single mother Loh Siew Hong shows how she lost track of her children’s whereabouts when she was hospitalised following an alleged attack by her abusive former husband.
During her treatment in hospital, her former husband converted their children, then left his twin daughters in a welfare home and enrolled his young son in a tahfiz boarding school.
Many Malaysians said Loh was a bad mother who abandoned her children. They overlooked the fact that she had been hospitalised with serious injuries, after her husband allegedly attacked her with a hammer. The wounds on her head needed multiple stitches. He was also said to have broken the bones in her hands. Many focused only on the unilateral conversion and not on the issue of domestic violence.
In the case of sales clerk Sam Ke Ting, many were shocked to learn that she had been sentenced to a jail term of six years and a RM6,000 fine for causing the death of eight teenagers on modified bicycles, or “basikal lajak”, despite the magistrates’ court finding her not guilty twice.
Her critics refused to accept that the police had investigated the case thoroughly, that she was not driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, was not half asleep at the wheel, or using her mobile phone while driving.
They refused to acknowledge that cyclists racing their modified bicycles on public roads in the middle of the night posed a danger to road users, and said that Sam should have avoided the teenagers.
But, have they experienced a situation where a group of cyclists suddenly comes hurtling down the road towards their car? Boys who ride these “basikal lajak” can reach dangerous speeds and if they hit a pothole, or get too close to another cyclist, risk falling onto the path of oncoming vehicles or mowed down by vehicles coming from behind.
Also, many have refused to apportion blame on the parents of the victims, or questioned why they had allowed the boys to be out on the streets at 3 in the morning.
When writer Uthaya Sankar SB wrote about polygamy and uploaded his post on his Facebook page, he was arrested and spent a night in a police cell because the authorities deemed he had insulted Prophet Muhammad. On his release, Uthaya said he had “learnt” his lesson and will never write about Islam again.
Criminalising freedom of speech will lead to a state where the rakyat will not be able to express an opinion that differs from that which is offered by the state.
In 2018, six firemen died in the line of duty when they drowned while trying to rescue a teenager who had got into difficulties in a disused mining pond. The firefighters had formed a human chain and were linked by a flimsy rope. When one fireman lost his footing, the whole group was swept away by strong undercurrents and subsequently drowned.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the firemen were hailed as heroes. While we are saddened by their deaths, why was there no emphasis on the poor SOP and inadequate equipment for undertaking such rescues? The safety department of the fire and rescue service, or the head of the outfit, should have accepted responsibility for their failure to ensure the wellbeing of their men.
Finally, when graphic artist Fahmi Reza drew his latest picture and uploaded it on his Facebook page, he was arrested in record time. The drawing was that of an ape in headgear and yellow attire similar to that worn by royalty.
Why can’t Malaysians accept that people have their own views about satire? Moreover, Fahmi did not allude his latest painting to anyone in particular.
Such important issues should not be overlooked. Rejecting dissenting opinions cannot be a good thing for democracy. - Mariam Mokhtar
cheers.
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