A Ranking of BN’s Twelve Worse Political Disasters
By Malaysian Spring
Barisan
Nasional is a natural magnet for scandals and self-inflicted public relation
disasters, mainly due to its entrenched patronage politics (an euphemism for
corruption) and its contempt for the public. The following is a ranking of one
dozen worse political disasters which will drag BN down at the 13th
general election in order of least to heaviest impact. This “dirty dozen” are
selected on the basis of their deep effect on a wide segment of the population
and the durability of their impact to last till the next election.
No. 12 – Death in Custody of Ananthan
Kugan
At this
level there are many competing scandals such as the theft of jet engines from
the air force, the RM540 million commission paid for submarines and pointless
ISA detentions of Teresa Kok and Sin Chew journalist Tan but none have the
emotional impact of the death in custody of A. Kugan who was arrested as a
suspected car thief in Jan 2009
A government
pathologist performed an autopsy and proclaimed that he died of water in his
lungs. Dissatisfied, his family members demanded another autopsy which revealed
that Kugan died of horrific beatings and torture which caused his kidneys to
fail. After a long delay of 9 months and much public pressure, a lowly Indian
police constable was charged with causing grievous hurt although the victim
died and there were suspicions of others involved. Can you say scapegoat?
Kugan will
not be the last to die in custody but he is the most widely publicized and has
become the poster boy of the numerous helpless victims who die with shocking
regularity in the hands of our law enforcement agencies.
No. 11 – Shah Alam Cow Head Protest
Race and
religious baiting is nothing new with a party which leverages on racial and
religious tension to maintain its power. In this category are Ahmad Ismail’s
and Nasir Safar’s racist outbursts. The Umno controlled Utusan Malaysia
frequently goes on a racist rant without any fear of sedition laws.
But come
next election, Ahmad Ismail and Nasir Safar will be largely forgotten. The
event which sears itself into the minds of voters is the cow head protest held
at the Selangor State Secretariat over the relocation of a Hindu temple to
Section 23 in Shah Alam. To drive home the insult the protesters which were
widely perceived to be linked to Umno brought along a severed cow head, an
animal which is sacred to Hindus.
This wasn’t
the most damaging act. What really disappointed the people was the police
inaction during the protest although they have been known to be brutally
effective in dealing with any anti-BN protests. To compound the damage to BN,
Home Minister Hisahmuddin granted a meeting with the protesters and even
defended their action. Although some of the protesters were charged for
sedition the delay has earned the public’s ire and gave the impression that the
religious sensitivities of minorities are secondary under the BN regime.
No. 10 – Refusal to Charge Al-Islam
Journalists
Two
journalists from the Utusan Malaysia offshoot Al-Islam entered a Catholic
church to spy on the activities just in case the church is secretly converting
Muslim teenagers. They took part in the holy communion but spat out and
photographed the white bread which Catholics believe is changed to the body of
Christ. Then they had the audacity to write about it.
Despite this
highly sacrilegious act which is an insult to the Catholic religion the
Attorney-General refused to charge them on the specious reasons that they were
ignorant, no public disorder had been caused and it would not serve the
interest of justice. One wonders whether such forbearance would be shown if a
sacrilegious had been made against Islam. The magazine later apologized but the
apology was 10 months late and only offered under public pressure.
At about the
same time, The Star was slapped a show cause letter for a reasonable, rational
and cautious article questioning the caning of three Muslim women on the basis
that it had insulted Islam. The BN government’s double standard is clear.
Minorities can expect little or no protection for any attacks and insults on
their race and religion while it goes overboard to protect the dominant race
and religion.
No. 9
– Refusal to Charge VK Lingam
The Lingam
video affair rocked the nation with its expose of corruption and undue
influence in judicial appointments. Due to intense public pressure a Royal
Commission of Inquiry was appointed to probe the case and concluded that the
incriminating video was genuine and there was unseemly interaction between
Lingam and the ex-Chief Justice, Tun Eusoffe Chin in a New Zealand holiday.
The RCI
recommended criminal action against the main actor Lingam and a few others. To
date the Attorney-General has shown amazing reluctance to charge anybody over
this documented proof of judicial interference while it goes after dubious
transgressions against opposition leaders such as Karpal Singh’s sedition
charge.
The
judiciary is the pillar of a modern democracy and to restore its reputation is
of paramount importance. Does the refusal to charge VK Lingam indicate the lack
of political will to correct the rot in our democratic institutions? Correct!
Correct! Correct!
No. 8 – The Altantuya Affair
The violent
murder of a Mongolian girl whose body was blown up by explosives scandalized
the nation with its audacity and rumours of high level involvement. A string of
revelations by Raja Petra Kamaruddin and private investigator Balasubramaniam
told a salacious tale of a Mongolian beauty, extra-marital affairs, meetings in
Paris, secret commission on a submarine deal, jilted lover, blackmail, murder
and allegations of VIP involvement including Najib Razak himself.
P.I. Bala
made a damning statutory declaration but in an amazing turn-around, he
retracted it the next day and disappeared. He resurfaced more than a year later
with more riveting tales of how he had been offered RM5 million and forced to
flee to India via Singapore and Bangkok. A long-winded trial ended in the
conviction of two police commandos for her death and the acquittal of Najib’s
associate, Razak Baginda but left many questions unanswered such as the obvious
lack of motivation of the two killers.
The
Altantuya affair will leave a long lasting impact in the minds of voters who
are not convinced that all has been revealed or that justice has been done. It
leaves a bad taste in the mouth that anything can be covered up in Malaysia,
even murder.
No. 7 – BTN’s Racist Course
Biro
Tatanegara has been conducting courses for civil servants, government scholarship
recipients and others for umpteen years but it was only in Nov 2009 that
controversy exploded over the racist content of the course when the Pakatan
controlled Selangor government refused to send any more participants.
Denials that
the BTN course was racist were dashed by testimonies by ex-participants that
the course fanned racial sentiments and sought to teach its own version of
history of the country’s early years. It also badmouthed opposition leaders and
inundated attendees with dire warnings of what would happen if the opposition
came to power. The public is given the impression that the purpose of the BTN
course is nothing more than to help BN maintain power at the expense of
taxpayers. Indeed, opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang revealed that the
government spends more on BTN courses than it spends to run parliament.
Isn’t this
rich coming from a body directly under the office of the prime minister who has
been aggressively promoting his 1Malaysia? Calls to scrap the course have only
met with vague promises of “refinements”. Abdullah Badawi was kicked out by
voters for not keeping his promise of anti-corruption; Najib Razak may be
kicked out for giving the people false hopes of racial integration and
fairness.
No. 6 – PKFZ Scandal
Financial
scandals are nothing new to BN. The Auditor-General’s report of profligate
bleeding of the public purse and common items purchased at breathtaking prices
makes its round with monotonous regularity every year. We hear of Khir Toyo’s
fabulous mansion which must be beyond the means of a mere ex-Mentri Besar and
the RM10 million transfer to London by another Mentri Besar with a shrug and a
sigh. Will things ever change?
But the
sheer size of the financial shenanigan of the Port Klang Free Zone project
makes even the jaded Malaysian gape in anger. A PriceWaterhouse-Cooper report
said that potential losses could reach RM12.5 billion, a staggering amount for
a small developing country. For all that only a few small fishes have been
charged, the highest being the ex-general manager of Port Klang Authority. What
about the big sharks including the ex- transport ministers who signed the
illegal letters of guarantee? How about going after the owner of the Contractor
who laughed all the way to the bank instead of his employees?
The public
is not impressed with such tokenism. PKFZ will continue to dog BN as the
hallmark of its plundering ways with the real sharks getting to enjoy their ill
gotten gains with impunity.
No. 5 – Teoh Beng Hock’s Death
A DAP
political aide went voluntarily to MACC’s office in Shah Alam to be questioned
as a witness over a RM2400 allegation involving his boss and left through the
window of the 14th floor in the early hours of the morning, his
bruised body cold and lifeless. The senseless death of a young man who was only
days away from getting married and had an unborn child shocked and outraged
Malaysians who demanded that the culprits be brought to justice.
But justice
in Malaysia can take a long winding road and be completely sidetracked at
times. MACC denied responsibility and claimed Teoh had been released although
his hand phone, wallet and car keys were still in their custody. Why was he
relentlessly interrogated throughout the night over such a trivial case?
Lengthy police investigation of this open and shut case drew an incredulous
blank.
During the
inquest, two government pathologists took medical leave at the same time. When
they returned they sang a duet to try to convince the public of suicide
although the lack of motivation is clear. A Thai expert appointed by the
Selangor government testified that there is an 80% chance of homicide and
pointed to injuries which are unlikely to be due to a fall including contusions
on the neck, bruises on the thighs and a punctured anus. A second post mortem was
held in the presence of foreign experts but a third government pathologist sang
the same implausible tune of suicide.
The inquest
has not been concluded but it is not difficult to guess which way the verdict
is being guided to. BN can avoid serious political fallout by dispensing
justice but is that likely? After all, the public are gullible fools who can be
lied to with impunity can’t they?
No. 4 – The Perak Power Grab
In Perak
democracy has been physically and psychologically shred to pieces with the power
grab by Umno with the help of three morally tainted party hoppers. Two of the
political frogs were facing corruption charges and there was a strong stench of
corruption and coercion involved.
Despite
widespread calls for new state elections to return the mandate to the people,
Umno is genuinely puzzled why it should hold election when it already controls
the state legislature, albeit by a narrow margin. The power grab was backed up
with the physical force of the police and enforced by controversial court
judgements which blurred the doctrine of separation of powers and the
distinction between a constitutional and absolute monarchy. In a shameful act,
police entered the Assembly to drag the legal Speaker Sivakumar from his chair
to allow BN to install an improperly elected Speaker.
The Perak
power grab will forever be remembered as an immoral and reprehensible act by
Umno to whom democracy is just lip service and power is all that matters
irrespective of how it is obtained and kept. In a nutshell this describes Umno
perfectly.
No. 3 - Buying of PKR Elected
Representatives
Instead of
respecting the choice of the people Umno has never stopped attacking and trying
to de-stabilize PR in any way possible including luring elected representatives
to defect using the carrot ($$$) and the stick (MACC trumped up charges). In a vile attempt to regain its 2/3 majority
in parliament to gerrymander constituencies a war chest of RM50 million of
corruption money was set aside to buy opposition members of parliament.
Regrettably
three PKR MPs succumbed to BN’s contemptible temptation. These MPs have ended
their political careers but as they have probably collected more than they can
earn in two lifetimes this could be the least of their worries. Yes, PKR should
have fielded better quality candidates but in 2008 few good candidates wanted
to stand under the banner of what they perceive as a sure loser. Hence low
quality candidates were fielded in seats where they were not expected to win.
But win they did and caused all the problems.
The public
is intelligent enough to disregard the shallow reasons given by the defectors
and zero in on the real reason – money and lot’s of it. They will punish BN at
the next election for subverting democracy. This cleaning out of refuse from the
party will in fact make PKR stronger.
One may be
tempted to compare Anwar’s Sept 16 bid to topple the Federal government by
defections and BN’s despicable acts. First of all, two wrongs do not make a
right. Secondly, Anwar was appealing for good people to defect on principles to
build a better Malaysia and not by dangling millions in front of them. Thirdly,
Anwar pledged to hold snap elections after the BN government had been toppled.
Lastly, Sept 16 did not happen.
No. 2 – The Allah Controversy
If ever
there is a self-inflicted political disaster, this is it. For decades and even
before the formation of Malaysia the Christians in East Malaysia had been using
Allah for the name of God. No Muslim has objected or become confused; indeed
there is a historical basis that Allah is not exclusive to Islam and is also
used by many other faiths around the world.
Enter the
gung-ho Home Ministry who decreed that Allah can only be used by Muslims and
banned the Catholic Church from using the term in their internally circulated
newsletter. The Church took the matter to court and won a High Court judgement
lifting the Home Ministry’s ban. Umno leaders took it badly and criticized the
court judgement roundly. Tacit approval was given for demonstrations by
supposedly enraged Muslims. It turned out to be an ill attended tame affair.
What happens
next shows that playing with religious sentiment is as risky as playing with
fire. A church in Petaling Jaya was burnt down and eleven others attacked. When
these failed to elicit any counter response boar heads were found at two Muslim
places of worship.
The attacks
on the churches brought condemnation from around the world and much bad
publicity for Malaysia whose reputation as a moderate Muslim nation was in
tatters. Umno was given a hefty slap when PAS stood with its allies and said
that Allah is permitted to be used by other faiths.
The roles of
the two Malay parties have been reversed. PAS which was once perceived as
extremist is now seen as more centrist than Umno which is now perceived as
pandering to extremists. The caning of three Malay women has not helped Umno’s
image. What a boost for Pakatan Rakyat trying to win over middle Malaysia!
No. 1 – Sodomy II
Make no
mistake, this is the numero uno, the
number one in BN’s self-inflicted political disasters. In this day and age, an
educated and literate population will witness an opposition leader dragged to
court on transparently trumped-up charges and in all probability convicted. If
you think sham trials were over with Stalin and Hitler or are the domain of
brutal military regimes like Burma and North Korea, welcome to Malaysia.
The charge
of consensual sodomy itself reeks of political persecution when the government
has never been interested in enforcing this archaic piece of legislation
against practicing homosexuals. Yet Anwar is charged with consensual sodomy
while his alleged consensual partner has become the “victim” on whose behalf
the whole apparatus of the Malaysian government is seeking justice.
The
government saw fit to proceed with this dubious case despite two medical
reports by one private doctor and 3 government specialists that there is no
evidence of penetration on the accuser. Perhaps we will be the only country in
the world to convict a man of rape when the “victim” is a medically certified
virgin. Zimbabwe, watch and learn!
Even before
the inevitable conclusion of Anwar’s trial, Malaysia has become the whipping
boy and the butt of ridicule in the international press. When it is over our
judiciary will become an international laughing stock. To proceed with this
ludicrous case shows BN’s incredible arrogance and lack of political sense. Not
only did they dig their own graves, they brought their own shovels, not only
did they hang themselves, they supplied their own rope.
* * * *
No doubt in
the 2 to 3 years to the next general election there will be many more scandals
and controversies surfacing although they have already done enough. Given
enough time, BN will do all the work to convince people it is the bigger devil
so all that Pakatan Rakyat has to do is to stay as a cohesive coalition and
survive BN’s relentless attacks. Of course it doesn’t hurt for PR to do the
right things and give better service delivery to the people to leave no room
for doubt that it is the better alternative.
Summary of BN’s dirty dozen
No. 1 – Sodomy II
No. 2 – The Allah Controversy
No. 3 – Buying of PKR Elected
Representatives
No. 4 – The Perak Power Grab
No. 5 – Teoh Beng Hock’s Death
No. 6 – PKFZ Scandal
No. 7 – BTN’s Racist Course
No. 8 – The Altantuya Affair
No. 9
– Refusal to Charge VK Lingam
No. 10 – Refusal to Charge Al-Islam
Journalists
No. 11 – Shah Alam Cow Head Protest
No. 12 – Death in Custody of Ananthan
Kugan
