Some comments and actions displayed an embarrassing lack of awareness of political or social norms.
COMMENT
We sometimes cringe when we hear statements made by politicians and our top officials. Some of their comments display an embarrassing lack of awareness of political or social norms. Some are blatant communal attacks and some are downright doltish.
In 2016, a good number of Malaysian politicians provided some cheap entertainment or worked us up enough to write comments on social media. But if it’s true that we get the politicians we deserve, what does that say of all of us?
The year was indeed full of news that reported on comments that raised our hairs and incidents that outraged us. Below is a list of some of them.
Perhaps the most disgraceful statement came from Tajuddin Rahman. He famously called the Seputeh MP:
‘The only woman with the Kok’
Dewan Rakyat proceedings temporarily stalled when the deputy minister of agriculture and agro-based industry issued that rude remark against Teresa Kok.
Several opposition MPs demanded that he retract it. They said it had vulgar implications and should not be uttered in Parliament. Tajuddin refused, saying he was only referring to Teresa’s family name. Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee agreed with him.
IGP challenges IS leader to ‘come back to Malaysia’
One of the Islamic State’s propaganda videos released in 2016 featured a Malaysian man identified as Mohd Rafi Udin from Negri Sembilan. It showed Rafi and two other militants decapitating three captives.
Rafi was heard urging IS supporters to employ whatever means necessary to kill non-believers. He also said that Malaysian militants who had left for Syria would return to attack the national police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
Reacting to this, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said: “He only dared to threaten the police because he is far away. Why don’t you come back?”
Malaysians were aghast that the top policeman in the nation could make such a statement, asking if it was a wise thing to challenge these merciless killers.
“Adios, Haron Din. Let there be peace”
An MP from DAP courted controversy when he tweeted “Adios, Haron Din. Let there be peace” on the occasion of the PAS spiritual guide’s death. Many Malaysians were not pleased with Jeff Ooi’s off-colour remark and lambasted him.
Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin bemoaned the “political stupidity of certain DAP leaders”, saying they seemed to trigger anger from certain races for no apparent political benefit to the party or the nation.
Siti Kassim’s middle finger
Lawyer Siti Kasim was summoned by the police when she flicked the bird to hecklers at a forum on PAS’ shariah bill.
After receiving the summons, the activist wrote on her Facebook account: “So, (these people) got butthurt with my middle finger salute to them during the RUU 355 forum. They apparently lodged a police report against me.”
She later told reporters that it was her way of conveying her disgust to hecklers who had harassed her for openly opposing the move by PAS at a forum on Sept 5.
Jamal Yunos says Bersih 2.0 infiltrated by Islamic State
Red Shirts leader Jamal Yunos claimed that Bersih was infiltrated by the Islamic State, claiming “reliable sources” had told him so.
He also claimed Bersih was advised by consultants from Thailand and Taiwan on how to topple the government before the next general election.
‘Only an idiot doesn’t know who MO1 is, but Najib not involved’
Barisan Nasional’s chief strategist, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, said the identity of Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) mentioned in the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) civil lawsuits was not a secret.
He was asked to comment on claims by some that MO1, mentioned 36 times in DOJ court documents, was in fact prime minister Najib Razak.
“There is no mystery about Malaysian Official 1,” he said. “Only an idiot doesn’t know who that person is.”
He said the DOJ had elected not to name Najib because the PM was not among those being investigated.
The suits seek to seize assets worth more than US$1 billion, allegedly stolen from 1MDB.
Nga Kor Ming’s Raya dedak cartoon arrogant, insulting
DAP’s Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming on July 6 posted a cartoon of children seeking “duit raya” and linked the action to the word “dedak” (chicken feed), a derogatory opposition catchphrase for those who accept government or political handouts.
Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir described the “dedak” posting as “immature, arrogant, insulting” and a publicity stunt.
Zambry said Nga should refrain from writing something that could stir controversy, especially when Muslims were celebrating Aidilfitri. Others roasted him on social media and elsewhere too.
It was his second successive Hari Raya posting to have drawn criticism, and it moved the police to take action.
Zunar arrested after a group trashed his works
Police arrested cartoonist Zunar for sedition over his cartoon exhibition at Komtar, which was critical of the government. They also seized his works.
The arrest came after a complaint by Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim who on the day before had led a group to Komtar to destroy the exhibits.
Zunar said the Umno members hurled four punches at him and pulled his collar.
However, there’s no report to date of action being taken against the attackers. Umno denies its hand in the attack.
‘Cooking oil cheaper than mineral water’
Domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism minister Hamzah Zainudin said the price of cooking oil after subsidy rationalisation would still be cheaper than the price of mineral water.
His reasoning was that after the rationalisation, a family of five would be required to cough out only RM100 extra per year for cooking oil, making their purported yearly consumption of mineral water more expensive.
He explained that an average Malaysian consumed around 1.5kg of cooking oil per month, which averaged out to RM2.25 per person.
Many Malaysians wondered what the correlation was between mineral water and cooking oil. One commenter on a social media site said he would use water for frying the next time he ran out of cooking oil.
With that, let’s hope for a better 2017.
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