The large crowd gathered outside Penang State Assembly building last week to protest against Seri Delima DAP assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer.
Moderate Malaysians have the right to tell our politicians that we want the liberal, secular and plural ways.
SOME of our politicians seriously need to have their heads examined. They need psychiatric treatment and the sooner they get it, the better it will be for Malaysia because they are a danger to all of us.
The unruly behaviour of some these political aspirants, and luckily for us they are only at the lowest level of their party echelon, does not augur well for the future of our democracy which is premised on proper practices, in words and in deeds.
No matter how much the politicians may disagree with one another, there is a code of gentlemanly conduct that cannot be breached, lest we descend into the kind of chaos that makes a mockery of our system.
If they aspire to be honourable members of any House, then they had better learn the meaning of honourable behaviour. To most Malaysians, they acted more like thugs and gangsters who were seemingly unable to control their emotions.
Our political landscape is changing. And many of the protagonists, from all sides of the divide, seem unable to argue on any issue in a convincing manner due to their poor intellectual and language skills.
And they now have to address an electorate that is more sophisticated and better-informed, one that will not tolerate the low-level antics that they employ.
You do not win votes by shouting down or threatening your opponents, especially with a religious or racial slant, whether via the social media, protest gatherings or at press conferences. Politicians and their supporters simply have to be clear about that.
I am talking about the group of protesters comprising members of Umno and non-governmental organisations who stormed into the Penang State Assembly last week, which led to 12 persons being arrested by the police.
They were part of a larger group who had gathered outside the assembly to demand an apology from DAP assemblyman R. S. N. Rayer.
They had angrily entered the building after violently shaking the gate open. They entered the chambers, stood in front of the Speaker’s rostrum, and looked for Rayer who was not around at that time.
This is pure intimidation. If it isn’t, try telling us level-headed Malaysians what it is.
Mob behaviour should be condemned, and these trespassers must be charged in court soon. We must show that there is justice in this country and that we do not condone gangsterism and thuggery.
It is right that the Penang Umno chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman has expressed regret over the incident and put on record his disagreement with the act of the demonstrators.
The party should take disciplinary action against these protesters in the wider interest of the Barisan Nasional coalition. At a time when the component parties are working hard to restore voter confidence – with the Gerakan candidate fighting hard to win back Teluk Intan – such actions by one party will surely have negative ramifications.
At the same time, the DAP leadership should also give Rayer and other rabble-rousers within its ranks a dressing down.
Words like “celaka”, which loosely translated means damn, should not be simply bandied around with racial and religious connotations as they can be offensive, insensitive and hurtful.
The DAP is already the Penang state government but, unfortunately, some of its leaders are acting as if they are in the opposition.
For God’s sake, get out of the ceramah mode and act and talk like leaders, not mere macai (low level) politicians.
The most pathetic DAP leader has to be former publicity chief Hew Kuan Yau who is fond of using lewd remarks at his ceramah. He is nicknamed “Superman” because he loves to wear T-shirts sporting the Superman insignia.
This Taiwanese graduate, who actually has a doctorate degree, has essentially imported the worst political behaviour from Taiwan to Malaysia, especially the no-holds-barred and rude political culture.
Supporters may love him but the party probably knew he might be a Super Liability should he be chosen to stand in Teluk Intan.
The crude and brash Superman should be sent to Westminster to learn the meaning of good parliamentary practices. But we are not quite sure if he is capable of following the debates in English.
Last week, we read about how the Independent candidate in the Bukit Gelugor by-election, Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan, tried to stop the official car of the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng by “fainting” in front of the vehicle.
An ambulance arrived to ferry the lawyer to the hospital but he reportedly regained consciousness on the way there.
This man has entered the wrong contest. He should be running for the Raja Lawak (King of Comedians) contest on TV. Someone has to tell him, without hurting his pride and over-inflated ego, that he is making a fool of himself. If he doesn’t believe us, let’s wait for the by-election results.
We are seeing more of such personalities because they seem to get generous space in the media, especially on online news portals.
Like it or not, this is part of democracy and if we want different opinions to be heard, including outlandish ones by the most colourful of characters, we cannot shut them down.
But moderate Malaysians must also stand up and speak their minds. Many of us cherish the moderate, liberal, secular and plural ways, and we have the right to tell our politicians that is the only way forward. We need to keep Malaysia sane!
