THE Melaka state election is one nobody cares about, really. The only people getting excited are the politicians who have trumped each other and are now doing everything to grab power in the state.

It’s politics at its ugliest again. Over the coming weeks, politicians will be telling Melakans how they are doing all this in the interest of the people.

When facing the Malay electorate, they will also certainly throw in the line about protecting the race and religion in their social media postings, since physical political gatherings have been banned. And for the other races, they will offer a different narrative.

For the first time, the people of Melaka are being asked to choose a new government from a line-up where none of the politicians seem to differ much.

The parties are either off-shoots of each other or have been in the political game for decades now.

But this time, just after slamming party hopping and suggesting the need to enact laws to stop such betrayals, the politicians are back at trying to justify their actions, and even looking for places in their parties. Worse still, they are possibly fielding these traitors as candidates.

Whatever happened to the Memorandum of Understanding where both the government and opposition agreed on barring party hopping?

Don’t waste your time expecting politicians to live up to any form of lofty principles because the only thing that matters is the end that justifies the means. And that includes party hopping.

Four Melaka state assemblymen caused the state government to collapse after they withdrew their support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.

They are now homeless. So, they are looking for a platform to contest under its banner.

The attention is on Datuk Seri Idris Haron – who was sacked from Umno – and his allies.

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has criticised political frogs, seems to be justifying their actions for wanting to join his party.

Going by such warped logic, he’d conveniently say it is traitorous if PKR’s elected representatives quit the party to join a government party or be an independent, but not if it’s the other way around.

Some may even go further, praising such defections as noble and courageous, and deserving commendation.

Last week, Anwar reportedly explained to his party grassroots his reasons for standing by Idris Haron and three others, saying they withdrew their support for the Bersatu-Umno state government based on negotiations with Pakatan Harapan.

Therefore, Harapan can’t abandon them with the turning of the tide, he said.

“The fact is clear. There was a negotiation between Malacca Harapan with the said assembly persons.

“The negotiation led them to decide to pull their support from the state government in an understanding that they would not be betrayed and left behind afterwards,” Anwar said.

Besides Idris, the other three include Datuk Nor Azman Hassan (Umno-Pantai Kundor), Datuk Noor Effandi Ahmad (Bersatu-Telok Mas) and Datuk Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Independent-Pengkalan Batu).

That’s the problem with some politicians. They talk about “negotiations”, which is, in fact, a euphemism for a plot to topple the state government.

No one seems to care that when the voters picked them, it was based on the party they represented. Suddenly, for political expediency, and to justify their defections, a whole load of excuses is cooked up to convince the electorate.

The most glaring example must be former lorry driver Norhizam. The ill-mannered politician was voted in the 2018 general election because he contested under the DAP platform.

Let’s be honest, in many predominantly Chinese constituencies, DAP candidates are almost a shoo-in. As the saying goes, if you put a monkey to contest under the Rocket banner, the primate would still win.

The DAP has many good, talented lawmakers, but we all know that some are just warming their seats in the state assemblies and Parliament. Many voters don’t even know their representatives.

In the case of Norhizam, he is well-known, but for all the wrong reasons. He was an Umno member before joining the DAP. If he had continued in Umno, he would have gotten nowhere in politics.

The DAP, as expected, wouldn’t want him back. He has been a nightmare and a reminder of the adage that we deserve the Yang Berhormat we elect. His resignation also led to the downfall of the Pakatan Harapan government.

Like a bad sequel, he is now part of the group which toppled the Umno-Bersatu state government. He is a serial political katak.

Ironically while DAP has turned down the four, Anwar seems to have taken a different stance. He believes party members need to see the bigger picture, saying the party needs to be tactical to garner support from everyone.

“You must understand that changes have to happen, but not with our uncompromising attitude.

“It can happen only when we are being wise (hemah), being intelligent and by attracting support from every quarter.”

Yesterday, it was announced that Idris has joined PKR and Nor Azman has entered Amanah, which is headed by Mohamed Sabu.

For goodness’ sake, please spare us the drivel because this has nothing to do with anti-hopping principles but winning the state election at any cost.

Umno, which previously encouraged party hopping, is now getting a taste of its own medicine.

So, when the Sabah state government collapsed in 2018 following the defections of six Barisan Nasional state assemblymen, many cheered the endeavour as the nation celebrated the defeat of the BN federal government.

And even the DAP was quite happy to be in the company of frogs as it became a component of the state government. These kataks were heralded as heroes for helping set up a new state government. Not many complained nor branded these defectors frogs, except their respective parties.

But now, what goes around comes around. Parti Warisan Sabah chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has now found that three Warisan elected representatives, so far, have quit the party.

So, Malaysians, especially us voters, must decide if we really want to stop these political frogs or bend the rules when there is political expediency, or when it suits our political allegiance.

There is an apt and beautiful Malay phrase, cakap tak serupa bikin, which translates in English to, “not meaning what you say, not saying what you mean.” Somehow, it’s much more potent in the national language. That best sums up what you can expect during the state election campaign.

IF there’s one thing that most Malaysians can agree on, it’s acknowledging that we had no prior knowledge of the Timah brand whiskey until it became a controversy.

The politicians responsible for creating this fuss seem to have realised their mission because the government has finally intervened and insisted the manufacturer change the name.

The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the company had agreed to consider the change following discussions with the government.

Well, what can a business do when forced to face senior level officials with ministerial backing, except to give in no matter how bitter the pill.

It can change its local name and keep its foreign labels, or move to either Indonesia or Singapore, which will be too disruptive and costly. Incidentally, Indonesia, the world’s most Muslim populous country, has been making its Bintang brand beer since 1929.

Even the ministry’s Deputy Minister, Datuk Rosol Wahid, reportedly agreed it was a non-issue when replying on the matter in Parliament, along with Pengerang MP Datuk Azalina Othman Said.

“Long ago, when we were young, there were the A&W hot dogs and coney dogs. My child loves to eat hot dogs, so do I tell her not to eat anjing panas (hot dog)?”

That precisely happened in 2016 when Auntie Anne, the Malaysian chapter of the US pretzel chain, had to drop “pretzel dog” – it’s famous hot dog – following pressure from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), for it to receive its halal certification.

Does that mean that soon, we would also have to ban or rename root beer because we don’t want to be confused?

That’s exactly the point. The key word is “long ago” because inexplicable and seemingly intolerant actions have seeped into our country’s policies and decisions over the years.

The government, probably because of political and religious expediency, has given in to these powerful individuals and groups, who are probably now holding key posts in our institutions, so that they can exert their influence effectively.

Now that PAS is in government, it would pursue its dogmatic ambition while its rival, Amanah, would become noisier to be seen as the champion.

In fact, political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat suggested that it was Amanah/Pakatan Harapan operators who are attempting to weaken PAS by accusing the Islamist party of compromising its previous stands on many issues.

Dr Wong may be right. Now, Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusuf Rawa has reportedly proposed a policy to restrict the involvement of Muslims in the manufacturing or sale of alcoholic drinks, but a union representing hotel, bar and restaurant workers immediately rejected the “liquor policy” with its secretary-general Rosli Affandi saying most workers in the food industry were Malays.

He said their livelihood would be affected, especially with the current Covid-19 situation, and their jobs taken over by foreigners.

Rosli said at present, Muslims were just doing their jobs and not consuming alcohol while at it.

Similarly, Malaysia Airlines’ cabin crew, including Muslims, have been serving liquor to first and business class passengers since its inception.

Malaysia may be predominantly Muslim, but it remains a plural society and a moderate country. Malaysia is not Saudi Arabia, Iran or Afghanistan, and we must all play our part in ensuring it remains the Malaysia we know and want.

All of us must speak up, in measured and respectable tones, against any form of Talibanisation at the expense of our moderate stance.

Ahead of the general election, with so many competing Malay and Muslim-based parties, we can brace ourselves for upmanship, as Malaysians, unfortunately, remain fixated with race and religion, even after 60 years of independence.

So, if most of us had never heard of Timah, we would also be surprised about the existence of Malaysian-made whiskey.

I called my liquor distributor when it became an issue. I placed an order for a bottle priced at RM144 and waited to try it, but for some reason, I was forgotten. This is the best part – the distributor’s entire stock of 200 bottles, which barely moved, were sold out in 24 hours.

And because PAS created the issue, he managed to clear his stock. Timah may have won an international award, but none of us whiskey drinkers have heard of it. By now, many of us are no longer impressed with brands or individuals claiming awards. Even Michelin star awards for food is questionable.

Likewise, when I saw social media posts on the wine named Hadi, I decided to check if it was legit or otherwise. It turned out to be real and is an Australian product.

No one in town seems to have a bottle, though, because in their words, it’s not great. Well, simply put, Hadi – the wine, that is – tastes bad, so no respectable outlet has ordered it.

Likewise, most Malaysians had never heard of PKR MP Rusnah Aluai from Melaka’s Tangga Batu until last week.

She would probably have taken part in the Dewan Rakyat proceeding, but the media must have slept through or was totally disinterested until she grabbed the country’s attention with her inane remarks about drinking whiskey being akin to “drinking Malay women.”Judging from the comments on social media, even those who supported a name change of Timah have ridiculed her for the comparison.

And you guessed it, Malaysia has again become international news for the wrong reasons.

The former law professor from Universiti Teknologi Mara made it into Singapore’s Straits Times within hours of her remarks, and she became a “hit” in portals such as MSN and Flipboard.

If there’s one more thing we can agree on, it’s that many politicians have become risible. We had DAP Jelutong MP RSN Rayer, who got kicked out of the Dewan Rakyat last week after insisting it was “offensive” that Umno Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim shared his experiences in handling a wild elephant using Tamil. It got Rayer riled up when Azeez re-enacted the conversation he had with the elephant in the Indian language.

Rayer needs anger management as he seems to be get upset over the slightest thing. He needs help if his actions are not theatrics. But many of us are tired of such uncouthness.

While Malaysians are grappling with Covid-19, ensuring our kids are safe in schools and getting our livelihoods back, we must cope with these lawmakers, who seem out of phase with reality and are creating issues to divert our attention.

It doesn’t help that many of us are swayed by their race and religious narrative.

Honestly, is this what some of our MPs are up to in Parliament? Then I badly need a drink.

Unnecessary fuss: This Malaysian-made whiskey gained attention after winning an international award only to become embroiled in a supposed ‘controversy’ over its name. — Handout

MOST of us are guilty of making assumptions in some way. Even a name can cause controversy, which must have baffled many foreigners reading the recent news in Malaysia.

In the past fortnight, we’ve been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Again.

Celebrity entrepreneur Nur Sajat, who now resides in Australia, made it into the influential New York Times.

Despite being hunted by our authorities, she has found her way to Sydney. Her story has given the impression that we’ve treated her harshly, and for further national humiliation, it’s claimed that she was groped by religious officers.

They remain allegations, but it hasn’t helped Malaysia’s PR one bit, let’s be honest.

It cuts both ways with perceptions. It’s harmless, but it can also wreak unnecessary havoc.

When Sarawakian Tan Sri Idris Jala was announced as the chief executive officer of Malaysia Airlines, I’m quite certain many Malaysians in the peninsula – both Muslim and non-Muslim – assumed he is a Muslim.

The trouble with many of us in the peninsula is that we are rather ignorant, what with our baggage of racial and religious prejudices, a weakness often amplified by opportunistic politicians.

But they’ve succeeded in exploiting this narrative because there are enough voters who believe in them. Don’t only blame the politicians, though.

It’s common for Sabahans and Sarawakians to have Muslim names but be devout Christians. Idris is a Kelabit from Bario, which is known for its evangelical Christian activities.

Then there’s Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, also from Sarawak. It would be hard to find a Muslim in the peninsula named Nancy. Johan or Liza, maybe, but Nancy isn’t widely used. Neither is Selina, for example.

It took a long time for me to realise that Idris isn’t an exclusive Malay or Muslim name.

My good friend, Sarawakian Zahir Kelvin Ong Abdullah, gave me a lecture last month, just ahead of Malaysia Day.

He told me that Idris is a Welsh surname, too. How foolish I’ve been all this time. While Idris is spelled identically in Welsh and Arabic, they mean different things.

Idris is the Muslim prophet mentioned in the Quran, a name associated with being righteous, studious, smart and learned in Arabic. In the Bible, he is called Enoch. In Welsh, Idris means “ardent lord”.

This ignorant writer had assumed all this while that the famous British actor Idris Elba is Muslim.

Following the recent controversy, I finally did some research. Idris isn’t even religious. He has declared himself to be someone of no faith.

Then there is Omar. Following the contention over the name Timah for a Malaysian-made whiskey, some people have also been irked by a whiskey named Omar available for sale here.

These critics claim Muslims would be confused by the Malay name and buy it.

Well, I know for sure that my many Muslim friends and family members would know they were in a liquor section if they strolled into one.

But here’s what my simple research has unearthed: Omar, Umar, Omer or Umer is widely used by Muslims, Jewish and Christians, especially in Spain. Admittedly, it’s a name used more by Muslims.

But the word “omar” also means “amber” in Gaelic, and the whiskey in question is owned by a Taiwanese distillery in the county of Nantou.

In Ireland, “omar” simply means “merry”, which is derived from the Gaelic word “meadhra”.

So imagine how stupid Malaysia would look if we listened to those pushing for a ban on this whiskey with an Irish name. Why can’t basic research be done before chucking a fit?

It’s good to know that some common sense has prevailed over the use of the name Timah for the award-winning Malaysian whiskey. Credit must go to PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man for putting an end to the issue.

He said that Timah was neither a Muslim name nor a person’s name but a type of metal, adding that there is no man named Timah.

He also said that while liquor is prohibited in Islam, the rights of non-Muslims must be considered.

Timah’s manufacturers have explained that the name is derived from the Malay word for tin and the man pictured on its bottle is Captain Tristram Speedy, an English officer in Malaya during the British colonial period.

And correction, even “timah” is a Sanskrit word. The other word “bijih” comes from the Sanskrit root word “biji,” which, like many Malay words, originates from the ancient Indian language.

There’s even a brand of red wine named Hadi that’s bottled in Australia. You must have seen it on social media.

It’s incredulous how some politicians tried to justify corruption with points involving religion but, ironically, got riled up over a name for a whiskey.

Malay words such as “raja” (king), “putera” (prince or son), “puteri” (princess or daughter), “asmara” (love), “anggota” (limb or member), “angkasa” (space), “angsa” (goose) and “janda” (widow), for example, are rooted in Sanskrit.

It looks like all the hours spent reading Sejarah Melayu (The Malay Annals) has helped me a little in understanding and appreciating the beauty of Bahasa Malaysia, which has also adopted many English words and even Chinese ones.

Let’s not raise a fuss for the sake of it. Kacip Fatimah, a popular herb used to improve women’s health, including enhancing sexual function, has long been in use yet no one has objected to it.

What’s the root cause of these issues, really? It’s understandable if some people genuinely feel that Islam and Muslims are being threatened, but it’s a concern if it’s used as a tool by Malay-Muslim actors to outdo each other or create an illusion of a crisis to sell the cause of Muslim unity, as political scientist Dr Wong Chin Huat concluded.

As he said, it doesn’t help when such issues are countered with ridicule, which seems to be the hallmark of comments posted in social media, instead of intellectual arguments. Many of us are, regrettably, poor in civil discourse.

As Wong rightly suggested, issues need to be explained to debunk propaganda, and responses must be measured and calculated to avoid fuelling the sense of entitlement or insecurity.

He even went as far as to suggest that it’s Amanah/Pakatan Harapan operators who are attempting to weaken PAS by accusing the Islamist party of compromising its previous stands on many issues.

The bottom line is this: So long as politicians continue to play up race and religion, Malaysia will remain a dream unrealised after 64 years of independence.

We are also sending the wrong message to the world, especially since Malaysia needs more foreign direct investments. Please spare a thought for our country’s economy.

Malaysia is a modern, moderate and plural country. We are not a Taliban state.

The world will just move on and focus on improving while we continue to bicker over unproductive and inconsequential issues.

Unfortunately, all this has done is left us with a bitter taste.