Khairy defends attacks on Guan Eng’s son, calls critics hypocrites

First, surely KJ has to defend his stand, right? That's the reflex action of any politician even if he regrets making those tweets. He has no choice. If he backs down, then the vultures will finish him off. Don't forget that he has foes everywhere.

However, what I was most dissapointed is that this young politician pours hot and cold. Hecently, he seems to make the right moves but then, he will screw up with stupid action like this.

I am not sure why all politicians in Malaysia want to play with all sides and think they can get away with it. I think the time is over. It can be done in the past without the advances of media and ICT where the audience is so localised that others won't know what was said or discussed.

If KJ says that the oppositions does the same thing, prove it and I am sure the opposition politicians who do this will suffer the same from the public. Going for the politician in a gutter fashion is bad enough but going for the children is really uncalled for and in real bad taste!

I think Malaysians expect a lot from KJ unlike some real stupid BN politicans who seeks controversies just to be in the limelight. With his sound education, intelligence and ambition, he should do well on these merits alone. There is no need to go for such politics anymore.

KJ, I don't think there are any other young politicians to compete with you so there is no need to be afraid to lose the UMNO votes. Well, in the end, can you walk the talk, KJ?

Until the next time, cheers.

The Malaysian Insider, 18 October 2011

Khairy defends attacks on Guan Eng’s son, calls critics hypocrites

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Khairy Jamaluddin suggested today there was nothing wrong with his remarks about allegations involving Lim Guan Eng’s teenage son, and called his critics hypocrites for pointing out that he was perpetrating lies about a member of a political rival’s family.

Earlier today, Lim said he was furious with the “barbaric lies” made about his teenage son by “pro-Umno ferocious beasts,” singling out Khairy and other ruling party leaders for perpetuating the allegations through snide comments on blogs and social media sites.

Khairy tweeted today that BN politicians and their families had been on the receiving end of even worse insults from the Opposition in the past. — file pic

Responding via his Twitter account to the criticisms, the Umno Youth chief said Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians and their families had been on the receiving end of even worse insults from the Opposition in the past.

 

The Umno Youth chief slammed Penang DAP member Satees Muniandy for being “hypocritical” when the latter raised the issue on the microblogging site.

“Bro, what BN leaders & their families get from opposition is far worse. Don’t be hypocritical,” Khairy wrote, using his Twitter handle @Khairykj.

Satees, writing under @sateesdapsypg, had earlier said, “U jz hv 2 wait! I wnt 2 see wat is ur reaction wen ur Puma & Cougar grown up & treated wt such lies & slanders! (sic)”.

“Puma & Cougar” are Khairy’s nicknames for his two sons.

“Are u justifying & defending Pro UMNO Bloggers cheap acts? I am not surprised as you also joined hand wt them! Gutter Politics!” Satees countered.

He then asked Khairy if DAP members had ever “stooped that low” as to attack the conduct of Umno ministers’ families or the latter’s kin, apart from his father-in-law, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“All the time bro. Get real. Don’t be hypocritical,” Khairy replied.

Lim, who is Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general, had slammed Khairy today for posting snide comments on his Twitter page when responding to allegations made against his son.

Khairy had written yesterday, “Mungkin dia roboh Kampung Buah Pala sebab nak ganti dengan Kampung Buah Dada” in response to another tweet by pro-Umno blogger “@PapaGomo”. [English translation: Maybe he destroyed Kampung Buah Pala because he wants to replace it with Kampung Buah Dada].

The allegations, which first surfaced on pro-Umno blogs, centre on Guan Eng’s 16-year-old son’s alleged conduct in school and the youth’s attempted use of his father’s name and position to escape punishment.

The blogs also alleged the chief minister had then transferred his son to a different school and paid RM200,000 to keep the scandal out of the media.

Despite earning flak from his Twitter followers for his remarks, Khairy continued to defend himself and told another Penang DAP leader, Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong, to “get off your high horse”.

Another Twitter user, @whackalibabas, called Khairy a “despicable human” and reminded the Rembau MP that “God is watching” him.

To those who backed him, Khairy said, “Don’t bother. Clearly different standards for oppo leaders. BN leader & families are fair game.”

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who is also Guan Eng’s father, stepped into the fray with a series of posts on his Twitter page condemning the allegations against his grandson.

“How PM/DPM feel if their children/grandchildren victims of such despicable/contemptible gutter attack built on lies?

“Will Najib/M’ddin condemn such despicable attack on innocent children by Umno cybertroopers? Is this Najib’s “political transformation”?”

“Confessed v sad/down/disheartened last 2 days unable 2protect my grandkids from such heartless cruelty/viciousness.Najib/Mddin condone them?” he wrote.

The day after Bersih........

Well, yesterday's Bersih rally was a significant day for a lot of Malaysians whether they took part or not. Although there were 50,000 (depending who was counting) who took part, there were a lot more who wished they were there.

One thing for sure, the frustration with the Government and the police is surely growing. Personally, I feel the Najib administration as with his earlier predecessor, PM Abdullah Badawi has made the biggest error of trying to portray the cause of Bersih as bad for the country and economy.

For me, the crux of the matter is how do we want to treat our own people. Do we want to pull the wool over their eyes and think them as fools (like how the Govt owned media is trying to do) or to think Malaysians are a bunch of trouble makers (like how the police as decided before the rally) or Malaysians are a bunch that can be bullied or threatened (like how the the Govt and police are using their authority)?

Please do not do that, it is a dead end. If only, the BN started to change this mindset, I am sure a lot of middle Malaysia will go back to support them (both Malays and non-Malays). I just cannot figure what why they would want to take self destructive steps.

BN should also understand that a lot of Malaysians do not just support the opposition but are doing so because they are upset with BN. There is a huge difference! This is more so pertinent when as the incumbent, you have so much power to do good and yet only give lip service. I myself, am frustrated by this.

For the media, the old strategy of spinning is so outdated that I find it so amusing that they think they can actually get away with it. Maybe the people working there know it but their political masters are not willing to accept it? Sometimes, they themselves spinned so much that they actually get lost themselves. In addition, they are suddenly so fair and independent when analysing about other countries political situation and yet so biased in their local analysis.

For the opposition, the same criteria will be put on them if they are elected. There are no favoritism when it comes to the welfare of the country and people. For me, the opposition parties are also full of opportunists and clowns. So, we must move away from party politics and choose the right candidate who works hard for the people and country and with the right consciense.

In today newspaper, I had some good laughs at the statement by our IGP as well as some of the articles and columns in The Star. Their articles only look at one side only so how can we call it fair? 

I was touched to see so many people from all walks of life who braved danger to walk for their believe and cause. If so many young people in Malaysia have such strong believes and are willing to fight for them (peacefully), then I can say Malaysia will have a good future.

Until the next time, cheers.

Running scared in Malaysia by John Malott in The WSJ

Mr Mallott was the Malaysian Ambassador to Malaysia some time ago. Ever since he left Malaysia, he has been quite critical of the Government in areas of human rights and political fairness. In another article that appeared in The Malaysian Chronicle, he words were much more stronger and colorful than in this article. From what I read, he has some strong views the way we conduct business here. Maybe, he has more information or intelligence than most of us, Malaysians.

Running scared in Malaysia by John Malott in The WSJ

The Malaysian government has pulled out all the stops to prevent an opposition rally this weekend. This week, army units conducted crowd control exercises with banners that said, "Disperse or we will shoot!" 

By John Malott, The Wall Street Journal  

The police set up roadblocks and arrested Malaysians simply for wearing yellow T-shirts, the signature color of Bersih, a coalition of 62 nongovernmental organizations that demands changes in Malaysia's electoral system. To date, the police have arrested over 250 supporters of Bersih, claiming that they are "waging war against the king."

Then something unprecedented happened. Malaysia's King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, allegedly the target of Bersih's campaign, intervened. He called on both Prime Minister Najib Razak and Bersih to resolve their differences in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, for the good of the nation.

There was a collective sigh of relief in Malaysia. The leader of Bersih, Ambiga Sreenevasan, an attorney and former president of the Malaysian Bar Council, met with the king and announced that the "Walk for Democracy," as it was called, was cancelled. She said that she was ready to meet with the government to discuss Bersih's concerns about electoral fairness. Prime Minister Najib then offered an olive branch, saying, "We are willing to provide a stadium for them to rally in … from morning until night," an offer that Ms. Ambiga and Bersih immediately accepted.

Then Mr. Najib backed off. His government says that because Bersih is still illegal, it cannot apply for a permit. It also has banned Bersih's leadership from entering Kuala Lumpur on the day of the rally. On Thursday, he joined a gathering of martial artists who said that their 50,000 members will "wage war" against Bersih. Donning their militant uniform, Mr. Najib said, "If there are evil enemies who want to attack the country from within, you, my brothers, will rise to fight them."

Mr. Najib has undermined the authority of the king, who gave Bersih and its concerns credence by meeting with its leadership and calling for a negotiated solution. The political situation in Malaysia is a fast-moving target, and each day brings new developments. Ms. Ambiga and Bersih now say that because of Mr. Najib's actions, they will go ahead with their assembly, no matter what.

Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Bersih's main issue is not freedom of assembly but the fairness of Malaysia's democratic process. Bersih's backers ask how anyone can be opposed to free and fair elections.

It's an easy question to answer. The United Malays National Organization, of which Mr. Najib is president, is the longest continuing ruling party in the world, and it is running scared.

In the last general election in 2008, Malaysia's opposition took 47% of the popular vote. That year Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the party of Mr. Najib's nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, went from one seat to 31. The establishment parties in Malaysia's neighboring states are also in retreat. The opposition scored a major victory in Thailand last weekend, and in Singapore opposition candidates made surprising gains. No wonder Mr. Najib and company are worried.

Many observers of Malaysian politics believe that electoral reform will lead to the ruling party's defeat, and that is why UMNO is afraid of Bersih. In the last election in 2008, the party received only one-third of the nation's votes. UMNO rules only because of its coalition with other political parties, which it increasingly marginalizes, that represent the Chinese and Indian minorities.

Mr. Najib and his allies say that the opposition's gains in 2008 prove that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Impartial observers disagree. Academic studies have enumerated how the Election Commission gerrymanders electoral districts to benefit the ruling party. The U.S. Department of State's human rights report bluntly states that opposition parties are unable to compete on equal terms with the governing coalition because of restrictions on campaigning and freedom of assembly and association. "News of the opposition," the U.S. says, is "tightly restricted and reported in a biased fashion."

In the recent state elections in Sarawak, the government announced $390 million in local projects during the run-up to the polls. Prime Minister Najib was caught on video tape telling one village gathering that the government would give them 5 million ringgit ($1.5 million) for a local project on Monday, but only if they elected his candidate on Sunday.

Who would win elections in Malaysia that truly are free and fair? The U.S. State Department reports that despite the many election irregularities during the 2008 elections, "most observers concluded they did not substantially alter the results." But unless the electoral reforms that Bersih is calling for are made, we will never know.

Despite the government's intimidation, thousands of Malaysian citizens of all races and religions are expected to exercise their constitutional right to assemble and call for free and fair elections. Tomorrow's protest represents a brave step in what not just Malaysians but also the international community should hope will begin the country's transition to full democracy. Mr. Najib should display his own courage and ensure that a peaceful rally that seeks the fundamental rights of democratic peoples everywhere does not turn into a bloody confrontation.

Mr. Malott was the United States ambassador to Malaysia from 1995-98.