The Naked Emperor

Dr Bakri Musa once said of AAB that “What we have in Abdullah is not a chief executive but a pseudo sultan, and not a very regal one at that. Malaysia already has nine sultans; it does not need a tenth.”

The unfortunate observation of AAB is that he enjoys being pampered to like a big chieftain if not a Sultan, willingly accepting sycophantic gestures such as State awards for his new wife – see my BolehTalk posts Elegant Smile - Elegant Title - Elegant Hopes? and Turquoise baju kurung again?

If he had any sense of proportion he would have flicked off their meaningless gesture to award his new wife with high honours as repulsive bodek actions but alas he didn't, and thus the Bodek-ites quickly learnt what would please him, so they laid it thick and fact.

Very soon he surrounded himself with sycophants, court jesters and confidential counsellors who keep telling the Emperor he wore the finest clothes when His 10th Royal Highness was utterly naked.

Mind you, ‘twas not naked as in bare-all accountability, but naked as in bare of ability.

I suspect AAB wasn’t even aware of the reality that his administration had been despised for its feral arrogance, shameless bigotry, incompetent professionalism and brutal suppression of legitimate voices.

Shielded by a coterie of court courtiers who were determined to control the information flow to him (for their own interests) he could have been led to believe in his own but expired popularity of his 2004 election landslide win. Thus he continued to reign in haughty imperial mode oblivious to the democratic forces tearing down his gates.

Who had idiotically advised AAB to come down like a ton of bricks on Hindraf? Thanks to that, AAB overreacted to what could have been a peaceful rally like Bersih (almost was), to his eventual disaster. His heavy handedness naturally evoked an equally out of proportion reaction from crucial voting segments that had hitherto supported the BN faithfully, but which since then had brought his once invincible UMNO crashing down.

Even his opponents including Anwar Ibrahim were caught by surprise by the election outcome. Among the opposition, hope in the election was one thing, the expectation was modest but reality on that fateful Saturday night of 08 March 2008 was a delightful early Christmas present.

That night, suddenly the people’s voice came out loud and clear: “The Emperor has no clothes on!”

Too late now.

Stunned by such an unmitigated loss, even of his cawat, thus allowing Anwar Ibrahim to come within striking distance, the balance of power has shifted significantly with the same earth shaking force that the globe had experienced on a Boxing Day some years ago which brought the most frightening tsunami to the littoral States of the Indian Ocean. AAB suffered the same magnitude of tsunamic force.

He has finally woken up, totally naked as he had been for quite a while.

He now attempts to do what he ought to have done in 2004. Malaysiakini tells us he has coopted very competent Zaid Ibrahim via a Senate appointment into his government. Shahrir Samad, another capable UMNO man has also been recruited.

But either habits die hard or internal UMNO politics, now more important than ever for an enervated UMNO President, has disappointingly enabled Muhammad Muhd Taib to join the ministerial line-up. But we should at least be grateful Mike Tyson has not been given Wismaputra – what would the Australians have said!

Bloggers should be glad to see both Zam and Tengku "80% of bloggers are unemployed female liars” are out!!! Likewise with the bloke who believed darker skins reflect the owners' inferior caste or status.

But no other indication of AAB’s terribly weakened and vulnerable position as UMNO president has been more lucid than the total absence of his Tengku Mahkota from the new cabinet.

Now, what do we do with the brigade of Mat Cemerlangs?