'Xcuse, we're DAP, we don't plot coup d'état!

Yesterday when I posted The Achilles heel of Anwar Ibrahim I quoted a Malaysiakini report 'Opposition had planned demo today' which had Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid claiming his ministry has received information that the opposition would be staging numerous demonstrations with the sole purpose of toppling the government.

I was alarmed by the term 'opposition' because that would include the DAP, which I doubt would be involved in the sort of street agitation that a particular group (not DAP) is particularly fond of and already notorious for.

Thus I added a comment that Syed Hamid had probably meant the PKR ;-)

“…numerous demonstrations were to be staged by the opposition with the sole purpose of toppling the government.”

The above statement by Syed Hamid of alleged 'opposition' intent reminded me of my post Anwar Ibrahim sings Canto-pop songs? one year ago where I commented on an article by one of Malaysiakini columnists, Manjit Bhatia, who lambasted the Malaysian non-Malays (mainly Chinese and Indians) for paying only lip service to their support for the opposition.

As an example of their alleged 'apathetic' political commitment, he singled out the general lack of non-Malay participation in the Anwar Ibrahim inspired street protest, the so-called reformasi revolution, that was launched after the former DPM was sacked from UMNO.

In that post I attached my letter to Malaysiakini rebutting Manjit Bhatia’s criticisms of the Chinese and Indians. I wrote (extract):

“…the Chinese wouldn't want to take sides in what was basically a tussle between two Umno factions - Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s and Anwar Ibrahim's ...”

“That one side lost was inevitable and certainly not the concern of either the Chinese or Indians. That the loser suffered all the subsequent nastiness is regrettable but hardly made that bloke a political reformist. Yes, Bhatia may not even be aware that Chinese Malaysians looked upon, and still do, Anwar Ibrahim and his so-called reformasi with cynicism, distrust and indeed disdain.”

“… most non-Malays didn't view the so-called reformasi street protests as a clarion call for Malaysians to join in to protest against a repressive state. They didn't associate their own repression with Anwar falling on his Umno keris.”

“To them, Anwar was not the solution but rather part of the problem. Anwar had played for high stakes in a game that determined his personal ascendancy to the top of Umno, and which didn't include non-Malay Malaysians.”

“So when he faltered in his ambitious endeavour, don't blame the non-Malays for not buying his spin that it was about political reforms. That's about as plausible as the Bush administration's fabrication on the Saddam Hussein-Osama Laden link.”

Well, my faith in the DAP as not the rebel rousing rabble was justified in a news report by Malaysia titled DAP trio: Meeting ... what meeting? where Lim Snr and Jnr, and Tan Seng Giaw demanded a retraction from Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who was quoted in the Star as saying that the DAP leaders had attended the meeting in PKR headquarters.

Lim Jnr said: “On July 9, none of the DAP leaders were in the PKR headquarters (in Petaling Jaya, for the alleged meeting). (Syed Hamid) said that if his intelligence is not true, he is willing to withdraw his statement. We are demanding that he withdraws his statement because it is false, it is untrue, complete fabrication, complete lie.”

“In fact we have not stepped into the new PKR headquarters. It shows that the intelligence department is not reliable. They can give false information, so perhaps they can be charged under the Printing Presses and Publications Act for spreading false news.”

All had alibis to discredit Syed Hamid's accusation. The Minister then attempted to tap dance away by blaming the (unintelligent) intelligence report he received. He tried to salvage some ‘face’ by merajuk-ingly saying:

“If they seek an apology properly, then I will apologise properly. If they shout and call names, then it is a bit difficult.”

Lim GE, take it from me, Syed Hamid has virtually said “sollee leow” – You know how it is with UMNO people, or those who were formerly from UMNO - to paraphrase Erich Segal, "UMNO means never having to say you're sollee" - wakakaka!