The story of kepala bapa kau

MM Online - At 36.42pc, BN records lowest popular vote in history (extracts):

Based on Malay Mail’s compilation of BN and the Alliance’s past performances since the first general elections in 1959, the coalition’s current share of votes at 36.42 per cent has never been this low before.

BN had won a precarious 51.38 per cent of the popular vote in Election 2008, before losing the popular vote in Election 2013 at 47.37 per cent — its lowest ever then since Election 1969.

In fact, the second lowest vote share by BN/ Alliance would be in Election 1969 when it won 44.96 per cent of the votes.

Hisommudin Bakar, CEO of research house Ilham Centre, said the popular vote share results reflected an internal protest within BN’s Malay-based party Umno.
“Umno members protested by voting for the opposition,” he told Malay Mail when contacted, noting that this was in part due to Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak openly attacking PH chairman and former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad openly on public television with references to an “old man” or “93-year-old old man”.

“It’s a big mistake, serious mistake because the Malays pantang (are against) insulting the elderly or insulting teachers. Tun Mahathir is like a mentor to Umno, however big his mistake, don’t insult openly,” he said, adding that the criticism caused Umno members to cast “sympathy votes” to Dr Mahathir.

I am not sure whether Hisommudin Bakar's take has been correct, but I do remember the Malay saying 'Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat' which may explain or justify his allegation that Najib's humongous mistake was to insult Mahathir who was seen as not only his mentor but that of UMNO and thus UMNO members.

It's not only the Malays who considered biadab-ness as socially abominable. The Chinese and no doubt the Indians too share the same cultural taboo (pantang).

Mind, from my personal observations, the younger generations of Chinese Malaysians seem to be more biadab towards their elders and others. I wonder whether we could lay the blame on the community's greater exposure to Western influence and the latter's emphasis in individual rights? In contrast, Asians like Malays, Indians and Chinese tend to empathise on community or group rights, and of course respect for elders.

If so, then ironically, Mahathir has inherited a phalanx of nouveau supporters who are of that (questionable) calibre, the lil' raja-raja biadap terlampau. I can think of and indeed have experienced many examples but I choose one which you all have been familiar with but which you may disagree with me, the case of Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

From Malaysiakini:

Public Accounts Committee (PAC) deputy chairperson Dr Tan Seng Giaw stood by his statement that the PAC report into the 1MDB fiasco did not implicate caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"That was merely my view based on the PAC report into 1MDB. I opined that you need to have proof to implicate someone. Failing which, it would be fake (allegation)," he told Malaysiakini.

Tan said this when asked whether the controversial statement had led to him being dropped as the candidate for Kepong parliamentary seat. [...]

"Nevermind. Regardless of what had led to this (me being dropped), you need to substantiate your allegation with proof. The ultimate party to decide is the court of law," Tan said.

"I read the (PAC) report. What I found only is that the (1MDB's former) CEO had been implicated. But I do agree that we need further probe because this involves public funds."

Anything wrong in what he said?

YES YES YES - Dr Tan Seng Giaw FAILED to blame Najib, regardless. That was/is his biggest sin, thus he has been and still is viciously abused as a 'running dog', but ironically by the maddened rabid vicious mongrels who are either offspring or clones of what once were called fanatical anwaristas or fanatical umno thugs, but who have today transformed into fanatical mahathiristas, wakakaka.

Based on his reading of documents during PAC Dr Tan Seng Giaw refused (refuses) to lie just to propagate hatred against a political opponent. He bucked the Bush-like saying of "either you're with us or against us" where there was no room for truth nor decency.

Dr Tan, your failure has been your refusal to accuse Najib even without evidence

It must be 'attack, attack, attack', but he refused to go along or scream Banzai (wakakaka, but with a sad teardrop for Dr Tan). He is still vilified today for standing up for the truth, that based on what he had read in the PAC report.

But say, even if Dr Tan was wrong, he still didn't deserve such disrespectful vilification. 

Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?

- Confucius

And in the words of Che Guevara, "If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine."

Yes, I tremble with indignation at the disrespectful injustice done to Dr Tan Seng Giaw and many others.