Sunday, February 03, 2008

AAB threatened Bersih for tearing EC chairman's photo

“One of the great attractions of patriotism it fulfills our worst wishes. In the person of our nation we are able, vicariously, to bully and cheat. Bully and cheat, what's more, with a feeling that we are profoundly virtuous.”

- Aldous Huxley


So, some Bersih leaders tore the photograph of the Election Commission chairman, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, in protest (or disgust) at what they perceived as his lack of even handedness, or in his failing to exhibit the required neutrality as the supposed ‘umpire’ in federal and state elections.

Neutrality? This was the bloke who had the unmitigated and brazen cheek (or plain stupidity) to say Only one 'regime' is capable of running the country, where he had shamelessly said:

“A lot of people are anxious to determine the type of regime that is going to handle Malaysia in the coming years. They are always talking about regimes. I never talk about regimes. There is only one regime in this country that is capable of running (the country).”

“People get angry with me whenever I say this (but) people don’t seem to understand the critical scenario in the country. What is it that can (take) over from the present one given the political scenario we are in?”

I had then blogged: 'That’s not your bloody business, Abdul Rashid! If you have any decency and are fearful of answering to God, you should resign from the EC and join your favourite regime as a party faithful instead of sitting in the publicly paid job as a supposedly neutral and independent Election Commissioner, when you're obviously not.'

'The EC should be immediately sacked by the King on the urging of Parliament for his officially declared political bias. But I guess in making this procedurally correct and justified (but bloody silly) call I am just pissing into the wind.'

'Then he showed his UMNO bias, not that we weren’t aware of that but his daring was staggeringly breath-taking, in speaking out aloud at a seminar on Malaysian political development organised by the political science department of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) in Kuala Lumpur today.'

Can you blame people, let alone Bersih leaders, for viewing this man with utmost disrespect, disdain and disgust?

Abdul Rahman knows our feelings because he made his next stupid statement by
asking for the power to sue critics who make allegations against the EC. Basically he wants to silence anyone who raises complaints against him and the several unexplained decisions and actions of the EC.

I gave him a piece of my mind in Chairman of EC should resign. I was disgusted by his nerve in making a political statement against his accusers who had complained of vote-rigging. He accused them as: “… traitors (for hurting the image of the country).”

I blogged: 'Whether those accusers are traitors or not is not for you, Abdul Rashid a public servant, to open your big mouth to say. You should immediately apologize for your reckless slandering of members of the Malaysian public.'

So Bersih tore his photo as a symbolic gesture of their dissatisfaction at what they see as his lack of neutrality and independence as the chairman of the EC, and what did our PM do?

Instead on falling back on his renowned ‘elegant silence’ he too had to blunder into the disgraceful episode by threatening to take action against Bersih for tearing up photos of Abdul Rashid.

Malaysiakini tells us in Tearing up Rashid's photo: PM mulls action that AAB said:

“We should take action if there are laws that provide for punishment for such an action. They’re rude and disrespectful. There are other ways to air their disapproval."

Since when has the photo of Abdul Rashid gained the hallowed sanctity of the iconic Jalur Gemilang?

When the PM of our nation threatens harmless acts of democratic expression with the law (whatever that is nowadays) it speaks ill of our nation’s state.

The village bully is back!

6 comments:

  1. After tearing the Rashid pictures, they should have taken the next step - take them out of the building and burn them and reduced them to ashes. This man should also be “symbolically annihilated by burning” for crimes against a fair and clean election and opening declaring his biasness.
    He has committed gross acts of violations in gerrymandering in between almost all the GE since 1969 and his latest act is in removing 1/2 Million supposedly "dead" voters and you would not be surprised that in the coming GE Election, many eligible voters would complain in marginal opposition constituencies that their names are "missing" - classified as dead & gone - once again to give the BN the unfair advantage and perpetual stay in Power

    What BERSIH and all related blogs should from now onwards provide the URL link to enable all online readers to check and check for their friends to see that their names are still in the electoral roll
    The provision of indelible ink and transparent boxes are just too superficial gestures to declare that the coming GE is getting more fairer when the behind the scene manipulation of constituencies borders and transferring of voters from nearby ones are on going process being done all the time to give the ruling BN the edge. No wonder his retirement is extended for his “excellent” services to the EC.

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  2. Consider it a 'gentle' reaction from rakyat that his posters got tore up ....this useless EC should be hang in front of the public and then burn his body into ashes...and his ashes feed to dust mites or thrown into the sea as fish food...

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  3. "there are other ways to air their disapproval." said the PM.

    what other ways?? they went on the street to protest, and you (and all your honchos) said that was not the way to air disapproval! and now this, you say again not the way to do it. then, pray tell us how do we air our disapproval, our anger, our frustration?

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  4. by the way, its ra-shit isnt it? apt to use that to wrap soiled daipers. fits perfectly.

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  5. KT, you fail to see the dangerous trends of AAB to idolise his OWN portrait. It is no different than any tyrant. Worst, it can go to an extend that imitate Chairman Mao.

    And the best part : Islam forbid worship an idol. AAB Islam Hadari, huh!

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  6. The Bersih leaders should take Rashid to court, and get him out of the Elections Comm. once n for all.
    Sickens one's soul to have to be told who to vote for by someone who should at least keep him mouth shut about his own political convictions, as he is the head of a body - that should be IMPARTIAL and FAIR. He is just a paid servant who should do his job professionally, and if he cannot or will not be impartial - then he should resign like a gentleman n not be an Idiot n make such gross stupid statements.
    By his own admission - the court should discharge him from his duty.

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