Friday, January 16, 2009

Let's leave the pig out, please!

I must say that I have been shocked by Debra Chong’s write up of Anwar Ibrahim in The Malaysian Insider today.

In her Will the An-wow factor tip the scales? Maybe not I read the first paragraph which said:

Last night, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim supped with some 600 voters in a seaside restaurant here famous with the local Chinese community for its porcine fare.

Yessirree, I was utterly gobsmacked!

... because 'porcine’ means 'something of or pertaining to swine, or resembling swine, or hoggish, or piggish'.

Of course she meant it as a backhanded compliment for Anwar Ibrahim, because she followed up that opening paragraph with:

He ate no pork. The VIP table, where he was seated alongside Malaysia Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and ex-minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, were served with halal dishes catered from outside.

But in religiously-sensitive Malaysia, where one man's meat is easily another man's poison, the former deputy Prime Minister's willingness to eat in a non-halal joint scored him brownie points with the majority non-Muslim dinner crowd.

But I thought the reference to pork was totally unnecessary and in poor taste (pun not intended).

Much as I am anti Anwar Ibrahim, and I make no bones about, where my good mate Dean Johns had also alluded to that in passing in his Malaysiakini article Even madder about Malaysia, also the title of his latest book*, I wouldn’t associate Anwar or any Muslim with the piggy word.

* BTW, don’t forget to buy a copy of Dean's latest book, where its Foreward is written by another good mate of mine, Antares, who (sob) doesn’t like me anymore (sob) ;-) Good olde Dean will give you good value for money.

Already we see the poor pig being used as a symbol of utter disrespect, implied insult or even as a message of hate in another Malaysiakini news article Pig head in surau at UM, where UM students discovered to their horror a pig's head on the floor of the surau located in the Islamic studies academy. The pig’s head was chopped into two portion and placed on a PAS flag.

This is mischief at its most outrageous, and could have instigated a nasty jihad (in the worst sense of the J-word), or worse, get some poor innocent blokes bashed up or murdered.

I find this act totally irresponsible just as I find the 'porcine' word in Debra's article totally unnecessary.

12 comments:

  1. Ktemoc-"I am anti Anwar Ibrahim".

    Have you ever realised being strongly anti- a particular person is a very poor base to build up credibility as a political commentator ?

    Its perfectly acceptable, even expected to be for or against policies, political platforms, political parties.

    But when your principal platform is to be strongly anti a particular person you end up being very personal and lose credibility...

    Cheers

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  2. Hi KT

    Friends of my wife also removed similar "head" near the entrance of a mosque in Taman Melawati, KL, many years ago when they were still students.

    Let good sense prevail and not bitterness rule the response of our grievances.

    Regards

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  3. Pax V, ;-) with a person like Anwar who hasn't changed politically (contrary to his supporters' claims he has), being anti Anwar is summarising I'm against his political conduct (still as bad as in 1994 - no change at all), intention and hypocrisy (what reforms? again and again he still encourages defections a la 1994).

    I distrust him - full stop - and cannot support him as a politician.

    Hey, I am a blogger, not a media political commentator wakakakakaaka

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  4. most dont support anwar but instead support to kick out BN!

    if not anwar, who else can do it?

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  5. ... so does anyone think the message intended with the pig head on the PAS flag was that PAS can be a bit pig-headed?

    No? Didn't think so.

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  6. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16211-pas-takes-kt-in-convincing-win

    All in all, Its a very satisfactory day. It may not be Halal by PAS standards, but me and some like-minded mateys (including a few Mxxxxs, hehehehe) are going to have a little celebration tonight with Chivas Regal on-the-rocks.

    No, it was not a referendum on Hudud. It was a mid-term test report card on how the ruling regime in Putrajaya is doing to date. The people of KT have concurred with my assessment - BN deserves an "E" or even "F".

    How significant is it ? Before March 8, a basic political rule of thumb in Malaysian politics is BN always wins by-elections.
    The sheer power of incumbency and ability to focus its entire machinery on a small constituency usually easily overwhelms the opposition.

    Not true anymore.
    The people have woken up.

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  7. certainly Mr Ktemoc , you are in much dire straits , from now on post KT ( post KT-emoc ), such a shame really as you are actually a good writer working for the wrong people or one who needs serious re-alignment

    Hail the new Hero Anwar

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  8. The Chinese voters in Kuala Terengganu still supported BN, in fact the Chinese support for BN actually increased compared with the March 08 general election. Very clear they do not want the Hudud Laws. PAS won due to large number of Malay votes swing because PR with the help of Malay NGOs who are against Science and Maths taught in English played up the issue with the Malay voters.

    This win tell me the country is moving backward. I do not celebrate instead I shed for Malaysia. By the way it will be interesting to see a by election between DAP and MCA.

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  9. A by-election between DAP and MCA in a Chinese majority seat at this point in time ?
    Are you joking ?
    I don't enjoy watching blood-sports....wakakakaka

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  10. I heard that all BN MPs have been banned from playing badminton.... unless they go for a thorough medical checkup first.....given what happened recently.

    And all BN-initiated legal challenges to the March 2008 election results will be quietly withdrawn..

    There's a palpable fear of facing another by-election right now...

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  11. Anon 5:44,

    In other words you are saying DAP is invisible, tell that to your kids.....hehehehe

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  12. What's wrong with pork, or beef, or any other food that is considered 'unclean'?

    Someone recorded this long ago:

    14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
    15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
    16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
    17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
    18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
    19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
    20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
    21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
    22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
    23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
    (Mark chapter 7).

    sing lau, penang.

    ReplyDelete