Dinosaur.
That’s what Star group editor Wong Chun Wai called Ibrahim Ali in his latest column article titled Talk less, listen harder, where he wrote (as advice to BN leaders out of touch with their constituencies):
“We are not interested in 100-storey buildings, stupid political quarrels, whether wives should be obedient to their husbands in bed or racist tirades from political dinosaurs like Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa.”
Though Wong referred specifically to Ibrahim Ali as the dinosaur, he was actually including most BN leaders ... mind you, not that he would make that accusation/advice too obvious.
This is particular true for MCA and Gerakan leaders who had the brazen cheek to taunt PAS and DAP for the recent Kedah ban on entertainment outlets during Ramadan, when in fact they have been the very ones who in 1997 supported UMNO in passing that piece of legislation restricting jollying during the holy month - see The Malaysian Insider's PAS: MCA, Gerakan approved nightspot ban in 1997.
In today's information-rich world, political hypocrites and liars like some MCA and Gerakan leaders are so dinosaur-ish, and thus deserving of their eventual extinction.
Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak is another one. Though the brouhaha he unnecessarily caused has now been resolved, thanks to PAS national leadership, he is known for his outdated approach which would be better placed in the fringe areas of the remote regions of the Pakistani northwest.
Another PAS dinosaur is Dr Hasan in Selangor. He remains potentially a dangerous loose cannon.
Wannabe-Melayu Dr Ridhuan Tee should also be confined to Jurassic Park.
All these people who are so moral should call on all Senior Government Servants and Politicians in both the Government and the opposition to delare their assets to an Independent Arbitration Body if they are serious about what they preach and want to see Malaysia get out of the Third World Syndrome.
ReplyDeleteIn politics it pays to imagine how it looks like from the other side.
ReplyDeleteFor many Malays, the dinosaur is Lim Kit Siang.
Rightly or wrongly, but that's a perception which DAP has to address.
Anon of 6:11 PM, July 18, 2011, dinosaurs refer to the (kuno, old fashion) mentality and (uni-ethnic) attitude of Malaysian politicians rather than their age ;-)
ReplyDelete(kuno, old fashion) mentality and (uni-ethnic) attitude of Malaysian politicians rather than their age.....
ReplyDeleteLim Kit Siang
That's the perception among many Malays anyway, fair or unfair, which DAP needs to address
I take political dinosaurs to mean those politicians whose methods are of no longer applicable in today's world, and who have been dismissed by voters such as Dollah Badawi, Koh TK and Samy Vellu. Like dinosaurs, they should be displayed in museums so that the rakyat can wonder what it is like to live under their tyranny.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly Wong Chun Wai is in your good books.
ReplyDeleteAll this while you consider him as MCA lap-dog.
All these brohaha for nothing.It makes these politicians whether from Umno or PR look like schoolkids.Before deciding on some policy they should chit chat first,like twins or triplets.Than there is no need to backtrack later on.
ReplyDeleteThis Wong Chun Wai is a triple headed snake.He is CSL's lapdog,same like CSL is Umno's lapdog.What happened to him and his star newspaper when Tung Shin Hospital was under attack.He was hiding under CSL's mak ayam's sarong,working his tongue out.
This Melayu wanabe Ridzuan Tee is not that noisy since he had his tongue bitten by CSL's mak ayams.He stuck his tongue out to long when the mak ayam's clamp shell was closing.Lucky for him his tongue wasn't biten off.
Wong Chun Wai's Star tried to pretend for days that the tear-gassing of Tung Shin hospital didn't exist. Not one single line of reporting.
ReplyDeleteThey only made a mention, buried deep in the middle pages, when PDRM announced they were forming team to probe the alleged incident.
The Star totally fails the test of a responsible press. I'm not asking them to take sides in the argument - I'm asking them to be a responsible newspaper, with an obligation for the Truth.
Imagine, in my schooldays in Penang, the Star was my fave - 'twas then a brave and good newspaper on many scores but once (either) Ling LS or Ong Ka Ting started buying up and taming newspapers like the Star, Nanyang and most Chinese media, they became nothing more than meek media. I heard it happened after Dr M was pissed off with the Chinese media (and thus MCA?) for supporting the opposition in a by-election (was it Lunas?)
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of you more learned 'historian' can shed some light on this?
indonesia the most liberal muslim country does not sell liquor during ramadhan nor any of their dangdut joint open....
ReplyDeletesome years ago, when I was studying in Indonesia for a year, I was able to buy my liquor needs (Chivas Regal and Johnny Walker Black) at Jakarta supermarkets throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteIndonesia - supposedly the most liberal Muslim country - is held hostage and intimidated by religious fanatics/extremists who use threats and violence without hesitation to impose their will on all.
ReplyDeleteThe "most liberal Muslim country" label seems to be promoted by the West, America mostly, who must have an agenda in doing so. This is to stroke Indonesia's ego so as to make it easier to bring it into line and continue to keep it as an ally.
Aiya Kt. You can aso find it here in any supermarkets. Also at my neighborhood grocer.
ReplyDeleteAs to Star, I think it was the Ops Lalang when Star had to suspend operations.
During the eighties when I was working in Indonesia,it was a common sight in coffee shops for soldiers to be drinking beer.Most of them Muslims and some Christians.Then,beer and cigarettes was half the price of Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteI asked one of my surbodinates why beer was so cheap,his reply was because that the soldiers drank a lot of beers.In Indonesia many of the Malays are Christians too.For a Muslim country Indonesia is many times more liberal than Malaysia.
I still miss their kampong ayam,fresh water prawns and fishes.If you ordered prawns or fish they will just walk to the river behind their houses and scooped them up.Their sambal belachan was really good.A few years after I came back I left for the States and I been here ever since.
yes Bruno, you're right that some years ago (don't know about now) liquor was far cheaper in Indon than our Malaysia. Chivas Regal was virtually at Malaysian airport tax-free price. My Indon mateys told me the reason, that people were so poor there very few except the few rich could afford to buy stuff like Chivas or J Walker black, let alone more expensive liquor. Thus it was more economical and efficient to dispense with the administrative cost of taxing stuff very few Indons could purchase. The cost would have outweighted the tax revenue.
ReplyDeleteIndons are quite unique in their religious tolerance, where in a family you could find a Muslim dad, Hindu mum, Christian (Catholic) son, Christian (Protestant) daughter-in-law, and Buddhist daughter. Apart from these 5 officially accepted religions (yes, Christianity was accepted as two separate religions, RC and Protestant Church), the military also accepted a sixth, Confucianism/Taoism (as one religion). The only belief (or non-belief) NOT accepted was atheism. The Indon government believe that if one professes one of the official (and military-accepted) religions, one could not be a communist wakakaka.
Incidentally, Indons call their belacan 'terasi', thus sambal terasi yummy.
***
Buttercup, when I talked about liquor being available in Jakarta supermarkets during my stay there I was responding to Pentilium5 mention of liquor not being sold in Indon during Ramadan. Maybe that's the case today, but not so during my times.
Regarding MCA buy-up of Chinese newspapers I wasn't talking about suspension of the Star newspaper in Ops Lalang. This was way after Ops Lalang.
I was referring to Dr M's anger that the Chinese news media was talking up the PAS candidate and talking down the BN's through criticism of UMNO wakakaka, in the Lunas( confirm?) by-election, which the BN candidate lost. After that, the MCA, to manja down Towkay's anger wakakaka, started buying up most Chinese newspapers in particular Nanyang (to control them, of course). That's when the Chinese newspapers, previously quite vocal, became very tame.
You are right. Indeedy. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteKT,you are right.Then the people there were very poor.I was working near Tebing Tinggi about 1 1/2 hrs from Medan.
ReplyDeleteWhy I said Indonesia,the most populated Muslim country in the world was many times more liberal than Malaysia was that their Malays have more freedom than our Malays in Malaysia.They can dressed and wear whatever they like.They can drink and eat openly in Chinese coffeeshops and restaurants.
In tourists resorts like in Lake Toba,Brastagi and Medan most of the workers in hotels,bars,nightclubs and massage parlours are Malays and Bataks.Chinese not that many.You don't see the religious police raiding these joints for khalwat,drinking or whatever.
Even in Jarkarta and other tourist resorts in Indonesia are the same.At least their government are not hypocrites.They know that there are not enough jobs for the people so they let them carry on and make a living.Maybe now times and things have changed.