Penang Run into insensitivity and apologies?

FMT - Penang Run organiser tells Gerakan to stop politicising Deepavali issue




GEORGE TOWN: The organiser of a run being held on Sunday, the day after Deepavali, slammed Gerakan for “politicising” the faux pas despite they having apologised to Indians in Penang.

Penang Run 2016 organiser Andrew Loh said Gerakan is taking advantage of this current situation by attacking the organiser just to get back at the Penang state government.

Loh questioned why the party did not say much when a similar situation occurred in 2013, when the run then was held during Thaipusam.

He pointed out that the 2013 organisers were not reprimanded nor were they asked to apologise to Indians, like what he had to do.

“I regret that Gerakan continues to politicise the 2016 Penang Run, even though I had already apologised.

“I do not wish to be dragged further into this political game by Gerakan to use the 2016 Penang Run to attack the Penang government,” Loh said in a statement today.

Gerakan was first to sound off on the choice of date, saying the organiser was insensitive towards the feelings of Indians and deprived them of the chance of competing in the event.

Deputy Chief Minister II and Hindu Endowments Board Chairman P Ramasamy demanded that the organiser apologise to Indians in the state.

The organiser then issued a statement saying the run will carry on as the date was chosen due to the “long weekend” and that it also coincided with the “national race calendar”.

The following day, he apologised to Indians, saying he “did not realise” that October 30 was the day after Deepavali.

Out of the 1,780 runners registered for this year’s run, only 56 were Indians, while in the previous edition of the event held in July this year, there were only 38 Indians.

Firstly, let me try to answer Andrew Loh's query on why Gerakan was silent on the 2013 Penang Run but is rather vocal now. BTW, Andrew is spokesperson for ActifeStyle Concept.

It was probably that in the 2013 Run, the Gerakan was still licking its fatal wounds after it rude elimination from the Penang scene a la the Cambodian 'killing fields' after the 2013 GE, whereas it's unusually noisy now because the next general election is just around the corner. Every Indian vote counts lah, wakakaka, so Gerakan is now char koay teow-ing.

But yes, I agree with poor Andrew Loh that Gerakan is using "... the 2016 Penang Run to attack the Penang government." 

But alas, Andrew, that's what politicians do, to opportunistically milk every possible sunshine-occasions* in the hope of scoring brownie points for their re-elections. You are just collateral damage.

* sunshine-occasions from the aphorism 'make hay while the sun shines', wakakaka

Secondly, I disagree with Gerakan that the organiser was insensitive towards the feelings of Indians and deprived them of the chance of competing in the event.

There was nothing insensitive about the date for the Run - Oh, how I just hate this Malaysian oft-overused word of 'insensitive'.

It was just an oversight. It happens all the time. Even husbands forget their wives' birthdays, wakakaka - though I feel sorry for those who did because they'd be feeling terribly 'sensitive' after the shelling they would undoubtedly receive, wakakaka again.

It's always good to apologize for an unintentional oversight, though I have to say DCM II P Ramasamy needn't have stepped into a minor issue to DEMAND the organiser apologise to Indians in the state. 

What a lot of crock. Yes, apologies should be gentlemanly made on sincere genuine regret as in the case of an unintentional oversight, such as an inconvenient date, but should never be made in pursuant of a political or politicized demand.

But WTF am I talking about? Didn't I just write above ... that's what politicians do, to opportunistically milk every possible sunshine-occasions* in the hope of scoring brownie points for their re-elections. You are just collateral damage.

... and isn't P Ramasamy also another politician? One with a far more relevant 'constituency'?

Wakakaka. But good on you, Andrew Loh.