Akmal is a dangerous bully who dares not challenge China

Akmal is a dangerous bully who dares not challenge China

S Thayaparan
Published: Mar 27, 2024


“A bully will always pick on a smaller person.”

- Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University

COMMENT | Khairy Jamaluddin thinks that Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh is merely doing his job but should now stand down because he has made his point.

What exactly is Akmal’s job and what point has he made? The recent failed terrorist attack against a KK Mart outlet is a sign of the shape of things to come.

Make no mistake, this was not merely causing mischief. This was a failed terrorist attack because the culprit wanted to send a religious message to the populace of the country.

This is exactly the kind of terrorist attack that happened when a DAP political operative’s cars were set on fire. The reason behind that is the same, that a religious message was sent to intimidate the populace.

Khairy also said if the Malay Muslim outrage continued this would feed into negative racial narratives. Of course, this is what Akmal wants. In defending himself against charges that he was a bully, he claimed he was a defender and not a bully.

He said - “A defender is someone who protects the weak from being bullied… Islam and Muslims have been insulted.

“You can say whatever you want to protect these tycoons, but you will not be able to stop the public from continuing the boycott and expressing their objections. I only have the people to defend, not tycoons to protect.”


The real victims

This is exactly the kind of racial narrative that Akmal was hoping to stoke when he started this boycott. He must feel extremely religiously and politically virile seeing how two Chinese “tycoons” were charged with hurting the religious feelings of people, the people he is claiming to defend while being enabled by the mandarins of Umno and the cowards in Pakatan Harapan.

He is hoping the Malays see themselves as victims, while the real victims in this case are rich “tycoons” purposely hurting the religious feelings of “poor” working-class Malay Muslims.

Of course, he did not and most probably would not be given the green light to go after the Chinese manufacturers of the socks. This is classic bully-boy behaviour. Prey on people who you know cannot fight back for whatever reasons.

The non-Muslim population cannot fight back because to do so would only invite more aggression from people claiming they represent the majority. Our elected officials are quiet and only seem to be able to make fait accompli admonitions.

However, there are a few who buck the trend.

Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau rightly asked why Akmal was not demanding an apology from China. To be honest I would actually like to see Akmal (if he had the cajones) protest against China if only to see Beijing’s response.

Remember when Jamal Yunos of the Red Shirts was threatening violence in Petaling Street, what was China’s response? Well, they trotted out their ambassador for a merry jaunt in Petaling Street and then defended the ambassador's action saying - “The ambassador hoped to show Petaling Street is still a safe and attractive spot, and so is Malaysia.”

There was this gem as well - "The ambassador was also happy to see there are not only Chinese traders in the Petaling Street but also traders of other races.”

Keep in mind the ambassador’s strongly worded statement - “But concerning the infringement on China’s national interests, violations of legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens and businesses which may damage the friendly relationship between China and the host country, we will not sit by idly.”

God knows I have my issues with China but this was not a cowardly statement.

KK Mart owner KK Chai and his wife Loh Siew Mui


Can you imagine what the response would have been here? In my fantasy, the current Chinese emissary would visit a KK Mart store saying that the stores were efficiently run, clean and the prices of goods were competitive or something like that. And he would urge people of all races to frequent the store.

This of course would probably make a mockery of the already mockable aggrieved feelings of these defenders of race and religion.


Why pick on ‘Chinese tycoons’?

Speaking of racial narratives, why only pick on the “Chinese tycoons”? As Tajuddin Rasdi said - “Don’t forget that when the socks were produced and brought into Malaysia, they had to go through customs. Why doesn’t he go for the customs officers who allowed the socks to come through?

“After all, those customs officers are Malay Muslims. Are you going to blame them as well for what happened?”

Of course not, because these are civil servants and the political establishment is deathly afraid of hurting their feelings. But of course, for the Malay Muslim workers of KK Mart and the Malay Muslim clientele of KK Mart, these bullies have no interest in them.

Okay, check that. If Akmal were really brave, why didn’t he ask all the Malay Muslims who work for KK Mart or work for the owners of KK Mart in any capacity to resign from their jobs in protest of this egregious act of hurting the sanctity of Islam?

I guess this would have been a bridge too far for Akmal and his enablers.

Instead, this so-called defender is being enabled once again by the mainstream political establishment by attempting to distance himself from the religious and political aggression that his cowardly polemics have created.

What would have happened if the terrorist act was successful and the petrol bomb went off killing people? What would happen if more acts like this were carried out by people claiming to protect the sanctity of their religion?

Khairy asked “First of all, for Muslims, we need to take a step back. Are we going too far?” As always deflecting the blame from the political elites and throwing the average Muslim under the bus.

This is the ketuanan (supremacy) way.



S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”