12/11: Bodowi insults Malaysia's King
Category: Letters
Posted by: raja petra
By Old Sea Dog
Is the Mahathir Conspiracy at last manifesting itself in full force? What is the Mahathir Conspiracy? One view is that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister and president of the UMNO party for almost 22 years, has never forgiven UMNO for kicking him out of the party most unceremoniously in 1970. After the racial riots of 1969 the young firebrand Dr Mahathir had strongly criticised then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman for his laid back administration of the country which led to the riots. This resulted in Dr Mahathir being dismissed from UMNO and wandering in the wilderness for a few years. He was only reinstated in the party after Tunku had resigned as Prime Minister.
As Malaysians discovered over 22 years of his rule, Tun Dr Mahathir has great love for his people the Malays and for all Malaysians. However, the same may not be true about his feelings for the UMNO party. Dr Mahathir has never forgotten that UMNO once kicked him out.
Perhaps, to teach UMNO a lesson, Dr Mahathir promoted the less capable and often imbecile to important positions within the party. One such example is the present Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who is becoming increasingly known among the Malaysian public as 'bodowi'. In Malay 'bodoh' means 'stupid'. Pundits say that it was not possible for Dr Mahathir not to have known Abdullah Badawi's lack of capacity for the top job. Yet he chose Abdullah Badawi to replace him. Not only the present Prime Minister but many of his Cabinet members like Zainuddin Mydin, Syed Hamid Albar, Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Johari Baharom and others are proving particularly inept in their jobs.
The Badawi administration has been bungling and fumbling along for the past four years. Even Dr Mahathir's strongest critics now openly acknowledge the world of difference between his administration and the present Government. Dr Mahathir was well known as a good planner and efficient administrator. Abdullah Badawi on the other hand is frequently caught dozing at official functions.
Responding to Saturday's massive peaceful protest which shut down the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, where 50,000 citizens pleaded for Royal intervention by the King to end vote rigging and manipulating the elections, Prime Minister Badawi warned Malaysia's King and Constitutional monarch Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to have sufficient wisdom and maturity not to be taken in by 'Opposition parties'.
"I believe the king is wise and mature and would not fall into their (the opposition's) political trap," Abdullah said (NST 12/11/07).
This is a serious breach of etiquette by the Prime Minister. The Malay Rulers are held in much respect and reverence by all Malaysians - irrespective of race or religion. They are seen as the last bulwark of justice and the last bastion of appeal for the ordinary citizenry beset by an oppressive and inept Government.
It is not good etiquette for political leaders to make patronising remarks about the Malay Rulers, especially the King in the media. Certainly the Prime Minister has bungled this one too. But he is not alone. Just a day before his Minister of Information Zainuddin Mydin had shown complete ignorance of diplomatic decorum by declaring on an international news network that Malaysia 'was not like Myanmar or Pakistan'. Obviously the Minister of Information thought that he could downplay the massive citizens' protest by insulting Malaysia's neighbours.
Before this Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar had declared on BBC's Hardtalk news program that in Malaysia, Muslims could not leave Islam without suffering imprisonment because Muslims were a 'tribe'. He was referring to the well publicised case of Lina Joy and Revathy who were facing severe persecution and prosecution at the hands of the Government because they wanted to change their faith.
Syed Hamid declared to the world that in a tribe, if any member wanted to leave the tribe, there were rules to be observed and one had no choice in the matter. The Minister had reduced Islam to uncivilised tribal behaviour.
The media bungles and diplomatic faux pas by the Prime Minister and senior members of his Cabinet are testimony to the malaise and lacklustre performance of the Badawi Administration since taking office four years ago. The economy has no direction and is buoyed by high oil and commodity prices. The country has no new foreign policy initiatives. The education system is in a shambles and universities produce thousands of graduates who are unemployable.
Racial tensions are increasing. Despite the Chief Justice of the country having to leave office under a cloud after video footage implicating him in fixing the appointment of judges were made public, no investigation or indictments have been made. Johari Baharom the Deputy Minister of Internal Security who oversees the Police lodged a Police report against the Inspector General of Police, the nation's top cop for corruption. But soon after this Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who also doubles up as the Minister of Internal Security extended the Inspector General's tenure by another five years.
Malaysians are becoming increasingly dismayed at all this dysfunctional behaviour that is being manifested by the country's political leadership. No doubt there will be a sea change in the coming polls where much of this dissatisfaction will be vented against the Government.
Is the Mahathir Conspiracy at last manifesting itself in full force? What is the Mahathir Conspiracy? One view is that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister and president of the UMNO party for almost 22 years, has never forgiven UMNO for kicking him out of the party most unceremoniously in 1970. After the racial riots of 1969 the young firebrand Dr Mahathir had strongly criticised then Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman for his laid back administration of the country which led to the riots. This resulted in Dr Mahathir being dismissed from UMNO and wandering in the wilderness for a few years. He was only reinstated in the party after Tunku had resigned as Prime Minister.
As Malaysians discovered over 22 years of his rule, Tun Dr Mahathir has great love for his people the Malays and for all Malaysians. However, the same may not be true about his feelings for the UMNO party. Dr Mahathir has never forgotten that UMNO once kicked him out.
Perhaps, to teach UMNO a lesson, Dr Mahathir promoted the less capable and often imbecile to important positions within the party. One such example is the present Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who is becoming increasingly known among the Malaysian public as 'bodowi'. In Malay 'bodoh' means 'stupid'. Pundits say that it was not possible for Dr Mahathir not to have known Abdullah Badawi's lack of capacity for the top job. Yet he chose Abdullah Badawi to replace him. Not only the present Prime Minister but many of his Cabinet members like Zainuddin Mydin, Syed Hamid Albar, Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Johari Baharom and others are proving particularly inept in their jobs.
The Badawi administration has been bungling and fumbling along for the past four years. Even Dr Mahathir's strongest critics now openly acknowledge the world of difference between his administration and the present Government. Dr Mahathir was well known as a good planner and efficient administrator. Abdullah Badawi on the other hand is frequently caught dozing at official functions.
Responding to Saturday's massive peaceful protest which shut down the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, where 50,000 citizens pleaded for Royal intervention by the King to end vote rigging and manipulating the elections, Prime Minister Badawi warned Malaysia's King and Constitutional monarch Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin to have sufficient wisdom and maturity not to be taken in by 'Opposition parties'.
"I believe the king is wise and mature and would not fall into their (the opposition's) political trap," Abdullah said (NST 12/11/07).
This is a serious breach of etiquette by the Prime Minister. The Malay Rulers are held in much respect and reverence by all Malaysians - irrespective of race or religion. They are seen as the last bulwark of justice and the last bastion of appeal for the ordinary citizenry beset by an oppressive and inept Government.
It is not good etiquette for political leaders to make patronising remarks about the Malay Rulers, especially the King in the media. Certainly the Prime Minister has bungled this one too. But he is not alone. Just a day before his Minister of Information Zainuddin Mydin had shown complete ignorance of diplomatic decorum by declaring on an international news network that Malaysia 'was not like Myanmar or Pakistan'. Obviously the Minister of Information thought that he could downplay the massive citizens' protest by insulting Malaysia's neighbours.
Before this Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar had declared on BBC's Hardtalk news program that in Malaysia, Muslims could not leave Islam without suffering imprisonment because Muslims were a 'tribe'. He was referring to the well publicised case of Lina Joy and Revathy who were facing severe persecution and prosecution at the hands of the Government because they wanted to change their faith.
Syed Hamid declared to the world that in a tribe, if any member wanted to leave the tribe, there were rules to be observed and one had no choice in the matter. The Minister had reduced Islam to uncivilised tribal behaviour.
The media bungles and diplomatic faux pas by the Prime Minister and senior members of his Cabinet are testimony to the malaise and lacklustre performance of the Badawi Administration since taking office four years ago. The economy has no direction and is buoyed by high oil and commodity prices. The country has no new foreign policy initiatives. The education system is in a shambles and universities produce thousands of graduates who are unemployable.
Racial tensions are increasing. Despite the Chief Justice of the country having to leave office under a cloud after video footage implicating him in fixing the appointment of judges were made public, no investigation or indictments have been made. Johari Baharom the Deputy Minister of Internal Security who oversees the Police lodged a Police report against the Inspector General of Police, the nation's top cop for corruption. But soon after this Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who also doubles up as the Minister of Internal Security extended the Inspector General's tenure by another five years.
Malaysians are becoming increasingly dismayed at all this dysfunctional behaviour that is being manifested by the country's political leadership. No doubt there will be a sea change in the coming polls where much of this dissatisfaction will be vented against the Government.