The start of the end... ( 2 )
The ISA arrests that backfired on Abdullah Badawi -- More flip-flop. The Umno implosion triggered by Zaid-Hamid open squabble.
First, the start of Umno implosion.
Zaid Ibrahim, the de facto Law Minister, has tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister, a day after criticising the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) to arrest three individuals last Friday.
Next, the question of who is in control.
Now, the Syed Hamid Flip-flop on ISA.
No, I didn't.
September 13, Star Online: Home Minister Syed Hamid said he did not order the arrests of the three people under the Internal Security Act (ISA).He said the action was taken by the police themselves under Section 73(1) based on their assessment of the current situation as they had “strong and good reason” to believe that conflict could happen and public order could be jeopardised.
(Oh) Yes, I did.
September 15, Utusan Online: Penahanan tiga orang di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) kelmarin adalah keputusan kerajaan dan ia tidak sepatutnya dipersoalkan oleh mana-mana menteri termasuk Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. [...]Menurut beliau, tindakannya meluluskan penahanan di bawah ISA itu adalah bagi pihak kerajaan yang memerintah, selaras dengan kedudukannya sebagai menteri Kabinet, bukannya ‘orang di luar kerajaan’.
Besides the Syed Hamid U-turn, here's the mega blooper:
Syed Hamid said the police had detained Tan because they had received information that her life was being threatened and there might be possible injury to her and the police wanted to get to the bottom of it.
The country goes down when the leaders think the rakyat are bebal (fools) like themselves.
FOOTNOTE: Tan Hoon Cheng, the Sin Chew reporter who became a member of the exclusive ISA Detainee Club after a sub-24-hour detention, was let to sleep on cement floor of a police lock-up, without the comfort of a hotel-grade mattress, pillow and blanket.
That's protection for you, Malaysian Police.
BY THE WAY, Ahmad Ismail is calling for a press conference in Penang, tomorrow. This guy needs no police protection, so he is not a member of the ISA Detainee Club like Hoon Cheng.
Now read the Syed Hamid - Zaid Ibrahim squabble on Utusan Online.
Comments
Only an idiot will buy the stories spun by botaks like Syed Hamid and the police.
I guess these idiots in UMNO only act and speak according to what they think will fall most favourably in the eyes and ears of Malays.
Maybe one time.
The Malays are a lot more perceptive these days and they can think on their own too. No wonder even more Malays crossed over the UMNO line to vote for Anwar at Permatang Pauh.
Surely the Malays can see the lies and the spin that UMNO and Utusan are trying so hard to spin.
Ahmad Ismail surely has grouses. But he has misdirected himself. He shuld be more unhappy with MCA and Gerakan rather than anyone else. I agree Ahmad has been unfairly punished for what he said about the Chinese being squatters.
Now, Jeff, before you get all worked up with this, just consider this.
Ahmad only said what has been said so many times by Hishamuddin, Najib and many other UMNO leaders. And not forgetting of course, Khairy, the SIL.
The staff of taxpayer funded Biro Tatanegara have been saying just that to our children going to National Service, the Universities during the orientation week and our JPN scholars.
Now, what Ahmad said was nothing so different from what has previously been happening. MCA and Gerakan kept quiet and allowed these to happen. Teh opposition, including DAP, even if they had said anything about this, they were muted.
So sure, Ahmad is not happy. He has been unfairly dealt with. He sees himself victimised by not only Gerakan and MCA, but also his own leaders in UMNO.
Because, how does it all look? After all he is completely convinced just like every other mamak and his cat, that he is supposd to be a tuan as in ketuanan Melayu. Does not matter that he is mamak.
Now, for UMNO to apologise on his behalf, that can only happen to a supreme being when it is held to ransom.
Question to ask is really, is and how is UMNO held to ransom and by whom? MCA and Gerakan as for the whom. But how?
MCA and Gerakan are supposed to be docile lap dogs. They are supposed to be subservient and submit to anything and everything in the BN to UMNO.
Is there this assumption that UMNO is weak today and so it can be taken advantage of?
Is it because Gerakan and MCA are having their own party elections and they are all hurting as well after March 8 and they need to look useful amongst their own party members and furthermore that is where thier own immediate pressures are. So it is to relieve those pressures that right now MCA and Gerakan are so bold as to take advantage of a weakened UMNO. When calling he Chinese squatters and what not before was quite alright, why now? Why Ahamad Ismail?
But now, as it would seem, although suspended, Ahmad Ismail, it would seem, has and can have continued access to UMNO members aroundt he country. It would seem like although suspended, he can speak to UMNO members around the country to spread his venom and to work them into a frenzy. And indeed he can do just about anything at all and it will benefit UMNO becuase they are in such an enviable position of denial. After all he is suspended and he speaks for himself, they will say.
But you can very well bet that it is because he is prepared to be UMNO's instrument of destruction that instead of Ahmad Ismail, it is Raja Petra and Theresa Kok who are held under IS bloody A!
Posted by: Observer
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September 16, 2008 11:34 AM