Sinking from the gutter to the ghetto

A gang of 26 Pemuda Umno members came to the Parliament with the sole objective of coercing an apology from YB Karpal Singh. They waited from morning and when he appeared in the afternoon, they went to him, surrounding him and threatening him with bodily harm.

I was informed that they intended to throw him into one of the fountain pools next to the Tower block. Fortunately, this plan was thwarted by the timely intervention of some PR MPs returning from lunch who were alerted of the developing incident by Parliament security guards.

Most shocking was the unabashed manner in which they went about their gangster act. Their business cards were handed out and some even had the audacity to give an interview to the media about what they had done! Are their minds so twisted that they no longer have the ability to discern right from wrong?

I was equally shocked by the rowdy response from the Umno/BN MPs when the issue was reported in the Dewan. Jeeringly, they claimed that it “serves Karpal right” for calling the Pemuda Umno “celaka”. One called out loudly, “who started it?” I wondered whether I was in Parliament or in a classroom of Standard 5 children.

I could not help but feel disillusioned by it all. This incident, coupled with the response by the BN MPs to the charges made by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim earlier pertaining to the methods used by the BN, through coercion or monetary inducements, to win over the ADUNs in Perak and Kedah, was very disheartening.

There seems to be a complete lack of conscience on the part of the BN MPs. They seem completely oblivious to the long-term effects of this kind of action.

If even in cases as clear cut as these, they do not have the moral strength to condemn and dissociate from, what hope have we that they will condemn and put an end to all the other acts of mismanagement and misuse of power?

What use are all the arguments presented by all the PR Parliamentarians on all issues when simple issues such as these are beyond the comprehension of the BN MPs?

In the final analysis, the future of Malaysian politics seems increasingly bleak unless the brakes are some how applied thereby stopping this mindless plunge into ghetto politics. Unfortunately, this is seemingly the only form of politics which can be called upon by Umno to ensure its own survival. When you have run out of arguments, when you no longer can deceive the people, when you no longer enjoy their support, you put fear in their hearts!

That seems to be the quick remedy offered by Umno. It is, of course, much easier than admitting you are in the wrong and that your adversary is more worthy of the country’s political leadership than you are.