Insulting the Rulers, UMNO-style

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Jun 5, 2013

Francis Bacon once said: “The zeal which begins with hypocrisy must conclude in treachery; at first it deceives, at last it betrays”, but obviously UMNO has done it the other way around, first betraying the rulers, now (deceitfully) defending them.

KTemoc Konsiders

TMI – MCMC: Woman detained for insulting King on Facebook

Malaysiakini – Facebook user held for allegedly insulting Agong

HM Yang DiPertuan Agong of Malaysia
nice bloke, very punctual in his official schedule
very caring for his personal staff

RPK of Malaysia-Today said in his post Criticism is mandatory in Islam:

I feel His Majesty the Agong should pardon that woman who was arrested for insulting His Majesty in the spirit that Muslim leaders and rulers are not exempt from criticism. I know I said that insults are not criticism and that there is a difference.

Nevertheless, let this be a lesson to all Malaysians that under Islam criticism of leaders and rulers is allowed as long as you know the difference between a criticism and an insult.

What that woman did was an insult to His Majesty the Agong. The problem is most Malaysians do not understand the difference between criticism and insult. And they think that freedom of speech means freedom to vilify and disparage. Maybe with this latest episode they can become a bit wiser. If not then expect a few more arrests and this time with no pardon.

Sweetie, there’s obviously a mighty and probably painful difference between insulting Michelle Yeoh and HM.

sweetie Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh

Be that as it may, please flash back to 10 December 1992.

On that day, in Parliament, Dr Affifuddin Omar, an UMNO man from Padang Terap, no doubt given the imprimatur by his party leaders, said this:

Dr Affifuddin Hj Omar

“How can we continue to uphold rulers who are known to be robbers, adulterers, drunkards and kaki pukul (thugs)?” […]

“They (the rulers) must be made to realize that they do not own this country. They are not Superman but placed on their thrones by the people.”

“The real power did not lie with them, but with us – the representatives of the people.”

“The ‘syndrome of religiosity’ associated with the Rulers was only to cloud the people’s view of who the Rulers actually were.”

Which ‘non’ could have said that and got away? None!

Only UMNO and UMNO alone could have gotten away scot-free with its abuse of the raja whom they claim to defend today.

Then in that same parliamentary session, when the UMNO-led government tabled a motion to amend the Constitution to strip away the Rulers’ immunity from prosecution, the Rulers Conference rejected (but of course, what did you think?) that amendment (but which was achieved in a subsequent parliamentary session in January 1993 via a motion tabled personally by the PM Dr Mahathir), Wan Hanafiah Wan Mat Saman (UMNO-Kota Setar) preferred the Malay Rulers to be treated the way the Indian Maharajas were treated.