So, were you in any way heartened by the sympathetic tone of the Malay Mail when the tabloid expressed its anger over the circulation of Elizabeth Wong’s private photos early this week?

Did one ever wonder why Malay Mail (MM) , which had chosen to uphold justice only selectively in the past, would suddenly come to its senses and utter ‘sleaze is not our business’?

In particular, being a publication that is closely linked to Umno via Media Prima, why would MM have opted to speak up for Wong, a PKR state assemblyperson and Selangor state exco member?

malay mail article on elizabeth wong nude photos 160209 My take is, MM’s seemingly righteous voice may conceal a more sinister plan in the offing.

Politics is not just about power struggle; it is also a psychological warfare. Having portrayed Wong as a victim in this tragedy, MM has successfully gathered massive public sympathy for her.

And then?

What if more gory photos were released showing acts that were repugnant to the moral and religious humbugs of this country? Perhaps the initial sympathy would drop to zero and the outcry turn into extreme fury as the public feels ‘cheated’.

MM could then assume a high moral ground, using it to pass merciless judgement on Wong and her PKR colleagues, all these without having to be held responsible for playing up the issue in the first place.

Culture of voyeurism pervasive

It would also be unlikely for MM to seize this opportunity to educate the reader that so long as it does not harm public interest, one has no reason to be furious over what others do in private. Politicians, too, are entitled to choose a lifestyle and value system of their own. But this is Malaysia where the culture of voyeurism is pervasive.

Now, some have cast doubt about the incident being politically motivated, asking if the whole episode was scripted by Umno, why was MM chosen as the vessel rather than Utusan Malaysia and the NST?

Good question. But again, wouldn’t that look rather obvious given that the credibility of the two Umno-owned ‘broadsheets’ is as good as a loan shark’s promise of kindness?

Anyway, other Umno mouthpieces, including RTM and TV3 , lost no time in picking up the story following MM’ s coverage. The media war on the credentials of Pakatan Rakyat leaders is on.

Vehement Denial

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has denied vehemently that his party was involved in the despicable act and challenged the opposition to produce evidence to this effect.

Well, I would very much like to give this man the benefit of the doubt. Too bad, that he is also the very same man who had orchestrated the disappearance of private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and denied having met Saiful Bukhari Azlan over sodomy allegations against Anwar Ibrahim.

Najib must understand that public confidence in Umno and by extension Barisan Nasional is at abysmal levels, thanks to all the dirty tricks that the ruling coalition employed to undermine its political opponents. It would not be too far-fetched to describe Umno as the mother of gutter politics in Malaysia and the onus lies with it to clear its name.

Umno not trustworthy

Wong’s misfortune may not have originated in Umno but yet when the party was approached by some unscrupulous man with the said photos, the party couldn’t resist manipulating them to its own advantage given that it had been searching for more ‘scandals’ to tar the entire Pakatan leadership?

In other words, it is not that Pakatan Rakyat is more credible but Umno is simply perceived as not trustworthy!

Umno has lost its plot and can no longer compete on policy, good governance and rule of law. Fair play is increasingly a foreign concept among those who are now vying for various party posts.

As I told Wong the day she offered her resignation: give them an inch, they will demand a mile. Having tasted blood, Umno will want more heads to roll in the Selangor government. Unless the Pakatan can ensure its leadership is made up of saints, this insidious effort to scandalise and destabilise Pakatan administrations in the several states will continue.

From the two infamous ‘frogs’ Jamaluddin Radzi and Osman Jailu in Perak to the forced resignation of V Arumugam in Kedah to the character assassination of Dr. Halimah Ali and Wong coupled with the wanton use of the Internal Security Act against Teresa Kok in Selangor, we have seen the pattern forming, haven’t we?

Mediocre and vile rulers for Malaysia

Umno knows toppling the remaining Pakatan-ruled states is a daunting task. Witnessing the on-going constitutional wrangling and legal disputes in Perak, not to mention the severe blow to the prestige of the royal household in the state, Najib may be cautious not to engineer more defections for now. But it will not stop him from throwing more mud at Pakatan, the aim being to paralyse its administrations.

As Wong has bravely and rightly said, she has done no wrong and is not ashamed of her sexuality as a woman and a single person. By making this bold statement, she has set a new gender paradigm for all Malaysians. Sexuality is something to be cherished and celebrated instead of condemned and humiliated.

Therefore, should the Pakatan leadership decide ‘in the party’s interest’ to accept Wong’s resignation, it will fall right into the trap. Once the enemy knows a political opponent can be easily defeated by exploiting private issues, the insatiable need will only grow, not cease.

The end result? Malaysia will be ruled by more mediocre, short-sighted and vile leaders, while the able and the talented will flee, leaving helpless Malaysians to thejr fate.

Is this not precisely what Umno wants for the country so that it can perpetuate its evil rule?