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Xenophon deportation a PR disaster
Published:  Feb 17, 2013 8:58 AM
Updated: 7:03 AM

YOURSAY ‘We protect a conman who is wanted in the Philippines but we stop an Australian senator from entering the country.'

Australian senator deported after 15-hour detention

your say Cala: Is Nick Xenophon, an Australian senator, capable of being the enemy of a state?

How can this man, who shows sympathy to social movements in Malaysia, be deemed a public enemy? Perhaps Xenophon is an enemy of the Umno-led BN regime, but surely he is not the enemy of the Malaysian people.

By deporting Xenophon, the government is showing disrespect to the 51 percent of the people in Peninsular Malaysia who voted in support of the opposition in 2008 GE.

Now, who exactly is the enemy of the state?

Jesse: This just shows how paranoid the Umno-led government is. It also shows how clueless the home minister is.

The deportation of Xenophon will definitely expose the government to bad publicity in Australia and elsewhere. It is certainly a public relation disaster.

More importantly, it demonstrates that the government has something to fear or hide.

Starr: Who is to decide Xenophon is indeed an enemy of the state? The recent series of events shows the high-handedness of Umno-BN as the general election looms large.

The senator is no enemy of the state but a fellow democrat who takes a personal interest in the deteriorating democracy in Malaysia. He is renowned for his forthrightness and outspokenness on both domestic and international issues.

No doubt, the latest episode will again make Malaysia an international laughing stock, and a sham democracy ranked among the rogue regimes of the Third World.

Anonymous_40dc: We protect a conman wanted in the Phillippines in connection to a multi-million dollar scam, but we prevent a Australian senator from entering the country.

Swipenter: The Umno-dominated government has gone berserk. Anyone, Malaysian or otherwise, who is perceived to be unfriendly is an "enemy of the state". Indeed, Umno is trying to isolate the country from the world.

Vijay47: So now Malaysia is going truly international. After our troubles with Singapore, Indonesia, and now Thailand and the Philippines, we have moved on to Australia. You're next, Japan and Taiwan.

Supercession: Sorry, Xenophon. If you had been a Muslim illegal immigrant, you would have been given the red carpet treatment and even citizenship .

Tholu: So much for the transformation programme of PM Najib Razak's regime that claims to be moving towards transparency, liberalisation, and freedom of speech. Najib is transforming the government, yes, but not for the better.

It is getting worse than Dr Mahathir Mohamad's time. What can we expect from a mouse caught in a trap and is awaiting certain death?

Saddened: My philosophy is 'I rather have more friends than one enemy'. However, Malaysia has many enemies for no rhyme or reason.

What has become of our beloved nation? My instinct tells me that someone is pushing the button at the entry points.

Intheair: Mr Home Minister, you have got it wrong. The real enemy of the state from Australia is the one exposing Malaysians to radioactivity, harming our future generations with potential gene mutation.

FellowMalaysian: This is a xenophobic knee-jerk reaction by a government engulfed with fear that Australia's Xenophon and associates might uncover dishonest and underhanded dealings and exhortations against the Election Commission.

This latest round of using power-play against the perceived election moderators will not go down unnoticed by the voters who will soon vote to decide the next government.

Najib's insecurities has surfaced yet again.

2zzzxxx: I hope the Australian government will act the same way as this government is doing. Detain all Umno government ministers at their airports and deport them.

Vijay47: I am sure the Australian government will love this - that a member of their Parliament has been treated so shabbily and labeled "an enemy of state" when he has not stolen a single jet engine from our air force.

Maybe another Australian university will give PM's wife Rosmah Mansor another honourary doctorate degree .

Victor Johan: Imagine if the Australian administration had done just the same deed when Najib and Rosmah had made their not-so-recent trip to Perth to 'speak to the Malaysian students' there.

But of course, Rosmah had a long shopping list as well to support the Western Australian economy.

Changeagent: The truth of matter is that for years, the Australian media and Julia Gillard-led government have been extremely indifferent and adopted a hands-off approach to the gross violations of human rights and rigged political system in Malaysia.

The findings from Xenophon's fact-finding mission on Malaysia's electoral system, observed during last year's Bersih 3.0 rally, hardly rated any mention in their domestic mainstream media.

But thanks to BN's stupidity and ill-advised move to deport the senator, they have inadvertently riled previously cordial and strong diplomatic relations with the Australian government, forced Foreign Minister Bob Carr's hand in taking a more critical approach in Malaysia's infringements on democracy, and elevated BN's gross abuse of power and the disgraceful treatment of Xenophon into headline news in Australia.

They have nobody to thank but themselves.

Meanwhile, Sabah invaders given kid-glove treatment


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