COMMENT Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his entire cabinet are ultimately responsible if there were to be any untoward incident linked to the Sept 16 Himpunan Maruah Melayu.

Whether it happens before or after the rally, it makes no difference. It is a collective responsibility that the entire cabinet will have to bear, despite the disagreements voiced out by component parties. Ultimately, the full responsibility will fall on one man, Najib himself as the chief executive officer (CEO) of this country.

He calls the shots, and if he fails to listen to the voice of the people, should even a drop of blood be shed, Najib and his cabinet ministers cannot deny they are part of the problem.

The same principle applies in the case of the 1MDB and other scandals and controversies revolving around Najib himself.

Umno’s fingerprints

As we know it, the `red shirt’ street protest today is meant to prop up support for Najib himself.

Several ministers, including Umno secretary-general and Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Umno vice-president and Home Minister Zahid Hamidi have thrown in their support in their own ways.

I am always amused by Tengku Adnan’s ( photo ) antics. For the first time, despite using vulgarity to condemn the Bersih 4 peaceful rally, he is now clearly urging the other races to support the Sept 16 rally to show it is multiracial.

This effectively means that a full cabinet minister has finally conceded that the people have the option to exercise their democratic rights to rally if they are unsatisfied with the ruling party. Major street rallies like this are legitimate democratic rights of the people that cannot be taken away from them.

In this case, however, it is the ruling party going to the streets, when they had in the past, condemned all the other rallies linked to the opposition.

Even Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin did not bar its members from participating in the street protest, considering that they will form the majority of the people who turn up; it is therefore inescapable that the Himpunan Maruah Melayu has all the Umno faces to it.

Whether it is the red shirt on the streets or Pesaka at Padang Merbuk, or the so-called 20,000 army veterans led by one Mohd Ali Baharom, both Jamal Mohd Yunos and Mohd Ali Rustam are also both Umno leaders.

Whatever the rally speakers say, seditious or otherwise, and what the rally goers do today, will be watched by the rest of the nation - in fact, by the rest of the world!

As prime minister, Najib will have to face international pressure, unless he chooses to become the next Saddam Hussein ( photo ), after comparing his current dilemma with the former Iraqi dictator. We know that Saddam and his regime are not only hated by the world, but even by the Iraqi people.

Therefore, if any untoward incident happen today, cabinet ministers have to be equally responsible, because you cannot enjoy the pudding without eating the rest of the cake.

Meant to create a scare

Meanwhile, to all my fellow Malaysians, who love this country, this is my reading into the Sept 16 event. I may be wrong, but too many things are simply predictable in this country.

Although it meant to conjure the image of a similar political lockdown in Thailand, the ‘red shirt’ rally was meant to create a scare amongst the Chinese community so that in future Bersih rallies, the Chinese may not turn out in droves as in the last Bersih 4 rally.

Hence, you have all the posters and rumours spread through the social media, with no one claiming responsibility to it or actions taken against the culprits.

Have you ever wondered why till today, no one appears to admit that they are the organisers of the red shirt supporters unlike Bersih 4? Although Jamal is the spokesperson, he has declined to be identified as one of the organisers.

My question is how can you be a spokesperson when you are not the main organiser? Therefore, Jamal, and indirectly Umno is responsible for any untoward incident, and since Najib has not made any attempt to stop the rally despite the way it has been played up, he is ultimately responsible for what happens today.

Umno’s whip has not taken any actions against Jamal, an Umno division leader himself, despite his numerous attempts to play up racial sentiments. If it had been Maria Chin Abdullah, she would have been hauled up by the police.

Take note that Ali Rustam ( photo ) has already ‘officially’ distanced himself from the red shirt supporters; but would his rally, peaceful as it may be, able to prop up support for Najib when some untoward incidents happen?

People already know these are all the converted. Any rally in support of Najib would not want to turn it into a bloodbath, unless it goes out of hands; therefore, Ali Rustam and the rest are really playing with fire and Najib cannot blame the international media if they were to continue putting the spotlight on Malaysia and the controversies surrounding him.

It is expected that today, there will be fiery and even seditious speeches that are being made but these same people will eventually have to face the long arm of the law when a change of government takes place.

When you put the pieces together, it is unlikely that today’s rally will turn out awry. Although there may be some provocations by certain quarters within the red shirt supporters themselves, which they will then blame it on the opposition, the police will immediately stop it.

Therefore, for now, I urge my fellow Malaysians to remain cool-headed. With the improvement to the haze condition, it is fine to do some outdoor activities, but in places away from the political hotspots in Kuala Lumpur. Instead, why not visit places of interest in Selangor during this year’s Visit Selangor Year?

I can assure you that the day after, the mainstream newspapers will flash pictures to show that the rally was peaceful.

There will be pictures that show over 100,000 people meeting in Padang Merbok who came out in support of Najib and a beaming Najib saying, “Thank you.” After that, it is back to business as usual with the unresolved controversies surrounding the prime minister.

Not to forget that the newspapers will also demonise Bersih 4, comparing it to the two persons who stomped on pictures of Najib and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

Is there anything new under the sun?

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.