YOURSAY | 'Now we know how much respect the PM has for old people. Pensioners please note.'

Old men shouldn't talk too much, advises Najib

GE14NOW: As much as I dislike the particular old man that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is referring to, I cannot help but get the feeling that Najib is now trying to twist culture to his own interpretation.

To tell an old man to shut up and not talk too much is a sign of rudeness. This is truly a demonstration of what is considered well and truly kurang ajar (uncouth).

Has Najib also forgotten that with age also comes wisdom? This particular old man that Najib wants to shut up has definitely shown that all his mental faculties are still as sharp as ever.

Fat Mama: Hope you will have a chance to become old. Hope you will have a chance to see Tun Razak Exchange become Mao Exchange.

Fellow Malaysian: Who is Najib to talk about respect for the elders when he himself showed not even a smidgen of respect or appreciation for his mentor and to the person who made him prime minister?

Is this Najib's way of returning the support and guidance given to him by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad from the time his father passed away until Mahathir left Umno in 2015?

Wealth and power has consumed Najib so dramatically that Mahathir has now become his punching bag, whenever he feels like letting off some steam.

Worried Sick: Now I know how much respect the PM has for old people. No wonder all appeals for an increase in pensions for them are all rebuffed by the government. Pensioners, please take note.

Appum: Do you think a "young" man who is leading a world-renowned kleptocracy will have the moral standing to tell an old man who is challenging him on kleptocratic behaviour to shut up?

Is this old man talking nonsense? If he has been, why is he still so free and moving around all over the country talking about leaders who are thieves, stealing money and damaging this once outstanding Asian Tiger?

Perhaps this old man is speaking the truth and truth always hurts badly. He is sad to see this nation, which he once built, destroyed by "dedak" followers. Shouldn't such a person be recognised as a "patriot" and being nationalistic in his cause?

Speakthetrurth: Apparently someone has asked United Airlines to come and remove someone who refuses to vacate his seat!

Anonymous #21828131: There is this old man who dares to voice against money laundering, embezzlement and power abuse and he is always right because he dwells on the truth that has not been denied.

The interesting part of this story is that this younger man, who always does the disappearing act in Parliament also did not turn up at an event when he knew that this juggernaut of an old man was coming to town. He just cabut (disappears) and dares not turn up because he had plenty to hide.

That is why this old man keeps hammering this younger man, who just cannot face the truth.

Yellow Bird: Every time he opens his mouth, respect for him goes down a few points. I don't see him admonishing the Parliament gatecrashers who do not show respect to the institution, let alone an elder. So much for the "refined" Malay culture.

Nehru: A person shows whether his upbringing is good or bad in the way he respects an elder. This man shows no gratitude for the help he received from the elder statesman who is sharing his wisdom and going after the thieves.
 

PM speaks up for Malay, calls it 'language of unity'

David Dass: Universiti Teknologi Mara, which is probably the largest university in the country, admitting only bumiputera students, teaches entirely in English. As does International Islamic University, as do all of the private universities in the country. As for public universities, they use Malay and English.

Without knowledge of English, it will be impossible for students to access books and other research material available in the libraries and through the Internet. It is not possible for a person to be trained as a lawyer without a good command of English. I suspect that it is the same for many other professions.

Ric Teo: Just ask Najib where he sent his children to study? He sent them to UK to study in English, but then he wants the rakyat to study Malay language so that they can always remain poor and ignorant.

Clever Voter: Using BM as a language of unity is not new. Every populist prime minister has positioned this as a strategy to appease the electorate. Millions has been spent on the supporting infrastructures, including translation, but what have we got today?

We destroyed the English language, which is our trading language. Our standards of BM are no way near what Indonesia has achieved. The added importance of Mandarin has made it even more complex.

We need to set our priorities. One should not be at the expense of another. Ask ourselves whether our bigger trading partners would mind using the local language. If we are serious about this, ask what has happened to grand plans of a 'Dewan Pustaka Bahasa'?

Secondly, while language unifies ask what's the opposite? Thirdly, we speak of diversity of cultures and values, but how do we reconcile both?

If the prime minister is serious he should reflect on this. If not, it is just plain politics.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.