COMMENT | Running away from the truth does not serve any purpose

COMMENT | In my first column on the 15th general election, I wrote: “Bold statements will be made, then revoked and denied and the familiar ‘I was misquoted’ line will be heard or seen on television or radio and read in the print media and news portals. It already started yesterday.”

Three weeks later, it is continuing and probably end on Nov 19 after the victors stand over the vanquished. The claims and statements (sometimes bordering on absurdity) have been on the menu of leaders, candidates and even observers.

The culture of owning up to mistakes and saying “The buck stops with me” is not even in their culture, let alone their dictionaries. They can still tell white lies with a straight face in the belief that voters will swallow them - hook, line and sinker.

That belief prompted caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to “offer bullets” to his party to fire at the previous Pakatan Harapan government.

This is what he infamously said: “I have given you bullets. In the (Tommy) Thomas case, we exposed (the report) by the special task force. I have given lots of bullets here.”

But it has spectacularly misfired, ricocheted and hurt Ismail Sabri and his party more than the intended target. Through his own words, he admitted declassifying the report on the conduct of the former attorney-general was a political ploy.

Now even the appointment of the task force is under a cloud and Thomas has loudly labelled it as “illegal” and has sought orders from the court to nullify the report. The Bar Council, too, has its reservations.

But neither Ismail Sabri nor his comrades have stepped to the plate and answered many serious charges made in Thomas’ affidavit.

Game of finger-pointing

Umno president Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi’s censure of BN leaders at the MIC congress was treated as a gaffe - by his comrades. But deep down, if the leader is going to go down, he is likely to expect them for company.

Why didn’t any of those named stand up and object or protect? Only after the furore was blown to smithereens did anyone react – that too claiming it was a joke.

Elsewhere, it seems that the aborted attempt in 2018 to ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) was carried out by a ghost.

The game of finger-pointing continues and almost everyone is in denial mode. The DAP said it was not involved. Saifuddin Abdullah (who served as foreign minister during the Pakatan Harapan administration) pointed to P Waythamoorthy (former national unity minister) who immediately gave a brisk reprimand.

Doesn’t anyone have the gall and gumption to take responsibility and give reasons for doing so? No, that’s not their style and expect the expected – people forget.

Then, there are DAP’s Selangor chairperson Gobind Sigh Deo and national secretary-general Anthony Loke DAP. Collectively, they can’t give plausible reasons for dropping incumbent Klang MP, Charles Santiago.

They talk about “he knew he would be dropped” since 2008 but why? Did he go against the party or was he involved in nefarious activities to require him to stand down?

Or simply put, did Charles refuse to align himself with any of the factions in the party or he refused to kowtow and pay homage to certain leaders? We can only speculate when no reasons are offered.

Interestingly, Loke justified dropping another - the incumbent MP for Bentong, Wong Tack, because he was “not that popular on the ground” and a survey that they conducted indicated “low levels of satisfaction with his performance.”

Caught in the crossfire

But in Klang, no survey was conducted and the people have openly stated their stance. Voters from across the communities want him to remain as MP. It is reflective of the man’s commitment to service and his integrity.

His magnanimity can be measured by his statement (after being dropped) that he is committed” to democracy and its principles and accepted the decision of the party.

Who knows better - the people whom Charles spoke for or party leaders who seldom step foot in the area?

Then, there’s this theory of introducing fresh faces being bandied about. Really? What about other old horses who have served longer?

It would certainly be not right to question the decision of the party but when it goes around advocating and propagating openness and listening to the people. Where’s the principle of practising what you preach?

With the election days away, many have shot themselves in their feet and others have been caught in the crossfire and a handful maimed by a friendly power.

So, is this much-talked-about honesty and openness for real? If they cannot be open on matters of selection, what about on more important matters being elected to office or even forming the government?

R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.

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