The on-line and new media are abuzz with reactions to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s speech at a forum in Malacca on Saturday. As the recorded speech spilled into the alternate media, the nation is now in spasmodic grips as to how come a home minister could make such remarks in relation to racism and crime.

The Umno vice-president’s speech is drawing a slew of reactions. Some say it is “racist remarks”. DAP MP Teresa Kok stated that it is “extremely dangerous views”. The home minister’s public statements are also regarded by some as an “abuse of power” and as “insensitive remarks”.

The urging for him to be “sacked” from his position as home minister therefore is not out of the ordinary. And rightly so, Ambiga Sreenevasan’s telling the BN coalition parties, namely Gerakan, MIC and MCA, to “leave BN out of self-respect” is therefore clearly understandable.

Now let us place our justifiably hurt, shocked and even raw emotions aside for a moment. The question we need to ask and also ponder over some expected answers is:

Was the home minister of this nation making a statement of fact or was he merely making his private and personal opinion?

There are two issues here. First, it is about his association and claims about the underworld groups called Pekida and Tiga Line; and the other hinges on the ‘shoot first’ policy against suspected criminals, while indicating that Malays are falling victims to Chinese and Indian gangsters.

And now let us take in the possible answers.

Let us suppose that Umno Baru responds by stating that the home minister was making a private, personal and misinformed opinion. Then why did he do it on an official platform? And if true that it is deemed as personal, private and misinformed, then what is the president of Umno Baru’s stand?

Should the PM of a nation, in acting in the best interest of the 28 million citizens, not immediately sack Ahmad Zahid and ensure that the due process of the law falls into place with appropriate and acceptable justice dispensed?

As a benchmark, do we have the kind of resolve like Indonesia that recently convicted a high-powered politician to the gallows for corruption and abuse of power?

On the other hand, maybe the home minister after all was indeed making an honest statement of fact with regards to:

A shoot first policy against suspected criminals.

Claiming that the Tiga Line were his friends.

Stating that an Umno supreme council member is one of the members of Tiga Line.

Reason to worry all the more

The fact that he made these statements in his official capacity as home minister and vice-president of Umno Baru, we have every reason to worry all the more. And in that case we have to conclude all of the following:

That Umno Baru has been subscribing to triads, secret societies and the underworld to remain in power.

It is also to be concluded then that Umno Baru’s political agenda and mantra is spun tightly around race discrimination. It targets to garner the support of Malays by making the Chinese and Indians as the number one enemies of the Malay population.

Indeed we are at extremely critical moments in the history of this nation and its future from here. We have to ask pertinent questions.

Would sacking Ahmad Zahid do away with fact or fiction? Would subjecting him to the due process of the speedy laws and dispensing appropriate justice put us back on track?

Or would seeking apologies and an apparent show of mending bridges make truths disappear?

In the wake of Ahmad Zahid’s speech that is already beginning to precipitate in the minds and hearts of caring, concerned citizens, can we blame the citizens for thinking that it looks like it is going to take a miracle to set this nation on a righteous, honorable and democratic pathway of success for all citizens given these marginalising political frameworks that certainly keep the select few in power for the reasons and well being of solicited select sector segments of society.

Can we blame the citizens for seeing a link between the “over our crushed bones and dead bodies” outcry and this recent spill by Ahmad Zahid?

The government of Malaysia certainly owes all citizens, political watchdogs, investors, concerned citizens’ groups and the international and regional communities a quick, clear and acceptable resolve to the dangerous matter at hand.