Mark Twain, the American writer, is remembered mostly for his novels.Less known is the writer's public persona as someone who stood up to the United States government especially the hawkish president Theodore Roosevelt.

It was the US government's decision to wage war in the Philippines when it had promised to liberate the islands from the Spanish that struck a raw nerve in the writer.

He wrote what we now know as letters of protest; pricking the conscience of citizens by pointing out the injustices of colonialism and the dangers of extreme nationalism.

Unfortunately, the writer who earned so much fame and success through the pen was annihilated by the very newspapers that once celebrated him now jingoistically siding with the hawkish president.

Nonetheless, despite the passage of time, Mark Twain's example is often evoked when we protest against all things unjust.

Recently, we celebrated Merdeka in solemn fashion as befits the holy month of Ramadan. It is a time for soul-searching and quiet reflection.

Now, nearly three quarter-way through Ramadan, the nation has hardly had time to catch its breath.

Vital to reflect on performance

We have been preoccupied with financial scandals, economic recession, public safety, the Perak constitutional crisis, the inquest into Teoh Beng Hock's sudden death; and now, the cow-head protests.

There has no been no time for quiet reflection.

But somehow, the BN, and Umno in particular, must find the time to reflect on their performance.

NONE More crucially, they have to revisit their primary mission, which is to govern with distinction and protect Malaysian interests.

They need look no further than the Pasar Ramadan that has sprouted up all over the country.

Most Malaysians look forward to this one month when we all come together to visit the Pasar Ramadan.

Some of us even feel a bit awkward eating openly when our Muslim friends are fasting.

Most Malaysians not racist

This is because we empathise with them. It is therefore very joyful when we get to "share" the breaking of "fast" with them even though we did not fast.

The reality is that most Malaysians are by nature not racist. As individuals we are a respectful bunch.

We are also a very lucky group of people. Where else can one eat the cooking of three or four cultures in one day?

NONE Therefore it came as a shock when fellow Malaysians decided to protest the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple with the severed head of a cow.

Knowing full well that the cow is a sacred animal to Hindus, they persisted.

These men are now being charged with sedition and illegal assembly.

From the videos of the protest and the subsequent fracas at a community hall meeting, the protest was not something spontaneous.

The banners were all too well made. There is definitely premeditation in the way they hackled and then produced the severed head of a cow, which they then spat on.

Danger in BN win

These people think that a demonstration of power will cow Malaysians.

If anyone cares to watch the way the Indian residents of Section 23 were treated by their fellow residents during a town hall meeting, the feeling of resentment towards the government becomes truly palpable.

That one of the rude and very loud individual pulled the chair of his Indian "neighbour" and caused the man to fall to the ground was not only infantile but downright repugnant.

One cannot help but wonder whether the term "kurang ajar" is adequate a label to describe this person.

The damage done to the Barisan Nasional as it faces yet another by-election by this group of men is very serious.

It is expected that BN will clinch the seat but therein lies the danger.

If Umno gets an easy win bolstered by postal votes, the party might be lulled into thinking that its aggressive strategy is working.

Umno needs meaningful platform

For now, the BN is trying very hard to distance itself from the actions of the cow-head protesters.

But the damage has been done.

It has left a bitter-taste in the mouths of many Malaysians, Muslims especially.

Umno must also realize that trust in the government and key institutions are so low that the party is seen as the hand behind the cow-head protest.

NONE It did not help that former Menteri Besar Khir Toyo (left) made a most insensitive remark by saying that "cows are stupid animals".

Clearly, the man must learn from Mark Twain who said: "It is better to keep quiet and appear stupid then to open your mouth and confirm it".

Unless Umno finds a meaningful platform and modifies its way of doing things, its future is bleak.

A win in Bagan Pinang is vital. But more important is to regain the people's confidence by being even-handed.

It must now recognise the reality that the protest votes the Opposition won in the last election will likely remain.

In fact, in urban areas, support for the Opposition is now growing from strength to strength.

So far, the BN has given Malaysians little reason to hope it can change.

NEIL KHOR has recently completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge. He is co-author of 'Non-Sectarian Politics in Malaysia: The Case of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia' (2008).