COMMENT There are times, which now seem to be happening with increasing frequency, when I am overwhelmed with an ostrich-like desire to bury my head in the sand.

Although it must be pointed out that the American Ostrich Association has dismissed this as a myth, explaining that the tale originated from the fact that male ostriches dig deep holes in the sand for the eggs.

The rooster and hen then take turns to stick their heads into the hole to turn the eggs during the incubation period. It is not a reaction to fear.

NONE But the desire that creeps into my veins is not prompted by the need to check on my yet-to-hatch offsprings, but rather because of despair.

This usually happens when the likes of Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali ( right ) or BN's Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin open their most dreaded orifice - their mouths - from which  endless streams of foulness sprout.

This week, the ostrich in me frantically searched for a soft patch of sand because of former Election Commission chairperson Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.

This was a man entrusted with the noble task of safeguarding a fundamental democratic right and to assure the people that the electoral process would not be subjected to abuse or fraud.

But now, after retirement, Rashid has revealed his true colours, which come in blinding shades of racism.

He has become a member of a movement considered to be the local equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan which is under the auspices of its grandmaster, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He then hopped on a stage, minus the bedsheet and hood, and screamed ‘Malay power’.

Rashid argued that he joined Perkasa to ensure that Malay political power is preserved, simply because Malaysia belongs to the Malays. And if one were to read between the lines, it means the non-Malays are mere serfs, never mind their contribution towards nation-building over the decades.

He also reveals that the constituency re-delineation exercises carried out during his tenure were executed, albeit within the ambit of the law, to ensure that the Malay race continues to lord over this land.

Disadvantageous to PAS

But his argument is fallacious, as pointed out by numerous quarters, including that serf who has been a huge thorn in the flesh of the ruling coalition, Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan.

tedx petaling street talk 261013 ambiga Ambiga ( left ) pointed out that the delineation exercises were also disadvantageous to the Islamic PAS , hence casting Abdul Rashid’s ‘Malays in perpetual power’ argument out of the window.

Noting that the population figure of the Malays would always ensure that the race is in power, the outgoing Bersih leader contended that the constituency re-delineation exercises were done to favour BN instead.

Similarly, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek quoted the words of former Singaporean prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who wrote in his book that whichever party wins the polls, Malaysia would be ruled by a Malay-dominated government.

Even if one takes the racial breakdown in Pakatan Rakyat into account, the number of Malays in PKR and PAS, not forgetting the fistful in DAP, far outnumber the non-Malays in those parties.

The only difference being that under the opposition bloc, the number of Chinese and Indian elected representatives have increased.

So what is Rashid worried about? The answer is simple.

The former EC chief is not losing sleep over the Malays being routed out of power. The nightmare, which is a collective one keeping him and countless others awake, is that the Malays in Umno could be evicted from Putrajaya.

Having joined Perkasa, which is a fervent Umno supporter, even if not too fond of the so-called progressive types in the party’s ranks, Rashid has revealed the team he is a cheerleader for.

But the burning question is whether he was a pom-pom-waving cheerleader during his tenure as the EC chief, when it was incumbent upon him to remain neutral, given his role as the appointed referee.

NONE So, to what extent did the former EC chief somersault over the rules to ensure that his team won the match? And is his successor doing the same?

The EC is a reputable commission but in Malaysia, the commission is drowning in disrepute and disrespect.

It is often accused of sticking its head into the sand when confronted with the flagrant abuses by the ruling coalition but ever vigilant to pounce on the slightest of transgressions involving the opposition.

The commission has also been charged with working hand-in-glove with the ruling coalition to ensure a BN victory in elections, be it by hook or by crook.

And, Rashid's remarks have lent credence to these claims.

 

RK ANAND is a member of the Malaysiakini team.