COMMENT Within one day last week, several cabinet ministers, including even the Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman have uttered words that do not bode well their positions.

One has gone to the extreme of saying that people will go to hell for being the ‘noisy minority’, and the other is prepared to slap the face of Chinese people who bring their complaints out of the country.

I would not be surprised if Tajuddin himself got slapped by a fellow Malay for his uncouth words; therefore, he should not blame others for what he chooses to do to others.

It is easy for Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to blame on others for Tajuddin’s statement, saying that he was being misled by Ronnie Liu , the former Selangor state exco member, but as a deputy minister representing the government, Tajuddin’s statement does not speak well about the quality of cabinet ministers and deputy ministers that we have.

No matter how misled one is, there is no reason for Tajuddin to resort to harsh words that does not reflect well of himself, the cabinet and the ministry that he represents, as well as the prime minister who selected him.

In the international community, you cannot utter a word that could sour relationships between two countries - and yet, blame it on miscommunication, worse, by blaming it on the opposition.

The row was over the visit by the Chinese ambassador Huang Huikang who visited Petaling Street out of goodwill.

Ultimately, both Najib Abdul Razak and his deputy Zahid have to be held responsible for picking men and women of low intelligence quotient to lead this nation. Why can they not pick men and women of dignity to lead the country?

The idiom, ‘Birds of the same feather flock together’ clearly has something to say about our present unhealthy situation. From my observations, even men and women who were supposed to have a high standing in society, after joining the cabinet have become birds of the same species.

A reflection of poor leadership

If Najib tried to consolidate his position with the help of allegedly ‘thug-like’ leaders like Tajuddin and Mohd Jamal Yunos (a main character in the recent red shirt street rally which was set up to as an anti-Bersih group), then, he and the entire cabinet supporting him, seriously lack the credibility to lead the nation.

Chiefest of Najib’s defence team are none other than the outspoken Abdul Rahman Dahlan and now Salleh Said Keruak, and to some extent others such as Paul Low and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

The existing batch of ministers are mere spectators of the drama played out by a few key vocal Umno street (I call them) ‘cock fighters’. They continue to pour out provocative words, yet they always get away with it, clearly showing that there are hidden hands that protect them.

This is what has led to the drop of public confidence towards the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the courts and other public institutions, besides the ruling coalition and Najib himself.

This also explains why it it not only the Chinese, but even amongst urban Malays and Indians, Najib and Zahid no longer enjoy a high standing in the eyes of Malaysians. If they have to resort to the support of thug-like characters, what credibility is left of them?

A good example is Mohd Ali Baharom ( photo ) or ‘Ali Tinju’, who was caught on video making an alegedly seditious speech, but he was never charged . Instead, if a member of the opposition were to raise questions or criticise the government in the same provocative manner, even the slightest hint of sedition would be played up and the person harassed, detained for as long as possible, and charged under the draconian laws.

Personally, I am not impressed with the present drama.

Even the way the red shirt NGOs organised themselves for the rally was so confusing and without some clearly defined objectives, except the shouting of empty slogans that appear more like trying to raise racial tension or provoke a fight than to push for a certain noble agenda.

Even if they change their modus operandi, no one would expect a ruling party to use street rallies to support itself except for a nation like Thailand. In my opinion, these are the agents provocateur and a real threat to national security.

In the first place, Bersih 4 does not even seek a fight at all. Its demands are clearly spelt out on its website (which has since been blocked), includeing clean and fair elections and Najib’s stepping down as prime minister with immediate effect.

This is why I am personally unimpressed - with both Umno and the red shirt supporters - and the people that they represent.

Former Malacca chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam, who led Persekutuan Silat Kebangsaan (Pesaka) on a street rally to support Najib, should immediately step down as president of the silat group, since his decision to take the silat group on a political path had clearly contravened the ethos of Olympic Council of Malaysia.

The very people who were supposed to uphold Malay dignity have brought disgrace to the silat group if the Olympic Council decides to take action on them. We do not hear other martial arts groups being dragged into a street rally, do we? The disgrace should fall on one person, and the sports organisation that he represents, rather than an entire community.

Rakyat’s major concerns now

Najib and the cabinet should focus and address the free fall in Malaysian ringgit, the rise in cost of living and the lack of economic stimuli, investors’ confidence and the ongoing 1MDB scandal.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) which was supposed to be investigating the RM40 million from SRC International, has come to naught, or there appears to be a dead silence. There is no reason why a probe into 1MDB should be dropped unless it has uncovered some truths that we do not know.

Till today, Najib has not answered the numerous questions being raised. He even shied away from several attempts made to provide him a platform to respond to questions were being raised.

Unless things are put in order within the next six months, there is enough momentum for Pakatan Harapan to take over Putrajaya by the next general election, ending the 58 years of Barisan Nasional rule.

Perhaps, it is time for Umno and BN to concede to defeat for once or even twice, so that it gets it house in order.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.