COMMENT Years ago, the managing director of the now defunct Union Carbide (Malaysia) told us, “Americans are very pragmatic people. Over a dispute, a particular division of Company A may sue Company B for millions of dollars, but when a window of business opportunities arises, both companies may sign an agreement to work together while the legal battle is still on.”

This is what exactly what objectivity in business and in politics should be. Parties can fight over any issues in Parliament, but the moment they come out, they should be open enough to have a cup of teh tarik together.

After all, Parliament is the place where people can show their ability to debate on issues. It is the circus where human beings behave based on their animal instincts, but fortunately enough, we are nowhere near that of the Taiwanese parliament where chairs are being hurled at each other.

Be objective

Therefore, for Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan to suggest that government-linked companies (GLCs) should boycott businesses supporting the Bersih movement, he makes himself to appear to be injudicious.

This is nothing but what he thinks is a strategy. On Day 1, he mentioned only companies that funded Bersih activities. On Day 2, he stressed that GLCs will also cut off law firms that support Bersih.

Let it be. Let the GLCs appoint lawyers such as the ones currently managing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s legal affairs, who could make statements like, “we are still waiting for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) to confirm if they will be invoking immunity under the United States' Speech Act before they decide on pursuing defamation charges against the daily in Malaysia.”

No wonder Malaysia has become a laughing stock to the world.

By doing this, he hopes to discourage Bersih supporters from extending their services and funds to provide for Bersih. In the first place, Rahman proves himself to be a big fool by thinking that commercial organisations are the ones behind the Bersih movement.

So what if the CEO gives RM5 to the Bersih funds? Does it make the whole organisation responsible for the CEO’s show of support? What about the Barisan Nasional supporters working within the company? This is absolute madness.

In fact, Rahman Dahlan is absolutely wrong in making such threats against businesses and law firms.

It is individuals who make up the majority of Bersih supporters. It is the RM1 or RM10 that we donated to Bersih that helped to prop up the funds. If Rahman wants to boycott us, let it be. We will show him that, for the next five elections, we will vote against Umno.

No wonder former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad labels the likes of Rahman Dahlan, Minister of Communication and Multimedia Salleh Said Keruak, and Azalina Othman Said as allegedly half-past-six ministers. Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin calls Umno a scrap vehicle fit for the scrapyard, no thanks to these leaders who continue to spew out nonsensical statements by the day.

If I, being ‘anti-BN’ now, can recommend to my clients to invite certain ministers to be guest-of-honour at their functions, why cannot Rahman Dahlan see beyond politics is as good as anyone’s guess.

In fact, Rahman Dahlan’s claim that both Selangor and Penang state governments blacklisted companies linked to Umno is also absolutely wrong. When the Selangor first took over solid waste management, many of us were complaining why they continued to engage contractors that could sabotage them? I was told that these contractors are in fact getting better deals now than those days when Alam Flora was the middleman.

Malay contractors for the Penang state government were reported to be happy with the new state government when Pakatan Rakyat took over, because they were getting more contracts.

Having said this of both Selangor and Penang, I can predict that there will be some ‘rascals’ coming out to make noise, as if they were representing the voices of the majority.

Najib still playing the fiddle?

It will be tragic if the businesses burn, while Najib is seen playing the fiddle. Emperor Nero is well-known for that, but lessons from history do not appear to teach our political leaders a good lesson not to repeat the same mistakes.

In fact, Najib’s silence over a number of burning issues is what allegedly makes him one of the worst leaders that this country has seen. He depends on his supporters to defend him, but he himself would not deal with the issues directly. Questions are left unanswered, and they keep burning on everyone’s mind.

Since the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal hit world news, Najib has been very silent about who Malaysian Official 1 is. It takes someone like Rahman Dahlan to admit that Najib is MO1. When the opposition parliamentarians held up their cards with the words, ‘Who is MO1?’ the question is posed to Najib, but Rahman Dahlan answered on his behalf.

Does Najib not have the guts to admit that he is MO1? Why does he, a supposed Bugis warrior, shy away from the truth that the whole world knows about unless, of course, he knows he will lose face if he admitted being MO1?

When Rahman Dahlan came out with such a threat against businesses, in the process of damaging the economy of the country further, Najib should at least openly reprimand his minister. But, did he? Or was he condoning such threats?

This is what every Bersih supporter will ask when Rahman Dahlan makes his statements. We must now vote against Umno and parties that tag along with Umno for the next five elections, in a show of solidarity with Bersih.

When Bersih invited BN politicians to support clean and fair elections, Umno politicians unleashed the red-shirts against my fellow Malaysians who were clad in yellow T-shirts during the last Bersih after appearing as going to war with the civil society in Bersih 3.

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