'Oi, sit down, lah. Face like an ape!' Is this how Umno MPs should speak

Duduklah, bodoh! Or its English equivalent of 'sit down lah, stupid' is a taunt which the non-Malay MPs always get to hear in the August House during Parliamentary debates.

UMNO MPs are always hurling this line at DAP lawmakers like Beruas rep Ngeh Koo Ham, Taiping's Nga Kor Ming, Ipoh Barat's M Kulasegaran and PKR's Batu MP Tian Chua.

Each time, these Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament stand up to say something or to ask a question, they would get that insult hurled at them, usually accompanied by the additional line of 'Oi, duduklah. Muka macam beruk' (Oi, sit down, lah. Face like an ape).

To regular observers of Parliament proceedings, it is a telling fact that none of the PAS MPs get these insults thrown at them by the UMNO MPs. UMNO MPs will ony dare to shout'duduk lah' at their PAS counterparts.

Even Kulasegaran has been labelled 'bastard' many times by Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Rahman.

The Dewan Speaker and his deputies are also at fault for not taking any action to stop these rowdy UMNO lawmakers. As a result, they continue to do so with impunity. They do not retract their remarks and the Speaker cannot be bothered to look into the interest of the other MPs.

In direct contrast was the incident last year when PAS Pokok Sena MP, Mahfuz Omar began a chant of 'UMNO, APCO, APCO, UMNO' for 2 days during the Parliament sittings.

Immediately, the Pasir Salak MP wanted to refer Mahfuz to the Rights and Privileges Committee although in the end he failed to do so.

The boorish and the uncouth

If there is any doubt left why racial polarization keeps worsening, this is the final proof. Even at the highest House of the country, the ruling party allows this sort of behavior to be carried out. How can Malaysians expect their lawmakers to correct the racial problems in the country then?

Till today, UMNO MPs ignore Pakatan's Chinese and Indian MPs, and refuse to let them pose their questions.

Contacted by Malaysia Chronicle, DAP's Ngeh Koo Ham expressed disappointment with the attitude of the UMNO MPs but admitted that nothing can be done about it.

MCA, Gerakan and MIC escape such abusive behavior although they don't fare much better. They are also morally guilty for closing an eye to the blatant racism within the walls of Parliament itself.

At the end of the day, the non-Malay BN leaders are powerless to act against their 'big brother' and coalition boss UMNO. For example, in 2008, an UMNO politician in Penang who labelled the Chinese as 'pendatang' and tore up Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon's picture. But he only received a slap on the wrist and was treated as a hero in UMNO.

Kulasegaran said he is amazed at the way some of these UMNO MPs, such as the Pasir Salak rep, becames too personal and emotional during debates.

"UMNO politicians do not show respect to the non-Malays and this just goes to show that Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1Malaysia is just a whole lot of hot air when those in his own camp act as if the slogan does not exist," Kula told Malaysia Chronicle.

Perhaps it is timely for the Malaysian Parliament to observe its own code of conduct, lest the Dewan Negara(National Hall) get mistaken for being the Zoo Negara (National Zoo)!

- Malaysia Chronicle