Don’t look at me

What would be even better would be to hear what Umno and Najib have to say. Umno claims it is the largest Islamic party in the world. That was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamd once said. So, since this is a matter involving Islam, and since Umno is the archenemy of PAS, it is only fair that they say something about it.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I have been receiving messages from quite a number of people who want me to comment on the decision by the PAS-led Kedah state government to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan.

To be fair, I have not spoken to any of the Pakatan Rakyat people yet. However, from what I have read on the news thus far, it appears like it is a PAS decision, or probably the Menteri Besar’s decision, rather than a Pakatan Rakyat decision.

Whatever it may be though, why do so many people want me to comment on the matter? Who am I to comment? I am not a member of any of the component parties within Pakatan Rakyat. Furthermore, if I do comment, I would be whacked for criticising the opposition. I would be accused of giving ammunition to Barisan Nasional to undermine Pakatan Rakyat. Is it wise for me to comment?

Time and time again I have been asked to not criticise the opposition. When I do criticise the opposition they allege that I am a turncoat or Trojan horse. They say that I have been bought off and am now on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s payroll, and whatnot. Is it not better that I just remain silent and not comment? Why send me so many messages asking me to comment?

Anyway, Anwar Ibrahim is the leader of the opposition. He heads Pakatan Rakyat. Would it not be better, as leader of the opposition or Pakatan Rakyat, that he comment on the matter?

I have not yet read what he said about the matter. Maybe I missed it. Or maybe he is drafting his comment and will issue it in a day or two. So let us wait and see what Anwar says about the matter first.

What would be even better would be to hear what Umno and Najib have to say. Umno claims it is the largest Islamic party in the world. That was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamd once said. So, since this is a matter involving Islam, and since Umno is the archenemy of PAS, it is only fair that they say something about it.

In fact, I would be most interested in hearing what Anwar and Najib have to say about this; or at latest their parties, PKR and Umno. Then we will know whether the Kedah Menteri Besar and PAS stand alone on this issue or whether this move is supported (or opposed) by both PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib).

What PKR-UMNO and/or Anwar-Najib have to say is more important than what I have to say.

So there will be no comment from me. I am not going to say whether I support or oppose this move by the Kedah state government to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan. I will leave it to the politicians to state their stand.

But then maybe PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib) are going to remain silent. Maybe they find this issue too sensitive to comment seeing that they are also Muslims and would not want to be seen as going against Islam. So maybe it will be DAP and MCA who would be asked to comment instead.

DAP and MCA are not Malay-based parties. So it is not sensitive for them to comment on the matter or speak out against the move by Kedah to ban entertainment in the state during the month of Ramadhan.

Then PKR and Umno (or Anwar and Najib) can play safe and say nothing. Then no one can accuse them of being bad Muslims by supporting vice during what Muslims consider the holy month of Ramdhan. This would be the politically correct thing to do.

And I would not be accused of hurting the opposition by offering negative comments. If I say I support the move then the Chinese would get angry with me and the Malays would love me. If I say I oppose the move then the Malays would get angry with me and the Chinese would love me.

So I say nothing. So neither the Chinese nor the Malays would get angry with me. And no one can say I am sabotaging the opposition by giving ammunition to Barisan Nasional.

However, if I remain silent will that help the opposition? Will that serve the opposition cause?

Should I be concerned about that? Should I not be more concerned that by remaining silent no one can now say that I have been bought off by Najib and that I am on his payroll?

No, as I have been time and time again advised, the opposition knows what it is doing. I do not need to teach the opposition how it should run the state governments under its control. Who am I to tell them how they should run the states? It is not that they are going to listen to me anyway. So, as so many have told me in very loud and clear terms, just shut the fuck up and leave Pakatan Rakyat alone to run the states the way they see fit.