Making The Soup Saltier In Metaphor

A LITTLE TAFFER'S ROOM

They can become fiery at times, as what Ezam and Ibrahim Ali illustrated from their messages delivered over the week. Ezam was telling of "burning down news portals" but eventually referred to them as theoratically. Ibrahim on the other hand was telling of forcing the government's action against Ambiga, DAP and Anwar over many issues.

These two people are the prime examples of making the soup saltier. Metaphorically speaking, the soup is like the melting pot that is meant to be shared by every citizen of Malaysia which encompasses of the matter of respect, entitlements, benefits, rights, privacy and whatever aspects that can be considered under the pot. If one can notice how some Malays have been screaming over the murtad issue, there can be two implications from there: one, the non-Malays will start distancing themselves from their Malay partners because the right to believe in any religion has been eroded; two the sense of privacy that is entitled for each person is gone. But yet, in that matter, what goes round comes round, so they do face the risk of "taste of their own medicine" if the present Malaysian scenario goes in inverse. And thirdly, it reveals how obsessive some of these group of people can be, paying more attention to petty matters whereas the real goal is to defeat evil that is seen in our daily lives like corruption, murder, theft and cheating.

A soup's taste must be balanced enough to satisfy everyone's taste buds. Salt, like demands from groups may affect the taste, depending on how much it was put into the soup. If the soup is the pot for everyone, e.g. policies, then the chef is the government and the people will be the ones having the soup. Salt can be good or bad. A little more can improve the taste, too much and it will spoil the taste.

And what is happening now, is perceived by many and the young as too much demands caved into pressure, all for the benefit of just one side and the others would be left out, as it implies.

Whatever of Najib's programs are the examples of too much salt in it, that is being caved in by various groups from the pro-government camp. The ETP and NEM is the case in point. The real problem that is impeding the nation's progress is not the opposition but those within the government of the day. While they keep pointing fingers at others for the problems, and this includes the apologists and butter boys, they are totally unaware that they themselves are the cause of the problems that have occurred.

All these religious and race related issues are actually part of the strategy to spook people and to raise doubts of what happens if one of the races have no support at all. It is deliberately invoked and they would portray themselves as saviors that can be supported for blindly.

Along the way, the basic question of demand vs earning respect comes out into play. For this murtad case, whatever speeches that these people and parties have been talking about, particularly for those who have been making statements in a threatening tone is somewhat as equivalent to demanding respect from everyone. Or in an another way, forcing people to respect even if they do not agree with such statements. This is one of the flaws with the present government where their supporters are not able to talk realistically with others. If people who can think but disagree with the statements, almost supporters would start making noises and "maki hamun".

The mob mentality that is revealed can eventually make people unwilling to communicate with the other party, with dissent or second opinion not allowed at all. People would only show respect if a person or a party can show good and proper qualities in a person or party. Except for dignitaries or as part of the formality of a ceremony that requires demonstration of respect, no one would respect a person or party if they start making big mouth and wild statements like Ibrahim Ali and the other NGOs.

Yes, these people can do whatever they want to gain the Malay votes, but at what expense? The cost can be high. One can be a tiny support of non-Malays; two, component parties risked becoming worthless in the coalition, three - it demonstrates the obsession of being omnipotent and in power indefinitely; and four; if any disaster - be it physical and financial disaster were to happen to everyone, they risked being blamed as they are the government of the day. For the 4th point, Ireland was the case in point. When the country went into default and subsequently required the loan from the IMF, the government of the day was voted out by the people there.

I remembered when Dr. Mahathir warned before sometime around March this year although we can be a nationalistic or deeply religious person, yet we can succumb to the opposite of what we want to be. Hypocrisy would then revealed itself. And so the above situations can also fall into this case. If we drink very salty soup all the time, we risk having kidney problems in the future. Translated from metaphor, if we include too many demands into something, we would eventually use it as a crutch rather than being it as an assisting tool. On worse case, we would be selling out our pride and the real soul of the country to unscrupulous third parties.