It's hard for me to say I'm sorry

By Lee Wee Tak at

Perhaps UMNO and BN think getting Lim Guan Eng to apologise represent a major coup. If UMNO BN thinks this represent a significant political triumph and would swing loads of votes from Pakatan, I am not fully convinced. If all politicians have to apologise for all private statement and personal opinion, then they would have no time to service the rakyat properly.

Do we not all have public and private opinion that differs? Do we not bitch behind clients/bosses/colleagues/spouse/relatives? If a Singaporean got robbed in Malaysia and bitched about it in Stomp, can UMNO BN be consistent enough to chase the Ah Beng down and demand an apology? If UMNO BN thinks Voyeurism politics is the way to go, then let’s make that an official election manifesto for voters to identify with.

I love my hometown of Seremban. I mentioned to my friends that Port Dickson is a boring holiday place and I preferred Phuket and Langkawi. Do I need to apologise for my personal opinion? Isn’t democracy about differing opinions? Shouldn’t the federal and state administration that are empowered and enabled to develop Port Dickson should apologise for failing to deliver?

UMNO-BN demanded, and the Johor Sultan gotten the apology from Guan Eng. The fact that Lim Guan Eng apologized, showed that maturity, humility and an awareness the world does not revolve around his own ego.

If you want apologies and remorse, look no further than the following events and wonder if an apology from the culprits would ever be forthcoming.

1) Noh Omar, then as Deputy Education Minister

http://educationmalaysia.blogspot.com/2007/07/bad-apples.html

In 2007, when Ean Yong Hian Wah submitted a fairly innocuous memorandum to the then Deputy Minister Noh Omar with regards to violent conduct by a teacher in a secondary school on behalf of the abused student's parents, Noh Omar appeared to lose control of his faculties and verbally abused Ean Yong, crumpled the official memorandum and threw it away, before it was picked up by his officer. He accused Ean Yong and the DAP of interfering in a school disciplinary matter. Noh Omar even exclaimed at one stage that he will not handle any case referred via the party.

· Should Noh Omar apologise for his violent and uncalled for behavior which did not solve the issue at hand and probably terrified the young student who went there as a bully victim seeking help?

2) Ahmad Ismail, the wonder drug for BN harmonyin Penang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arWnZtE3TdA

Ahmad Ismail called Chinese “penumpang” obviously inconsistent with so many recent (i.e. close to GE time) praises from Najib and Nazri about the appreciated role of Chinese as main tax payers. Penumpang? Malaysian Chinese purchase their property in accordance with laws passed by UMNO-BN law makers and unless in cases of default, paid every ringgit and sen for their property.

You can see in the video, Ahmad Ismail’s recalcitrant and arrogant refusal to apologise and the unruly supporters behind him.

Should he apologise to all who are offended by him? Since he has failed to apologise, should the UMNO higher up do so for him for the sake of a few more Chinese votes?

3) That legendary Najib video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwNLT428PqU

In the Sibu by-election, Najib’s legendary speech “you help me, I help you” seems to infer to me that perhaps he agreed to some lousy advice that Chinese in Sibu are easily bought and equate their sacred vote to by election dead man angpow. The Chinese there have replied by voting against BN, should Najib apologise for underestimating them and painted to the world, an extremely regrettable of how democracy is being played out in Malaysia?

4) Temple demolition

http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/106706

Before UMNO BN lost Selangor, according to the Hindraf source above, numerous Hindu temples were demolished, defaced, relocated next to sewerage tanks, burnt to the ground, deities forcibly removed, police report ignored and what not.

While UMNO BN have signal to “retake Selangor at all cost”, a simple apology and pre-election promise of not to do this again seems to be beyond them.

5) Murderous and callous circus

Teoh Beng Hock’s tragedy at the hands of MACC is well documented. Instead of an apology, MACC resorted to a variety of push back including defaming the dead man and his family, dodging accountability and being cited as a bunch of liars by the RCI. Instead of apologizing, MACC manage to have another death at their doorstep, and someone somehow manage to upthe gamesmanship by claiming the availability of sex tape of the victim. It is easier to get blood out from MACC and an ovum from a man than to get a “sorry we were wrong” from MACC.

6) Syed Hamid, to detain is to protect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syed_Hamid_Albar

With Najib gleefully taking all the credit for his role to abolish ISA (ignoring the risk, losses, sacrifices and suffering of those who spent decades opposing it), let us not forget Syed Hamid who imposed ISA dentition on Sin Chew Jit Poh reporter Tan Hoon Cheng for reporting exactly what Ahmad Ismail said, and suspended by UMNO only after hefty prompting by Gerakan. Who the hell had a beef with the until then unknown reporter? Should Syed Hamid at least apologise to Hoon Cheng? And whatever happen to Kugan, it was not worth an apology or grudging express of regret from the axed minister who was in charge at the time of Kugan’s tortured demise.

Let us not even hope BN administration will apologise for the countless mental and physical tortured endured those thousands who suffered under ISA and E.O.

7) Mahathir, where do we start and where do we end?

What about Mahathir? Should he apologise for misleading us with his Vision 2020 as he is now Perkasa’s key man? Mahathir have ruined the tin industry of Malaysia with Mamico, bankrupted Bank Negara with currency speculation, destroyed the independence of judiciary, condemned Malaysians to the abyss of traffic jam, limited mobility, excessive car prices that suck away our purchasing power and lousy public transport with the national car project, Sabah’s Project IC, as well as the 1987 gross abuse of ISA to divert attention from his party problems.

In the 1987 clamp down of the Star and Sin Chew Jit Poh, all stemming from the need to resolve internal party struggle,how many livelihood of innocent household did he ruin?

Do we get an apology from him? The most we got was selective amnesia in a RCI.

Now you tell me, who should and who need to apologise. If a person lets his ego overrule his sensibility, humility and sense of responsibility, do you think he will make a good listener and work for the betterment of the others?

That is why, I seriously doubt BN administration would apologise to Malaysians for wasting billions of funds in the 5 decades - PFFTZ, Pewaja, Bakun Dam, Proton and Lotus, Moonsoon Cup, Collapsing Stadium Sultan Mirzan Shah, Matrade, Istana Negara cost overrun, Menara Dayabumi, MRR 2, Toll concession robbery, IPPs, corruption level from top to bottom, emergence of little napoleon race who deserve a classification of their own etc.

Lastly, I am sorry for bringing all this out