White ang-pows: Should the Chinese "Love Najib" when he won't even chastise Ibrahim Ali

In a move to protect his newly-launched Chinese credentials via the much ridiculed "Ah Jib Gor" Facebook page, Prime Minister Najib Razak moved quickly to distance himself from the latest fiasco brought about by bungling Malay rights group Perkasa and its controversial founder Ibrahim Ali.

“Ibrahim Ali is an independent MP. As such the Chinese New Year function where white packets were distributed should not be seen as something that was condoned by the government,” Najib said in a posting on the “Ah Jib Gor” page.

The Facebook page was launched on January 16 in a bid to stem plunging esteem and popularity amongst the Chinese community. But it looks like Najib, who lost credibility to due to his ambivalence and weak hand on the government, will have to do more to convince the Chinese of his sincerity.

"It is not good enough. Najib is just passing the buck back to Ibrahim Ali. It is a waste of time to even make such a comment. The whole of Malaysia already knows Ibrahim Ali is an independent MP and that Perkasa is a sister organization of Umno's with former Umno president Mahathir Mohamad its patron and more than three-quarters of its members from the Umno right wing. The least Najib can do is to chastise Ibrahim for his insensitive remarks and hurting the feelings of the Chinese community," PKR vice president Chua Jui Meng told Malaysia Chronicle.

Don't let MCA and Soi Lek get away

Other Chinese leaders also want Najib to scold MCA and its president Chua Soi Lek for helping to organise the Chinese New Year disaster party. What had happened to so infuriate the Chinese had been the nonchalant way in which the rotund Ibrahim Ali had cheerfully gone about distributing 'ang-pows' or gifts of cash in white envelopes to his elderly guests.

The Chinese take this faux pas extremely seriously. To the community, red symbolises prosperity and joy, which is consonant and essential to any CNY festivity. Whereas, white signifies death. Chinese only burn white candles at funerals while cash donations to the bereaved are given in white envelopes.

To many Chinese, this is the ultimate insult. Is Ibrahim wishing his Chinese guests death or success? It made matters worse when it was later revealed that Ibrahim had allegedly roped in the MCA to round up senior citizens from various parts of the city to attend his CNY do.

So insensitive was Ibrahim that he boasted that "cash-strapped Perkasa" had spent RM10,000 on the 300-odd group that attended, yet he steadfastly refused to apologize when urged to.

"We don't take kindly to anyone regardless of race and faith to use any of Malaysia's senior citizens for photo-shoots and self-promotion and then stab them in the back. These are elderly folk who won't welcome any hints or omens of death. The very least Ibrahim can do is say sorry and Najib too should apologize for trying make flimsy excuses for Ibrahim and for himself," Batu MP Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

"Is Najib trying to tell the Chinese, hate Ibrahim Ali but love me because it is not my fault? Why should the Chinese accept Najib or praise him when he is only serving his own political interests and not theirs?  If he wants the Chinese to love him, he needs to stand up for them which he is not doing at all. All he is saying is, it has got nothing to do with me. Even Gerakan has more guts than him."

Nonsensical propaganda

Tian was referring to Gerakan, which a day ago had blasted Ibrahim for his blunder, as well as to another scheme hatched by his advisers and supporter - a "Love Najib" campaign.

The "Love Najib" scheme has already been criticized as hare-brained and desperate by pundits, and like "Ah Jib Gor" and the ceaseless 1Malaysia-branding, will go down in history as symbols of one of the country's darkest eras, marked by the most crazy and twisted of propaganda.

Malaysia Chronicle