U must not oppose (acronym: UMNO)

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said that the parliamentary culture of allowing MPs to reflect the people's views without having to toe a party line is still "very superficial if not alien in Malaysia”. This 'Big Brother' rule for BN back-bench criticism of ministers was broken yesterday, and this explained the strong adverse reaction to the MIC position in Parliament and the 'high drama' over my emergency motion on the MMC derecognition of CSMU medical degrees.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Below are three news items running into four pages from 2005, 2007, and today, totalling more than 1,200 words. I know many of you do not like reading anything longer than 100 words. Hence maybe I can bring your attention to just this part:

Works Minister S Samy Vellu, contacted by reporters in Parliament today, refused to comment. Samy, who is MIC chief, had earlier described the MMC decision as a move to prevent more Indians from becoming doctors. 

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said that the parliamentary culture of allowing MPs to reflect the people's views without having to toe a party line is still "very superficial if not alien in Malaysia". 

"This 'Big Brother' rule for BN back-bench criticism of ministers was broken yesterday, and this explained the strong adverse reaction to the MIC position in Parliament and the 'high drama' over my emergency motion on the MMC derecognition of CSMU medical degrees," he added.

Okay, that was what was reported seven years ago back in 2005. And that was just 115 words in three paragraphs, so I hope you have not only read it but digested it as well.

The reason I am raising this issue is because of what many of you posted in the comments section under the few news items regarding Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, the DAP Vice Chairman who became a member of the party in 2008. Most of the comments were downright nasty and certainly not in the spirit of freedom of thought and freedom of expression, something which we have been fighting for and one of the reasons we are opposing Umno and Barisan Nasional. 

Where is the spirit of agreeing to disagree? Where is the spirit of I may disagree with you but I will defend to the death your right to express what you believe in? And where do we draw the line as far as freedom of thought and expression are concerned? 

The government does not allow us to assemble on Dataran Merdeka and for this we are very angry. We argue that it is our right to assemble on Dataran Merdeka. After all, Dataran Merdeka belongs to the rakyat. So, asrakyat, we have a right to assemble there.

Yes, it is about rights. Our right as rakyat. Our right to assemble where we want. Our right to express ourselves wherever we want, even on Dataran Merdeka.

Rights! Rights! Rights!

But we have no right to express ourselves if that opinion runs contra to the party stand. We must toe the party line. We must not express any independent thinking. If we want to contradict the party, then we must leave the party. Sack Tunku Abdul Aziz, most of you say. Tunku Abdul Aziz must resign from his post as Senator, most of you scream.

The three paragraphs above were about the Opposition Leader, Lim Kit Siang, coming to the defence of a Barisan Nasional (MIC) Deputy Minister who was suspended for not toeing the party line. The Barisan Nasional Deputy Minister, S Sothinathan, who was also the MIC secretary-general, was defending this issue:

The withdrawal of recognition by state agency, the Malaysian Medical Council, has affected about 1,400 Malaysian students who are currently studying at the university - the oldest and leading medical university in Ukraine.

The non-recognition resulted in the students, who are mostly Indian Malaysians, not being able to practice as doctors upon graduation, but will have to sit for an additional medical qualifying examination under the MMC. 

Isn’t this what movements like Hindraf are fighting for? And should Sothinathan have been suspended for not toeing the party line when he was only defending the interests of 1,400 Malaysian students, mostly Indians?

So where do we draw the line? When can someone ‘break ranks’ and when must he or she ‘toe the party line’? Or should every Malaysian -- even if he or she is a party leader, Minister, Member of Parliament, Senator, or whatever -- be allowed freedom of thought and freedom of expression?

The whacking that many Malaysia Today readers have been giving Tunku Abdul Aziz over the last two weeks demonstrates the lack of tolerance for people who have opposing thoughts and for people who express opinions that differ from theirs.

And is this not what Umno and Barisan Nasional is all about? And is this not why we oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional? And is this not why we say that Umno is the acronym for ‘U must not oppose’? 

Just because someone disagrees with you it does not mean that he or she is an Umno mole or traitor or turncoat or whatever. I whack Muslims. I say that Muslims are Islam’s worst enemies. I allege that the conduct of Muslims not only shames Islam but also gives Islam a negative image.

Does that make me a Christian mole? Am I a Trojan horse of the Christians? Is my hidden agenda to promote Christianity and to destroy Islam? Am I part of the conspiracy to get Muslims to leave Islam and become Christians?

If not, then why am I criticising Muslims? As a Muslim I should instead be saying all sorts of nasty things about Christianity and expose the evil plot of the Christians who are trying to mislead Muslims and get them to convert to Christianity.

Hmmm…now that’s a good idea. Maybe I should do just that to prove to the Muslims that I am a true Muslim who upholds Islam and who will never allow the enemies of Islam to damage Islam and mislead Muslims.

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(The Star, May 2012)) - The DAP disciplinary board wants Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim to confirm if he has repeated his public criticism of Bersih 3.0 although he was rebuked earlier by the party leadership over the matter.

“I am trying to locate Tunku (Aziz) for the statement,” the board's chairman Tan Kok Wai told a news portal yesterday.

Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M. Manoharan called for disciplinary action to be taken against Tunku Aziz, who is party vice-chairman, over his remarks on the rally.

Manoharan accused Tunku Aziz for failing to toe the party's line by making the remarks, which he said were tantamount to a “double misconduct”.

“It is my personal view that severe action should be taken against him. He seems to be a great embarrassment to the party.

“It is the police and not the public that should be blamed. The public have a right to voice out (their feelings),” he said yesterday.

He called on Tunku Aziz to leave the party on his own accord, claiming that the latter did not understand the party leaders' struggles, especially those who were held under the Internal Security Act.

Tunku Aziz had spoken out against the rally before it was held on April 28, fearing that it might turn violent.

Expressing sadness over the violence that did occur, Tunku Aziz recently remarked that the Bersih 3.0 organisers should have realised that while there were those who were genuinely fighting for electoral reforms, others were out to create havoc or hijack the rally for their political agenda. 

He added that it was unfair for Bersih leaders and politicians to solely blame police for the violence between protesters and police.

Tunku Aziz reportedly said Bersih 3.0 organisers were not “angels descended from heaven” who were blameless, adding that they should look at themselves before pointing at police for last Saturday's violence. 

When contacted yesterday, Tunku Aziz said he was not upset with Manoharan as he was entitled to his personal view.

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(The Star, 2007) - Cameron Highlands MP K. Devamany has been let off without a suspension or warning over his remark in Parliament recently.

Devamany had a 20-minute meeting with Barisan Nasional Chief Whip and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yesterday morning to explain himself.

The MIC backbencher told a press conference at the Parliament lobby that he had told Najib that he regretted his statement.

He, however, declined to say whether he was sorry over what he said when pushed further by reporters.

Devamany was said to have broken ranks with the ruling coalition over his remark in Parliament last Monday.

He had said the fact that 50,000 people showed up at the Nov 25 Hindraf protest showed the Government’s failure in distributing wealth equally.

His remark irked some Barisan backbenchers who felt he should have used proper channels but Devamany, who received support from the MIC top brass, maintained that he was only speaking up for the Indian community.

Devamany thanked Najib for meeting him and said he explained to the Chief Whip the concerns of the Indian community.

“He was very nice to me. I told him I regretted the statement. He advised me on what happened.

“I truly believe that unity, peace and stability is paramount in the country and cannot be compromised,” he said. 

Devamany said Najib had expressed concern over the plight of the Indian community, which would be addressed by the Government and MIC through the Barisan Nasional spirit.

“He (Najib) has assured him that he would look into legitimate concerns of the Indian community,” he added.

Devamany said he would still speak up in the House but would be more responsible and not just throw words around.

“I fully support Barisan Nasional and the party leadership. That cannot be questioned,” he added. 

Also at the press conference was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Deputy Chief Whip Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who confirmed that no suspension or warning had been given to Devamany. 

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(Malaysiakini, 2005) - MIC secretary-general S Sothinathan has been suspended as a deputy minister for three months over his remarks at yesterday's parliamentary debate on the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) issue. 

The unprecedented decision was made at a cabinet meeting today. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that the suspension was because Sothinathan had breached BN party discipline.

"We made a decision to suspend him with immediate effect for what he did in parliament," Abdullah told a press conference.

"He's a member of the front bench, he should not have taken a stand like he did, criticising is own government. It is certainly a breach of party discipline," he said.

Sothinathan, who is deputy minister for natural resources and environment, could not be reached for his reaction on the suspension.

Yesterday, Sothinathan irked Barisan Nasional backbenchers when he broke ranks and interrupted Deputy Health Minister Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad over a point raised in explaining the decision to withdraw recognition for Ukraine-based CSMU.

The withdrawal of recognition by state agency, the Malaysian Medical Council, has affected about 1,400 Malaysian students who are currently studying at the university - the oldest and leading medical university in Ukraine. 

The non-recognition resulted in the students, who are mostly Indian Malaysians, not being able to practice as doctors upon graduation, but will have to sit for an additional medical qualifying examination under the MMC.

Latiff told Parliament during a heated debate yesterday that the decision was made to maintain the quality of our doctors, and stressed that it had "nothing to do with race, ethnicity and religion".

He said the number of Malaysian students in CSMU had increased from 53 to 1,366 in May this year.

According to Latiff, unqualified CSMU students, including those who failed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, had obtained no-objection letters from the Higher Education Ministry to enable them to enrol in the university.

Samy: No comment

Sothinathan, who was agitated by Latiff's remarks that the majority of those who graduated from unrecognised universities were Indians, had pressed the deputy health minister on how the Higher Education Ministry could have issued no-objection letters to unqualified students.

He also asked why one community was being single out when the problem of unrecognised medical graduates involves all communities in Malaysia.

"If MMC is indeed professional, how come it recognised CSMU in 2001? Why did it make a decision in haste?" he asked.

The debate, which was sparked by an emergency motion moved by the opposition DAP, saw the blurring of party affiliations with DAP and MIC MPs exchanging barbs with Umno MPs over the issue.

Works Minister S Samy Vellu, contacted by reporters in Parliament today, refused to comment. 

Samy, who is MIC chief, had earlier described the MMC decision as a move to prevent more Indians from becoming doctors. 

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) said that the parliamentary culture of allowing MPs to reflect the people's views without having to toe a party line is still "very superficial if not alien in Malaysia".

"This 'Big Brother' rule for BN back-bench criticism of ministers was broken yesterday, and this explained the strong adverse reaction to the MIC position in Parliament and the 'high drama' over my emergency motion on the MMC derecognition of CSMU medical degrees," he added.