Yesterday's unprovoked attack against a 92-year-old man, who was speaking at Bersatu's "Nothing to Hide 2.0" event, did more harm to the instigators than it did to Bersatu and Pakatan Harapan.
The nonagenarian is the former prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The reason he was targeted is no coincidence. He was deliberately singled out, because he still commands a loyal following amongt many Malaysians, in particular the Malays.
The more he speaks, the more Umno-Baru diehard supporters may "see the light". So, of course he has to be silenced.
The more Mahathir reaches out to ordinary Malaysians, the more the extremists will be put under pressure. Their motto is probably, "Stop Mahathir, reinstate the status quo of fear."
The most revealing aspect of the attack is that it has reaffirmed our suspicions, that someone, or some people, are afraid of Mahathir. Such is their desperation that there were prepared to harm him.
Many people still consider Mahathir to be a divisive figure. This cannot be denied. Mahathir was divisive, in the past, and in today's context, he continues to divide Umno-Baru, by splitting their loyalties.
Regardless of his divisive character, many Malays still consider Mahathir to be a champion and a father-figure. He helped lift them out of poverty, gave them a confidence that they did not have under the British, and most importantly, he gave them an "identity" and a physical presence. He also placed Malaysia on the world map.
From being dirt farmers trapped in the ulu, hidden behind rubber trees or sheaves of padi, many Malays were given a chance to excel, to prosper and venture into the cities; that was until greed consumed significant numbers of the nouveau riche. Instead of helping their poorer kin, they built their own empires and promoted themselves. Gone was the sense of kinship and community.
We are aware that most of this Malay "identity" was forged under the Ketuanan Melayu brand and that affirmative action policies helped the Malays to progress.
It is puzzling that current senior Umno-Baru politicians patronise us and blame Mahathir for being divisive, then continue to implement the divisive policies, instead of disbanding them.
Why won't they stop the New Economic Policy (NEP) and give every Malaysian an equal opportunity? Why not discontinue race- and religious-based polices, and start afresh?
The current administration is loathe to do that, because they will be clueless about ruling a country based on equality and justice.
The men who attacked Mahathir set off flares, hurled chairs, slippers and bottles. The thugs may think that they can harass the rakyat, by making them afraid of attending future Opposition lectures, but their provocation has backfired.
They do not care about people's rights
Instead of delivering a message of fear, they have just told us that they do not care about people’s rights, the safety of the public, about our right to speak up, our right to allow others to have a voice, about upholding democracy, or the rule of law.
Instead of being afraid, our resolve to remove these thugs, is stronger than ever.
In the past, they attacked Zunar, because he made us think, with his cartoons, and he poked fun at you-know-who, in Putrajaya.
They attacked Maria Chin, Ambiga Sreenevesan and other Bersih 2.0 committee members. Obviously, they have no love for democracy.
They also caused havoc during Bersih marches. What do they care about our rights to conduct a peaceful protest?
Countless other Opposition politicians, human rights activists and people who want to defend their way of life, like the Orang Asli, have been attacked. The thugs do not want others to have a say.
Countless other Opposition politicians, human rights activists and people who want to defend their way of life, like the Orang Asli, have been attacked. The thugs do not want others to have a say.
They attacked an "Anything But Umno" (ABU) event in Klang in 2012, and sent Mat Rempits to create chaos. The thugs, who were linked to Umno-Baru, intimidated the audience by riding their kapchai bikes in the building. They circled the spectators, who were sitting and cowering in fear, then threw bottles at them and refused to leave. The police dismissed the organiser's concerns.
event in Klang
event in Klang
So, what is there to fear about a 92-year-old man? One concerned Malaysian remarked, "After what happened yesterday to Tun, we can expect worse things. Should Umno-Baru lose the election, the mobs could take over, as they would be unable to accept defeat.
"Pakatan leaders should engage with all the security chiefs and the rulers, to pre-empt all this. They must ensure that MO1 does not look for an excuse to declare a state of emergency."
We do not want to leave a legacy of fear and retribution for our children; it is not the Malaysian way. The thugs have given us sound reason not to entrust the fortunes of our children to Umno-Baru.
You know what to do, at the ballot box in GE-14.
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