James Chin snubs Zaid for denying Akmal, UMNO subtly advocating “one-race, one-religion country”

 

THAT he has completely “missed the sarcasm” of political commentator Prof James Chin on the desire of UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Akmal Saleh to step down has infamously pitted former de-facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and the former in a ‘witty’ exchange over making Malaysia a “one race, one religion” country.

This follows the mocking by the inaugural director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania that the staunch defender of race and religion should stay put given “the Malay nationalists want you to stay and take over UMNO and bring UMNO into MN (Muafakat Nasional)”.

“Then you will implement your vision of “one race one religion” country. Make Malaysia Malay Again!” Chin had reacted on his Facebook page.

However, the Opposition-slant UMNO member took the Sarawakian-born academician’s words at face value by coming to the defence of Akmal’s action while denying that the ultimate goal is “to create a one-race, one-religion country”.

“Akmal and those UMNO members who wish to play no more part in the Madani government are not bent on creating a one-race and one-religion country as Chin puts it,” rebutted Zaid in a FB post.

“If the Malays and UMNO were that way inclined, they could have done so after 1969. Why revert to parliamentary democracy after only three years of the Emergency? Is that not generosity or considerate on our part?”

Zaid who acted as the defence counsel of disgraced former premier further Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his SRC International Sdn Bhd trial further alluded to the so-called ‘generosity’ of the Malays as the host of the country.

The founder of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, the largest private law firm in Malaysia (which he no longer owns), further contended that the anger that Akmal and grassroots UMNO members have against the party’s leadership stems from its president being overly protective and generous toward Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP.

“That’s not being racist,” he insisted.

“If the Malays and UMNO are deep in racism, why open up the economy with privatisation and free enterprise when Mahathir (twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) was ruling the country for 22 years so much so that the non-Malays still control the leverage of the economy in the country till today?”

Surprised at Zaid’s claim that UMNO isn’t into that whole “one-race, one-religion” vibe, Chin took a pot shot at the former for his denial.

“My goodness, Zaid, you of all people should know better – you’ve bounced around UMNO, PKR, DAP and even played president for KITA (Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air). But sure, tell us again how UMNO’s totally over ‘one-race, one-religion’ vision.”

Added the senior associate at the Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR):

Anyway, being the respectful Sarawakian that I’m, I won’t stoop to arguing with my elders.

Zaid’s been dropping absolute gems of madness these past few years; like insisting Najib isn’t getting a fair trial and in that infamous case involving a s*x video allegedly depicting a prominent opposition leader, Zaid assessed the video as a “documentary” rather than pornography, and the scrapping of MA63 (Malaysia Agreement 1963)

All I can say is thank you so much for stalking my posts, Zaid! Please, keep quoting me; I need the extra publicity.” 

- focus malaysia