THIS is a genuine case of argumentum ad hominem – a Latin description of an attack of a person’s character, personality or motives rather than addressing the substance of the argument.
In philosophy, such “mudslinging” or reputation smearing antic is deemed a “fallacy of relevance” because the personal trait of a person is usually irrelevant to the truth or validity of the said argument.
Unfortunately, this is also the best weapon deployed by opposition-slant rightists to cast doubt in the credibility of Federal Territories (FT) Minister Hannah Yeoh who most recently ‘starred’ in a Raya video dancing to the tune of songstress Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza’s 2026’s traditional pop release “Beraya Dengan Saya”.
The video was shot in front of the iconic heritage Sultan Abdul Samad Building di Kuala Lumpur which has been recently refurbished.
While even the national icon extended gratitude to the DAP deputy secretary-general for choosing her song in the FT Ministry’s Raya video, detractors preferred to snub Yeoh for ‘conning’ the Malay Muslim community by creeping into their culture.
Such reaction can be gauged from a Facebook post with a somehow demeaning one-liner “Cina bukit bikin opera lagi” in reference to an Oh My Media headline of “Looking Sweet in Baju Kurung, Hannah Yeoh Makes a Raya Vvideo Appearance in Front of An Iconic Building”.
For the uninitiated, “Cina bukit” or literally “hill Chinese” is a derogatory slang referring to rural, unrefined or conservative Chinese. Akin to “country bumpkin” or “redneck” in English, it is often used to insult Chinese perceived as unsophisticated or uneducated.
Recall that the Segambut MP was previously mocked for attempting to hoodwink Malay Muslim voters when she showed up in an abaya and tudung (which is actually a selendang a.k.a. shawl) at a charitable Ramadan programme with village folks of Kampung Padang Balang at the Saidina Ali Mosque in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.
While the sheer act of covering her hair marks respect when one steps into a mosque or gurdwara (Sikh temple) for that matter, Yeoh’s act of donning the tudung was equated to the late People’s Action Party (PAP) co-founder Lee Kuan Yew stepping into Malay villages in a songkok during election campaigns in the 1960s.
As one pro-Madani netizen tried to thwart personality attack on Yeoh by praising DAP ministers as “performers” in the Madani government, rightists slammed him for being a “DAP lackey” or “paid Madani cybertrooper”.
In ticking off the poster for being “a busy body if she wants to play Chinese opera”, another pro-Madani backer found himself belittled as a “fool” for not noticing the so-called political charade.
One rightist reminded her brethren that “it’s fine to watch but don’t believe because she’s anti-Malay and anti-Islam”.
“The goodness displayed is just for show … Don’t regret and cry later when the Malays lose everything in the hands of a species who is good at playacting like this,” she warned.
“Please learn from the history of neighbouring countries … Just wait and see when she takes action, especially on the issue of (election) re-delineation which risks marginalising the Malays”.
Another reminded the Malays “never to forget history” only to be jibed by a Madani supporter “how easy one can forget history with the sight of Chinese (women) donning baju kurung”.
This is when one pro-Madani backer stood his ground by brushing aside the rightist/ Opposition’s propaganda while praising Yeoh not only for her excellent service but the fact that “she’s well-liked by the populace regardless of race and religion”.
- focus malaysia
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