Political foes snub Hannah Yeoh over two-skipper BN-PN Titanic waiting to hit iceberg analogy

 

DAP deputy secretary-general Hannah Yeoh has been ticked off by  political rivals for “being a busy body predicting the sinking of other people’s ships” – an apparent reaction to the “phobia and fear when the Malays want to unite”.

This follows the Federal Territories Minister’s swipe at the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) partnership – more specifically that between UMNO and PAS – by expecting such cooperation to be short-lived given it is overshadowed by betrayal and those who are not loyal to the “politics of friendship”.

Campaigning at the Klawang state constituency in Jelebu – a deemed Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Amanah stronghold – as part of the run-up to the Aug 1 Negeri Sembilan (N9) state election, Yeoh went on to liken the BN-PN pact to the ship in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic “that is poised to sink at any time”.

“They cheered happily at the commencement of the voyage but eventually the ship sank after hitting a large iceberg that they failed to sight ahead,” she recounted in a Facebook post the disaster which struck on April 14, 1912 at 11.40pm in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Each aspires to be Prime Minister and will trample on each other to rise to the top. They don’t want their partners to succeed either.

“The emphasis is on individual success. Such is the parable of the BN-PN collaboration today. They’re like the Titanic waiting to sink becausethere isn’t any political value of friendship.

‘PH’s Titanic to hit iceberg first’

That the Segambut MP boasted by drawing comparison with the ruling Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) “one skipper ship with PKR, Amanah and DAP loyally fighting to defend Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim” must have irked PAS lawmaker Nurul Amin Hamid who countered with his PH Titanic version that insinuates a N9 downfall.

“Specially for Hannah Yeoh and DAP,” jibed the first-term Padang Terap MP in his one-liner FB post.

This was when Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid took a pot shot at Yeoh that she need not be afraid given history has proven that when the core/majority races are stable and united, “the country is peaceful and all races – Chinese, Indian and others – can enjoy the prosperity together”.

“The ‘political friendship’ narrative promoted by Hannah Yeoh is actually not intended for the rakyat. It’s nothing more than a ’lifeline’ for the sake of PMX’s position alone,” mocked the prominent lawyer for high-profile figures within the PN circle on his FB page.

“Individual survival is prioritised while race survival is set aside. Why didn’t Hannah comment like this when PH shook hands with BN to form the unity government after GE15 (15th General Election)? Weren’t both political enemies at that time? Did such friendship become halal for the sake of PMX’s upliftment?

Rafique went on to caution Yeoh to be wary of her own ship “that is facing leakages from administrative failures, escalating prices, rising cost of living and broken promises of reform”.

“Get ready because the anger ‘iceberg’ of the rakyat is awaiting you at the ballot box,” he warned.

Echoing Rafique’s sentiment is MCA Youth information chief Neow Choo Seong who contended that “a ship doesn’t sink because of the storm but when those entrusted with its navigation fail to recognise the dangers ahead or lose sight of the passengers on board”.

“The Titanic that should concern Malaysians is not the BN-PN understanding. It’s the sinking confidence of the rakyat in PH’s ability to govern after years of broken promises and misplaced priorities,” chided the BN Youth communications director.

Today, Malaysians are facing rising living costs, retrenchments, heavier tax burdens and growing economic uncertainty. Families and businesses are asking how they’ll cope with higher expenses, not which political theory PH wishes to promote next.

Our engagements with voters across N9 in have revealed a common concern. Despite the state’s strategic location and enormous economic potential, many believe the PH administration has failed to deliver meaningful development or tangible improvements to their daily lives. –  Focus Malaysia