Shafie Apdal, the proverbial shepherd boy – Ravinder Singh

Shafie Apdal, the Rural and Regional Development Minister, is like the shepherd boy who cried “wolf” to enjoy seeing people running out of their homes to chase the wolves that were supposed to be attacking the boy’s sheep in the meadow.

The shepherd boy’s antic had no intention other than to amuse himself. It was an innocent prank, but which misfired on the third occasion when the wolves really came and his cries of “wolf! wolf!” were not heeded by anyone.

Shafie arrogantly said he has no time to watch Teresa Kok’s 10 minute video as he has other important state matters to attend to.

When his call for action against her brings out bigots who are prepared to take the law into their own hands and hold public “chicken cutting and blood smearing” exhibitions in the streets, a seriously provocative act accompanied by offers of a reward of RM1,200.00 to anyone who would slap her – which is incitement to commit crime – is it not a serious state matter?

By the way, does Islam condone or even encourage an accusation against another without verifying the facts, even for political purposes?

Under Islamic law, an accusation of adultery cannot be made unless the act is seen by four individuals of impeccable conduct. In any court of law (except kangaroo courts), hearsay evidence is not admissible.

So what is the basis of Shafie’s accusation that Kok’s video contravenes the country’s laws? Who told him so? Is he following the tenets of Islam when he made an accusation based on hearsay? 

I don’t know any Mandarin or Cantonese, the language in Teresa Kok's "Onederful" video, but still decided to watch it out of curiosity. Here and there a few Malay words are used. One phrase I caught went something like this: “simpan sikit-sikit, lama-lama jadi ……… d-i-a-m-o-n-d” (saving little at a time turns it into diamonds), which pokes fun at the wife of the Prime Minister. What’s wrong to poke a little fun just for a laugh?

On the other hand, some of the cartoons by cartoonist Zunar are really “harsh” and he is not being asked to stop producing them. Neither Shafie nor any other political big-wigs have demanded that action be taken against him.

I wonder whether Shafie has seen any of these? Does the different treatment not smack of discrimination?  I wonder what Shafie and other politicians have to say about Zunar’s latest cartoon on EC in the Kajang by-election, which I reproduce here (right)

If politicians don’t do silly things, say stupid things, or try to fool the people, then there is no room to make fun of them. It is the politicians who bring such humour upon themselves and if they cannot take jokes, they must be very, very careful of what they do and say.

* Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insider.