The audacity of a tainted politician heckling a political novice

Only in Malaysia can a completely discredited politician stand on a pedestal and take potshots at a young and untainted politician.

This is the case of Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (pic) sniping at Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, saying the DAP political novice is a puppet being used to grab power.

But the DAP candidate for Teluk Intan fired back today at the Wanita Umno chief, saying that Shahrizat's belittling remarks is a testament of the movement's failure to promote women in politics.

But there is another point for Shahrizat to butt out of any Barisan Nasional's (BN) campaign in Teluk Intan - that she is simply a discredited and unwanted politician who is more of a burden for the ruling coalition.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had to refrain from renewing Shahrizat's term as a federal senator just to drop her as a minister after her family was embroiled in the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) fiasco.

Her husband is in the dock for alleged criminal breach of trust in the failed venture and there is still an unreleased PAC report on what went wrong with the project that was meant to ensure food security for Malaysia.

Instead, there were reports that her family's company that ran the project, was more keen to set up restaurants, buy luxurious properties in Malaysia and elsewhere rather than focus on cattle-farming.

So, really, Shahrizat has no business saying anything about Dyana Sofya until her family makes good the taxpayers funds that were gobbled up by their failed ventures.

If she has to say anything at all, the Wanita Umno chief could explain to the Teluk Intan voters the reasons behind BN choosing a veteran politician over young talent within the ruling coalition.

Or explain the benefits of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for the country's taxation system. Or on any other policies that some of her colleagues actually take time to explain, rather than belittling Dyana Sofya as a DAP candidate.

Perhaps that is just too hard. After all, attacking a person until the cows come home is always the easier option.