The sorry state of Malaysian politics

It’s time for greater efficiency in this whole apology business

COMMENT

By Ann Martinez

It seems as if apologies are all we hear about in the political scene these days.

A defamation case against the former Menteri Besar of Perak Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who was charged with defaming the Prime Minister had a happy ending recently. The ex-Menteri Besar was discharged and acquitted by the Sessions Court after he issued an open apology to the Prime Minister.

However, there was no happy ending for Lim Kit Siang who refused to give in to the Speaker’s (of the Dewan Rakyat) demand for an apology. Kit Siang’s refusal to apologise for suggesting that the Speaker abused his powers to sabotage the Public Accounts Committee’s 1MDB probe earned him a six-month suspension.

Even our East Malaysian counterparts are getting into the apology game. A coalition of pro-Barisan Nasional, non-governmental organisations criticised Rafizi Ramli, the MP for Pandan, for politicising the federal government’s decision to build the RM29.2 billion, “no toll” Pan Borneo Highway linking Sabah and Sarawak. The coalition demanded a public apology from Rafizi for suggesting that the construction of the “no toll” highway was an attempt to pit the people of the peninsula against those in Sabah and Sarawak.

With all the energy and focus being devoted to apologies ─ apologies demanded, apologies refused, apologies issued ─ it is no wonder that we find ourselves in the quagmire we are in.

Ann Martinez is FMT columnist