Syed Saddiq and PH leaders have let New Malaysia down

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman deserves to be criticised harshly. He has negated what Pakatan Harapan and New Malaysia stand for. He succumbed to parochial interests and he failed in his leadership role to bring Malaysians together as true brethren and to respect each other.

I believe he was sincere when he initially criticised the preacher Zakir Naik but he could not withstand the pressure and, therefore, succumbed.

But the culprit is not just Syed Saddiq. What about his bosses and puppet masters? What about those New Malaysia champions from the DAP, PKR and Amanah? Are they not as culpable?

They may have been “smart” enough not to open their mouths, but their betrayal and hypocrisy are manifested in their deafening silence.

Between Syed Saddiq and those “silent hypocrites”, I may even give a little credit to the former. His youthful idealism had probably overwhelmed his political calculation. So he bared his feelings but was unable to endure pressure from all and sundry because hardly anyone of substance from within PH has come out to support him.

I must say those keeping silent are more savvy, hypocritical and calculative than Syed Saddiq. These are the numero uno in politicking and the last when it comes to national unity and the people’s welfare.

We can criticise Syed Saddiq all we want, but that preacher from India is Malaysia’s “ethos problem” — one that the nation’s leaders are unwilling to overcome. Malaysian politicians just love to leverage on him.

And we fail to recognise the whole gambit is but a show of supremacy, racism, bigotry, arrogance and dominance combined.

I am already in my golden years and I don’t think I will see Malaysia change for the better. Our politicians, both in PH and BN, are unwilling to do the right things.

On the contrary, they are reinforcing and condoning the dominant, and also the subservient, mentality of our people.

TK Chua is a FMT reader.