Will you reprimand your older colleagues too, Azis?

Deputy Home Minister Azis Jamman says “old age must be catching up” with PBS’ Joseph Pairin Kitingan for seemingly forgetting that the controversial Temporary Sabah Pass (PSS) for the huge immigrant population in the state was initiated by the Barisan Nasional government when it was in power.

This is ironic as the likes of Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and Azis himself were from Umno and were powerful chieftains back then.

Be that as it may, if old age is catching up with Pairin for seemingly forgetting the contents of the royal commission of inquiry, which was done way back in 2014, is there a chance that old age has caught up with Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for forgetting the promises made in the manifesto as recently as May of last year?

What happened to the promise of abolishing tolls, for example? Or recognising the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) qualification? Will Azis also say old age has caught up with Mahathir?

Has old age caught up with our Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, who said Sabah and Sarawak will receive 20% of oil revenue, from a mere 5% as promised prior to GE14, if Pakatan Harapan won the elections? Perhaps Azis would like to conclude that old age has caught up with Lim as well?

During the run-up to GE14, Azis’ party president Shafie said if Warisan won the election, the chief minister would only hold one cabinet post. Today, Shafie is both chief minister and finance minister. Perhaps Shafie, too, is being caught up by old age? Azis can explain it better, I reckon.

You see, there is no need to be insulting in your views about your one-time BN colleague. Pairin was in politics long before you could sing your nursery rhymes. And your prime minister has been around even before you were born. That’s the truth, whether you like it or not. Have both these leaders contributed anything less to society then you have all this while? Has age become such a handicap to both Pairin and Mahathir that you choose to mock Pairin in this manner?

Warisan is counting on the support of the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut (KDM) community in the forthcoming by-election in Kimanis, as stated by Warisan vice-president Peter Anthony.

But if you choose to insult the “Hougan Siou” of the KDM community and still believe that your candidate will enjoy the support of the KDMs, I am inclined to believe that old age is indeed catching up with you.

You are free to tell your prime minister that old age has caught up with him for forgetting what he had said before GE14 to convince us that PH was the better choice and I believe a large majority of citizens will agree with you.

Under the burden of rising costs and a poor performing economy, where foreign investors are abandoning Bursa Malaysia by droves, I think it is an appropriate time for you to tell your prime minister that old age has caught up with him. Do you agree?

Only one question begs, will you do it?

Clement Stanley is an FMT reader.