If I were to tell Lee Zii Jia that he is not champion material, he would probably be able to take it with a smile. At least, I hope so.
Our men’s top singles shuttler exited tamely on the first round of the just-concluded Malaysian Open, a top-tier 1000 tournament.
This is quite an embarrassment for Lee personally as he is ranked Number Two in the world and a cruel disappointment for Malaysian badminton fans as it was a crushing defeat right on home ground.
As a professional athlete, Lee would have learned to take criticisms in his stride, being fully aware that winning and losing are part and parcel of the game. If he can’t take the heat and go whining and give flimsy excuses every time he is defeated instead, then he is truly no champion material.
However, if I were to be honest and upfront with Sabah politician Bung Moktar Radin and tell him that he is not chief minister material, he would probably be annoyed and agitated, if not fuming mad. Or like a good sports personality, Bung (above) might take my criticism with a smile too, which I think is unlikely.
However, a politician like Bung is an elected representative (and a minister in Sabah before he was removed this week) and a holder of public office. When you are in that position, public scrutiny is fair game.
In case politicians have conveniently forgotten, here’s a reminder. All public officials, including civil servants and elected representatives, are paid from the public purse to carry out their assigned tasks.
Never forget too that you offered yourself to be a public servant; no one forced you to. When selected or elected to hold a public post, remember that you become a servant of the people.
The people are the bosses, not you. That is why you are known as a public servant. And it is the duty of the people (including me) to keep tabs on your performance as a public servant.
If you do not perform or have gone wayward along the way, then you must be told to buck up, failing which you have to face the consequences.
Unfit to be CM
Against that backdrop, I have to tell Bung the truth, even if he finds great difficulty in accepting it.
Bung, we know that you are eyeing the Sabah CM’s post. You were a key player in the recent political upheaval in Sabah. You brought Sabah Umno out of Hajiji Noor’s government, hoping that you could take over from him.
You were already deputy chief minister, but that was not good enough for you. But honestly, I think that the DCM’s post was already too ‘big’ for you to handle. Another point-blank truth – Bung, you are not even DCM-material. Honest.
The latest crisis in Sabah is not the first attempt by Bung, the Sabah Umno chief, to get the CM’s post. The first Bung-Hajiji scramble for the top job occurred soon after the Sabah election in September 2020.
At that time, I supported Hajiji over Bung to be the chief minister. I do not know the two politicians personally but my decision was based on a cultured Hajiji versus a colourful Bung.
Today, my stand remains the same. The reason is simple. The majority of Sabahans are neither interested to see another change in government nor do they want to go through another election. I am with them.
I would allow Hajiji to serve out his term as chief minister. In 2025, two years from now, there will be another election and if the Hajiji administration has failed the people, then they should know what to do. Sabahans are known to have changed their government every nine years at the swing of the pendulum.
Lack of restraint
Bung’s aim to get rid of Hajiji at this time is callous and senseless. When he pulled Sabah Umno out of the Hajiji government, he cited a breach of trust whereby the coalition would support Hajiji’s leadership in exchange for positions in the cabinet and government-linked companies.
When his coup failed because five Umno reps decided to continue backing Hajiji, Bung charged that the chief minister had corrupted his men.
What do Bung’s words and actions tell us about the political animal in the man? He is the same guy who cannot control himself and plunges into an emotional wreck every time he is challenged and gets the jitters.
Who could forget Bung, the Kinabatangan MP, and the first legislator to use the four-letter expletive in the Dewan Rakyat? Uncouth politicians who use foul language have no place in our august chambers.
The trouble with Bung is that he is not one who is careful with his choice of words befitting his status as an MP and minister.
Now Bung is eyeing the chief minister’s post. I don’t think anyone in his right mind, save for Bung’s supporters, would agree on the man’s suitability for the top job in Sabah. On top of it all, Bung also has a corruption charge pending in court.
Over the weekend, Bung made another statement at the Umno assembly, saying that he was merely “correcting” Sabah’s political direction and denied that the withdrawal of support for Hajiji was to topple the state government.
Let me say this to Bung: This conciliatory note is a little too late. Your coup has flopped. You have been sacked as deputy chief minister. Your court case is still pending.
Please go and resolve all your personal issues. Don’t bother Hajiji, his new cabinet, and your fellow Sabahans. You have a good life as an Umno politician. Many in Umno would be more than delighted to have half of what you possess. So, be contented.
In conclusion, let me be brutally honest with you again: Bung, you are just not CM-material. Stop dreaming about that goal; it’s beyond you. The post will never be yours because Sabahans can never support you as their chief minister. Period!
FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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