The allegations from Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs about Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan are getting to be a bore and are tiresome. The remarks may be baseless and unfounded, but they have one common denominator.
They are to distract the public from the alleged scandals of PN/Bersatu leaders, and at the same time, try to topple Anwar's unity government.
When the Kuala Terengganu MP, Ahmad Amzad Hashim (above) of PAS, claimed that he had a moral, social and political duty to inform the world about Anwar's RM15 million payment and his 2018 royal pardon, some of us wondered why he chose to make these allegations only now.
Where he had been all this while? Why does Amzad cherry-pick his allegations?
On Dec 7 last year, whilst dining in a restaurant, he made several remarks against Anwar, who was once the Selangor economic adviser.
It's strange that he did not breathe a word about the many allegations about the PN chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin, and the breach of procedure in the handling of RM600 billion in public funds during Muhyiddin's tenure as prime minister.
What happened to Amzad's moral conscience then? Perhaps, size does not matter - RM600 billion vs RM15 million.
Amzad became an MP in 2018 and must have witnessed the on-goings of the Emergency Rule under Muhyiddin.
Malaysians have endured many hardships
Was he not morally bound to criticise the Sheraton Move as it went against the wishes of the rakyat after the 14th general election (GE14)? Or the fact that Emergency Rule meant that Muhyiddin could rule with an iron fist?
Malaysians have endured many hardships and white flags were flown by desperate, starving people.
Muhyiddin had been embarrassed and annoyed, in equal measure, because the proliferation of white flags showed that his administration was not doing enough and had failed to reach out to the poorest amongst the rakyat. An arrogant Muhyiddin told the rakyat to fly blue flags instead.
It is odd that Amzad's conscience was not pricked at the time. People were starving, suffering or dying alone at home, during the Movement Control Order.
Amzad wants to project to the public that he is morally superior to Anwar and his administration; but he omitted to mention the lies perpetrated by both Muhyiddin and PAS president, Abdul Hadi Awang, in the run-up to GE15.
The allegations made against Harapan leaders were not just disgraceful. They were meant to demolish their characters and create fear. Muhyiddin wanted to make Malays think that there was a communist and Israeli target to take over and make Malaysia a Christian nation.
Hadi claimed that DAP promoted an Islamophobic agenda and wanted to stop PAS from gaining political ground, and that it was openly slandering Islam.
The language normally used by men like Muhyiddin and Hadi is full of racist, homophobic and vile taunts.
Both men are aware that Malays have been indoctrinated over the decades to be anti-Christian, anti-Jew and anti-Chinese. They are taught to be on their guard against the non-Malay and non-Muslims. They are led to believe that Malay leaders from PAS, Umno-Baru (before Bersatu dominated the political scene) and Bersatu are the only ones who can protect the Malays and defend Islam.
Did Amzad even speak out against the convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak and his role in the 1MDB scandal? After all, 1MDB started life as the Terengganu Investment Authority (TIA).
When Sarawak Report's Clare Rewcastle-Brown made the allegation that Najib had paid Hadi RM90 million from 1MDB, did Amzad question his party president? Was he not curious to learn that RM2.5 million had been spent on the court case?
Although there was a secret settlement between Sarawak Report and Hadi, wasn't Amzad furious when Rewcastle-Brown boasted that the outcome of the suit was her total victory and vindication? Did he not want to defend his boss, Hadi?
Amzad became deputy minister of science in Ismail Sabri's administration. Did he admonish his boss for wearing a succession of RM6,000-plus designer shirts when people around him couldn't even afford to pay their rent, pay for medicine or transport to go to work, that is if they still had jobs?
When will politics in Malaysia be about intelligent debate and stimulating discourse instead of a few choice words made behind the backs of the people to be brought down? When is the frank and open exchange of ideas which can be used to uplift the lives of the Malaysian rakyat? When will the character smears stop?
In September 2018, two women were whipped for having "lesbian sex". Whipping women goes against the Federal Constitution. Where was Amzad's moral and social duty to speak out against the whipping of women?
It must be hard being a PAS man because everything has to be defined from the strict confines of religion, God's wrath and physical punishment as education. No one is allowed to deviate from the script. Conservatives strongly believe that by misbehaving, God will punish you with fire and brimstone.
Far from being morally, politically and socially superior, politicians like Amzad should be stopped from taking over Putrajaya. They ignore many important things which affect the rakyat and they will speak out, only when it will enhance their political careers and agenda.
Moreover, they lack an open mind, lack creativity and lack independent spirit. They prefer tribal politics above everything else.
PAS, especially Hadi, must not be given the keys to Putrajaya. - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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