COMMENT I am wondering since when thrashing or stepping on the portraits of both Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has become an offence?

While many would not condone such actions, it has to be pointed out that the action itself is not an offence, especially in a democratic nation where leaders are elected by the people and they can be removed through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence.

Understandable, it has only become an issue because there are no bigger issues that can be picked from the rally which ended peacefully last weekend.

Both Hadi and Najib are public figures. Whatever they do will be watched closely by the people. If they do well, they deserve respect from the people, but if they do not perform to the expectations of the people, then they will get the brickbats, especially when they no longer enjoy the confidence of the people.

It is not a question of law or offence; it is question of the leaders themselves. Without referring to either Hadi or Najib, the same applies to any politician that if they choose to continue lying to the people, then, this will be the kind of treatment that they get from the public; on the other hand, if they are honest, who would even think of stomping on their portraits?

Younger people are known to kiss their favourite artistes anyway, but if they are being slighted by these celebrities for one reason or another, they will even spit on these portraits and thrash the posters which had adorned their bedrooms for months.

In the first place, Bersih’s chairperson Maria Chin should not even have apologised for the action of the two young people. The action was not the official Bersih’s stand, and the people who were caught on photographs doing it were only participants.

Who knows, they could well be part of a scheme to demonise the Bersih 4 rally. For all you know, they could even have been paid to do the job.

In the first place, the question we have to ask is why only pictures of Najib and Hadi Awang? Why not pictures of Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat or Najib’s own father Abdul Razak Hussein? I need not answer this question because the answer is obvious enough for any normal human being.

Who is to be blamed?

My other question is, who is then to be blamed?

A pakcik I spoke to several years ago lamented about the news on TV3 when it reported how a group of Umno supporters were tearing up campaign materials in front of the television camera during a by-election.

He raised a pertinent question: “Can you see what moral values we are now passing on to our next generation?” Because of this, he said he has stopped supporting Umno.

In the past, he said the Malays talked about religion; these days, they are talking about money and nothing but money. Who then is to be blamed?

The blame should fall flatly on the politicians themselves who no longer uphold good moral values that they can pass on to the next generation of Malaysians.

When you see the cow head being paraded by a group of protesters in front of the Selangor state secretariat, what does that tell you about mutual respect and religious sensitivities?

When such an act is done, and it was apparently condoned by a minister himself, what do you think people would make out of this incident?

Similarly, when an Umno politician in Kedah claimed that a Quran had been burnt by a Chinese man, and it could have created a national security crisis, not even disciplinary actions were taken against her. What does that tell you?

Portraits of Teresa Kok, Lim Kit Siang and even Machang Bubok state assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon have been thrashed but was it an ‘offence’ back then?

Even Maria Chin’s effigy was set on fire by Sungai Besar Umno division leader Jamal Yunos a few days before the weekend of Aug 29 and 30. No disciplinary action was taken against him, and the long arm of the law never reached him.

We are watching one incident after another. We may keep quiet about the incidents, but what would you expect us, the voters, to do when the next general election comes and politicians come pleading at our doorsteps to vote for them?

When the adults themselves do such things, why then do they blame the younger generation for thrashing on the photographs of politicians whom they consider as corrupted and not worthy of the leadership positions, or at least, from their own perception?

There is a proverbial saying, ‘let those without a sin cast the first stone’ on these two young people. If politicians like Najib can condone the actions of party members, he should not be such a hypocrite then to go after those who choose to thrash his portrait.

A strong signal to politicians

The incident is regrettable, but definitely not a ‘blessing in disguise’, as mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi.

It is because politicians misread the incident that they fail to take cognisance of the people’s wrath, and continue to behave in an uncouth manner.

It clearly shows that our leaders are now being rejected by the younger generation of Malaysians, or at least, some of them.

The more Umno plays up an issue like this, the wider will the anger amongst the younger people spread. This is how emotions are being played up. Umno is doing exactly what it takes to make more people hate the political organisation which was once respected by most Malaysians during Tunku Abdul Rahman’s time.

Both Hadi and Najib should be embarrassed by the incident. They should start asking why, of all persons, their portraits were being thrashed.

To send a stronger signal to Najib, he should be embarrassed by the international delegates who attended the recent International Anti-Corruption Conference IACC).

There is no smoke without fire. Najib should ask why he was being the target, while Hadi was spared of the ostracisms received during the IACC.

Look at South Korea and Japan. Any leader with some dignity left would have resigned immediately for the sake of their own party and the country.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.