Yoursay: The ‘Tiga Abduls’ in Barisan

The three stooges of Malaysia

David Dass: Our democracy is a multiparty democracy. And the opposition is not fighting to end democracy. So, there will be many opposing opinions expressed as to who will be better for the government.

But given the fact we have had the same party in government since Independence with the MCA a crucial component of government, it seems a bit rich for their criticism of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim to be criticisms of policies and actions taken during the time when the MCA was in government.

They cannot distance themselves from those policies and actions. To some extent, both Dr M and Anwar have recanted the wrongs committed by them in the past. Both have been at the wrong end of our current politics for some time. It would be hard to believe that they are not committed to reforming the system.

No one will appreciate the caricature of the three of them – Mahathir, Anwar and Lim Kit Siang – as the three stooges. All have proved their mettle as intelligent, courageous and committed politicians. Each has been in politics for a long time.

Kit Siang has always been in opposition. No one can accuse him of wrongdoing. He has never had the power to abuse it.

Dr M and Anwar have been criticised a great deal. Anwar has suffered ignominy and shame and the pain of incarceration. His family has suffered as well.

Dr M fights to correct the course the country has taken. Even in his worst days as an iron-fisted ruler, no one questioned his pride in the nation. Many questioned his methods and the damage he caused to many democratic institutions, including the judiciary.

But today many Malays and non-Malays seem to have gotten beyond those times. Many Malays and non-Malays seem prepared to accept the change of heart of both Dr M and Anwar. They are certainly not perceived as the three stooges.

Slumdog: MCA Religious Harmony Bureau chief Ti Lian Ker, congratulations on your poor attempt at sarcasm and wit. You have riled many Malaysians by your comments.

MCA, MIC and Gerakan are the true three stooges of Umno – pathetic, feeble, compliant, directionless circus clowns, but unfortunately not very funny.

Your parties will be wiped out in GE14 and deposited into the political history bin of ignominy.

Cogito Ergo Sum: Indeed, Umno is Moe, while MCA and MIC are Larry and Curly. Ti, you and your MCA and MIC members are really Umno’s stooges.

This piece illustrates how desperation has turned you and party into a political self-parody. Just when think you can’t go any lower, you dig a hole.

Hplooi: Commentators should not even attempt to reason with or debate with Ti. His piece is just name-calling, pure and simple. It is like calling you an idiot without offering any good reason. He ignores context.

Why would two persons who have been persecuted by Dr M now decide that it is acceptable to work with him (the once evil dictator, but crucially and deliberately ignored, now ex-dictator)? Because PM Najib Razak is the greater evil facing Malaysia now.

But why is it okay when a party which purports to protect the rights of the non-Malays sees it alright to work with a party who (1) consistently sideline the non-Malays especially through the Election Commission (2) empower the religious right (3) practices corruption which grows larger and more blatant, (4) unleash political thuggery (5) and to rub salt into wound, consistently blame the non-Malays for the corruption and economic malaise of the majority.

Does Mr Religious Harmony not see the supreme irony in his analogy?

Quigonbond: It’s indeed a struggle to follow Ti’s arguments. He had three objectives – call the luminary opposition figures derogatory names, convince Malaysians they have egos as big as Everest, and that it is morally wrong to switch sides, ever.

Calling names is just immature. Super-egos are irrelevant in politics. As to the moral value of switching sides, when someone important switches sides, that’s worth sitting up and listening to.

Instead of assuming switching sides is a bad thing, we should ask why did they switch sides? The author does not answer that – he dares not, because what follows will be a devastating question which we can ask his BN colleagues, which is what values are they inculcating in Malaysians when blatant corruption can be whitewashed by the attorney-general, or when politicians practice blind loyalty while voters are denied equal value of their votes, and people on the streets languish in economic hardship.

Versey: Ti described the former PM, Dr M, his former boss, as the most brutal, violent and cruel person. Why then did MCA rallied around him, defended him with all their might, told the rakyat Dr M is the “Father of Modernisation”, etc, when he was the Umno boss?

Since Dr M joins to lead the opposition coalition which aims to rescue the nation from a den of thieves that brought shame to the nation with the infamous 1MDB scandal that the US AG described as kleptocracy at its worst; to put right the wrongs that ail the nation so that all those involved in stealing the nation’s coffers be brought to justice, you lots in MCA begin to badmouth him.

Ti, it is you who ought to ask yourself the question: “Where are the principles and values of MCA?”

Gerard Lourdesamy: If Dr M, Anwar and Kit Siang are the Three Stooges, then Umno, MCA and MIC must be the ‘Tiga Abduls’ – the comedy of errors on show for the last 60 years.

In GE14, the voters will either bring down the final curtain on the show or burn down the theatre for good. Whatever the outcome, this Umno lackey will see the final rites.

Vgeorgemy: Ti, we are a nation of simple people with the only motive of our life is to live peacefully and let others live in dignity. If you are a religious person, you should know what we meant.

If you represent any religion, you should know the purpose of life and humanity. If you don’t, don’t waste our time and resources. Be humble and understand the pain of the marginalised and downtrodden. Be with them.

Here we are fighting against a system of ‘ketuanan’ that gives very little importance to non-Muslim life.

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.