Tag Archives: Akmal

Akmal bombast fizzles out; PM reacts after

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The usually wordless Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim with regard to 3R (race, religion and royals) issues, today urged that strong action be taken against those who incite hate.

Speaking at a civil service assembly in Putrajaya, he instructed enforcement agencies to act against those fanning hate.

It is a surprising reaction from the PM considering the fact that in the past two years of his term as PM he has maintained a frustrating silence on 3R-related public issues. Perhaps, he has finally been correctly advised that if he didn’t say anything, things may get out of hand. With regard to the current issue, however, his instructions came too late to make a difference.

The PM’s comments came on the heels of a hyped-up gathering last night in Kepala Batas, Penang, over a mistake in flying an upside-down Malaysian flag by an unsuspecting citizen. A video of a hardware shop owner hoisting an upside-down Jalur Gemilang with another man recording it went viral a week ago.

It triggered a barrage of criticisms, with Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh picking up the issue as a desecration of the national flag and demanded that the authorities take police action against the hardware shop owner, who had explained that it was a mistake because he was just trying out the flag. He later hung the flag correctly.

But Akmal was not placated. He went on a relentless tirade, berating the hardware shop owner as a traitor and threatening to converge at his shop to “teach” him how to fly the flag if the authorities failed to act.

His taunts got the DAP to go to the defence of the shop owner. DAP leaders stressed that it was a mistake and that they would not tolerate bullying and intimidation but Akmal showed no sign of backing down. He lamented that the Chinese were united behind the shop owner but that the Malays were not.

This Russian-trained doctor just could not see his words, attitude and action for what they really were, but seized the issue of a flag error to turn it into a racial issue. The exasperated DAP finally said they, too, would gather at the hardware shop — but to distribute the Malaysian flag.

So, both parties, components of Anwar’s so-called unity government, headed for a showdown at the hardware shop. Despite the heated exchange of words, there was no comment from Anwar.

A day before both parties were to meet at the hardware shop, the police asked both sides to cancel their plans. Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), however, said they would turn up to provide free legal services.

Last night (Thurs, Aug 14) was when the “meeting” took place. According to reports, all the shops shuttered down early.

Akmal later came with his supporters of a couple of hundred. Bersatu Youth also came with their supporters to show Malay solidarity. LFL came with placards urging Umno Youth not to be like zionists. But DAP did not turn up. Its veterans’ club members, instead, came to distribute flags.

According to media reports, Umno Youth held its gathering not outside the hardware shop but a little way away. The only incident of worth was that Umno Youth leaders were not happy with LFL’s placards and asked to take them down and they would go away. LFL complied and the crowd dispersed. No untoward incident.

LFL’s presence, led by its leader Zaid Malek and DAP’s absence presumably defused tensions in the absence of national leadership.

Everyone, Umno Youth, LFL and the DAP, no doubt, have the right to assemble. But when a group wants to assemble in front of a citizen’s house or shop over a mistake, that amounts to threatening a citizen’s life and privacy and is inexcusable.

It should have been prevented and the PM should have taken steps in that direction before, not after the event.

In this case, Anwar was lucky because the turnout of Umno Youth supporters was, some say, 100, and others 300. After all the bombastic words from Akmal, the turnout was relatively small. If it had been much larger, the outcome might have been different.

Perhaps that is the reason for Anwar’s post-event comments. They are a warning that any future gathering, big or small, inciting racial disharmony will face action by the authorities.

One positive thing, however, needs to be noted about the turnout of Akmal’s supporters. It was smaller than expected. The size may be indicative of an emerging trend: that more and more Malays do not really identify with the strategies that Malay leaders like Akmal use.

Perhaps, the majority of Malay voters don’t really care for racial politics and it is time for Malay leaders to step away from racial politics and come up with real issues that appeal to the people to win their support.

Why a non-issue has become an issue

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The Allah word-on-socks controversy is yet another example of how a government without the mandate of the people will prove itself powerless to exercise control in a crisis.

The unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been expediently silent on the issue although it is fully aware that the owners of KK Mart had in no way intended to insult Islam and Muslims. The mart no doubt overlooked the few socks bearing the word Allah as it came in a bundle. But, KK Mart apologised profusely and withdrew the products and yet it wasn’t enough to pacify those offended by this unintended offence.

Followers of no religion will tolerate an insult to their religion. So, we understand how Muslims feel about the issue and respect their feelings. Muslims, who understood the facts of the case, however, have been exceedingly rational and understanding and acknowledge it was an unintentional offence.

The issue made headlines particularly because of Umno Youth leader Muhamad Akmal Saleh who fuelled the issue with a call for a boycott of KK Mart in retaliation. Despite numerous calls for him to pipe down, he kept the issue alive by refusing to call off the boycott.

As a result of this controversy, two non-Malays were charged and convicted in court and bombs were thrown in three KK Mart outlets. Akmal, hitherto, got off scot-free. But, today, after the issued had raged on for weeks, he was detained in Kota Kinabalu.

But the damage has been done. Could the arrests and inciting of emotions have been averted if Anwar had acted decisively in the early days of the issue and nipped it in the bud? Could he have managed the crisis without the support of the majority?

Amidst calls to defuse the situation, the prime minister simply said to let the authorities handle the issue, then he kept silent. Umno backed Akmal and maintained silence on the matter as well, commenting on the issue mildly only after the issue was blown out of proportion.

Anwar apparently has little leverage with the political parties in the unity government to direct them to rein in their people and know it would be done with the exception of his own coalition, Pakatan Harapan, perhaps. He may or may not have given such a directive. If he did, Umno apparently did not take heed because Akmal has insisted on continuing with the boycott.

If Anwar had formed a government as a result of intense negotiations between political parties with agreed upon trade-offs without contravening democratic principles or the federal constitution, he would have had an upper hand. As it is, he doesn’t because the political parties came together on the direction of the previous king and are held together by a memorandum of understanding — not by a free vote of support by the majority of the MPs.

Umno, which lost its pole position as the leading party representing the Malays in the 2022 general elections, was given a new lease of life by being part of the unity government in the hope that would bring the Malays back to it. So, Umno enjoyed concession after concession: deputy premiership, key cabinet positions, a DNAA (discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Umno President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), and a part royal pardon to former prime minister Najib Razak presumably in the hope he would be able to bring voters back to Umno.

Hence, though a junior partner in the unity government, Umno has achieved some leeway and Akmal’s defiance has apparently brought some Malay support back to the party, which means the prime minister will say nothing to undermine that support.

So, we have a national crisis and the prime minister can’t do anything about it because he does not want to undermine whatever Malay support the Allah word-on-socks issue is bringing to Umno. All this boils down to the fact that he does not have the support of the majority.

Clearly, Anwar has lost control or he is not exercising control. The fact that he allowed the king to step in and give a final warning after letting the crisis go unabated is another indication the prime minister has lost control.

It is the Opposition which is holding the peace because it has the support of the Muslim majority while it is Anwar’s junior partner in the government which is causing the strife and putting the nation at risk.

This state of affairs is a strong justification to initiate a change in government but that constitutional right of the people has been robbed by the MoU. So, we have a government that can’t control the people and one which can’t be changed. The result? The people suffer.

If we had a constitutionally approved government supported by the majority, the PM could have easily told all his partners in government to tell their supporters to cool it and have the confidence of knowing that the message would reach the ground. A few still may not, but the PM would be seen as being in control and not depending on others to help him but able to manage the issue with the full support of his coalition partners. That would have inspired confidence in his leadership and helped to bring temperatures down.

This is a fundamental benefit of a constitutional government with a proven majority as against an appointed government without the mandate of the majority. With majority support it is easier for a government to implement communication strategies to reach the grassroots and enforce law and order to manage crises.

The way this issue has been managed or not managed should serve as an eye-opener to all politicians and MPs on the importance of fighting to ensure that parliamentary democracy and the constitution are never compromised nor sacrificed for the sake of expediency.

The consequence may be disastrous to the nation as we are catching a glimpse of it now.