Debates to tickle the heart
Azmi Sharom
If only new NGO 1Malaysia Youth Graduands and Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali will come forward to defend their assertions that the Constitution has been slighted.
AS I am writing this, my mind is not really on the happenings in this country of ours. It is instead on lemang. Which is very strange because I never grew up with lemang on my mind.
Coming from the north, the stodge of choice for Raya feasting was always ketupat. And by ketupat, I mean the triangular ones made with beras pulut which is sometimes enhanced with soft boiled peanuts amidst the sticky goodness. For years, I have defended the superiority of the feminine ketupat over the phallic lemang. But that was just my stubborn northern pride talking because at the end of the day, lemang or ketupat, it is a small matter and to discuss the merits of one over the other is really making a mountain out of a molehill.
Which is rather like political party elections really.
It’s quite funny to see Azmin Ali and Zaid Ibrahim battle it out for the number two spot in PKR. I never really understood the venom that goes into political party elections. I mean, you are all on the same team, right? So, whoever wins, as long as it is the better person, then the whole team wins.
This being the case, there is no need for any viciousness, just a simple statement of intent and policy should be enough. Then let the members choose. Simple. Especially with the wonderful one-member one-vote system that PKR has implemented.
Each member has a voice, and that is empowering. I am sure they can make up their minds on who is best for the job without the need for big-shot party members making declarations of support even before nominations are in. All these press conferences and declarations of loyalty look awfully 1984 (the book, not the year) to me.
Besides there is something tawdry and terribly sycophantic about making such premature public declarations of support. Kind of like the kid in school who will go out of his way to please teacher. No one likes a teacher’s pet.
Speaking of teacher’s pets, I really like the name 1Malaysia Youth Graduands. It truly sounds like a name a group of teacher’s pets would come up with.
Anyway, 1Malaysia Youth Graduands is the new NGO that made a police report against the Bar Council recently. This is because, according to them, some of the booklets in the Bar Council’s My Constitution campaign are seditious. Namely, the booklet that says that elected MPs can change the Constitution.
It’s all so pathetic, really.
