Political needs first, family values last
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil shamed herself when she told the court that her family led ‘independent lives’.
And what are these words that she said? She said that she was not aware of her husband’s role in NFCorp. That she had no idea where her son drove to work every day or what he worked as. That her family lived independent lives.
CT Ali, FMT
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. – Sir Walter Scott
I would have preferred to remember Shahrizat Abdul Jalil for the work she did in resettling squatters during her time as the Member of Parliament of Lembah Pantai for 13 years.
I lived in Bangsar for most of that time and I have seen the changes Shahrizat brought to Lembah Pantai, which was all for the better.
I would have preferred to remember her for her work as Minister of Women, Family and Community Development in protecting and fighting for the rights, needs and protection of women in our nation.
I would have preferred to remember Shahrizat for her graciousness in accepting defeat in the 12th general election at the hands of a 27-year-old Nurrul Izzah Anwar.
But all this is not to be.
This is not how I thought Shahrizat would have handled herself on NFC (National Feedlot Corporation). I thought she is made of sterner stuff.
The public humiliation of Shahrizat has just begun and the pity of it all is that she is doing it herself with no help from anyone else.
We are seeing the gradual disintegration of a once promising political career of one of those few politicians within Umno of any note.
All this is done sans privacy, sans dignity, sans the possibility of any resurrection of a political future now in tatters. And all because greed, like cancer, takes no prisoners and knows no friends.
Greed destroys anyone unwise enough to fall for its allure and all those unwise enough to make greed their constant companion.
The tragedy of Shahrizat’s public humiliation and her summary political execution is one we are all too familiar with.
Living in the past
High public office in Malaysia all too often ensures the corruption of those unfortunate enough to be granted the dubious honour of holding that office. Shahrizat is no exception.
Umno ministers are living in the past. Today there is the Internet and the court of public opinion has already found Shahrizat guilty.
Even as you read this, her words are being sent from one end of Malaysia to the other end.
From East Malaysia to West Malaysia and from its North to its South.
As Altantuya will continue to haunt Najib Tun Razak even in death, Shahrizat’s words will haunt her even when her defamation suit against her detractors is over.
And what are these words that she said? She said that she was not aware of her husband’s role in NFCorp. That she had no idea where her son drove to work every day or what he worked as. That her family lived independent lives.
Has it not been said that the shifting away from family values is one fatal flaw no sitting government must ever make if it is to prevent the nation and its own rapid decline?
This Umno-led Barisan Nasional government is already guilty of allowing this to happen within its ranks many times over.
Family values gone to dogs
Do we not see this in our ex-chief justice and in (Sabah MP) Bung Radin Mokhtar, who both shamed their family by marrying another one without permission of their first wife and then have all this played out in the public eye?
In the sexual tryst of MCA’s Dr Chua Soi Lek now forever embedded in the public domain courtesy of the Internet and yet MCA rewarded this man with its presidency?
In the antics of a “raba-raba” minister who was rewarded with a posting to the most prestigious of diplomatic appointments for his outrage of a maiden’s modesty?
And who could forget Rahim Thamby Chik’s alleged dalliances that cost him the chief minister’s post of Malacca.
Rahim, too, has since been rewarded by Umno with the chairmanship of Risda and a return to Umno’s first-tier leadership because Umno is in need of his “expertise”.
All family values thrown to the dogs for political expedience. And now Shahrizat.
Shahrizat said Rafizi Ramli is an “anak derhaka” (unfilial son), that he “menjual agama” (has sold his religion) and “hancur bangsa” (destroyed his race).
In her view, Rafizi, who is an unfilial son who sells his own religion and destroys his race, has insulted and defamed her.
Oh how the powerful and the rich think themselves more important than family values, race and God.
Failed as mother, wife
In all of Shahrizat’s utterances, made, I am sure, in a vain attempt to proclaim her innocence in matters relating to NFCorp, she has dammed herself, if not to the courts, then to all of us.
I am sure in her moment of clarity she will live to regret making these claims, but common sense never prevails in times when you need it most.
By these words she is telling us that she has failed as a mother.
Which mother would not have known what her children are doing unless she did not care?
Would not any normal family discuss things? And hers was not a normal family then?
She has failed as a wife. What wife would not have known what her husband was doing unless she did not care?
Either way she has dammed herself in our eyes.
She felt the statements made by Rafizi and Zuraida Kamaruddin were “not only offensive and defamatory, but they are outright insulting”.
What does she think of the gutter politics being thrown at Anwar Ibrahim? What did she think about the many deaths in police custody? About Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed?
