Skip the political publicity please
Targeting the video to a Chinese audience and timed for the Chinese New Year period was strategically unwise
Loon Yew Yin, FMT
When Teresa Kok’s video clip for the Chinese New Year first appeared, I saw it as a cleverly done piece of political satire. It was funny, original and thought provoking.
I thought the references to various personalities and public issues of concern captured some of our recent political controversies in a refreshingly irreverent and comical way.
The clip brought back to me memories of that hugely popular and successful British television series, “Yes Minister” which first ran in the 1980′s and has been recently revived.
At the same time that I appreciated the black humour and wit in the “ONEderful Malaysia!” video, I was concerned that it would be viewed the opposite way by the government and Umno’s political supporters and would become ammunition for them to hit back not only against her, but also the DAP and the opposition parties as a whole.
Clearly the video was intended to draw attention to issues of public concern. It was also meant to draw attention to Kok as a politician and to enhance her public image.
But what if the government or its supporters twisted it around and concocted elements of racial or religious discord to smear the DAP and Pakatan coalition?
I was especially concerned that the targeting of the video to a Chinese audience and timed for the Chinese New Year period was strategically unwise and could backfire.
My worse fears have now proven correct. Muslim groups have seized on the video clip to engage in a new round of frenzied opposition and DAP bashing.
Besides engaging in the now standard practice of stomping on banners and portraits of their political opponents, these groups have gone a step further by smearing the banners with blood from freshly slaughtered chickens – an unprecedented act of violent symbolism.
Further they have also upped the ante by offering a reward to any of their supporters willing to slap Kok – an invitation that could easily lead to a more violent outcome should some fool hardy supporter decide that a slap was not sufficient to restore their lost ‘dignity and honour’.
This response by the political enemies of Kok and the DAP has been rightly condemned by both sides of the political divide in the country.
Action has also been called for the authorities not only to investigate the alleged seditious content of the video clip but also the response by the Muslim groups to it.
