If Mukhriz ate ‘dedak’….
A day after the twin by-elections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Selangor, the Facebook page of Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir FC posted a congratulatory message from Umno Jerlun Division Chief Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
Wong Chin Huat, The Heat Malaysia
Featuring the former Kedah Menteri Besar smiling and clad in a maroon baju Melayu, the message reads: “Saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada BN yang berjaya mengekalkan kemenangan BN di SG Besar dan Kuala Kangsar. Kemenangan BN ini hasil kerja kuat semua jentera parti.” (I congratulate BN for successfully maintaining BN’s victory in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar. This victory of BN is the product of the hard work of all party machineries.)
Did his father Tun Dr Mahathir Muhamad not make a call just eight days ago for the two constituencies be made a referendum on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in which voters should reject BN?
By congratulating BN – albeit attributing it to the BN party machineries rather than Najib — Mukhriz is effectively congratulating Umno for winning the “referenda” his father has set for Najib.
In other words, Mukhriz is actually celebrating his father’s failure!
If Mukhriz was a constituent in Sungai Besar or Kuala Selangor, would he not have voted for BN as well? Now, if even Mukhriz would vote for BN in a referendum on Najib, what do you expect ordinary Umno members to do?
Mahathir’s logic to call for Umno to be punished is very simple:
1. Najib is a liability to Umno.
2. If Umno does not remove Najib, Umno will be ousted in the next election.
3. To save Umno, Umno needs defeats in the by-elections as wake-up call.
Does Mukhriz not understand his dad’s logic? Or, Mukhriz understands but disagrees with his dad? Or, Mukhriz understands and agrees with his dad but he wants someone else to reject UMNO?
If it is the third case, what is Mukhriz’s excuse? He loves Umno too much that he cannot bring himself to do it?
Mahathir has been slamming those sticking to Najib as those whofeed on “dedak” (chicken feed). The question is: how different is Mukhriz from others who refuse to turn against Najib?
If they feed on “dedak”, does Mukhriz not feed on “dedak” too?
If Mukhriz sticks to Najib’s Umno because he loves the party too much, can’t others do what they do, also because they love Umno too much? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
If Mahathir doesn’t want his son to be sacked by Umno and risk his personal interests, why should others’ sons and daughters risk theirs?
Like Mahathir said, Malaysians are not stupid. They can see his opportunism, expediency and hypocrisy.
If Mahathir is too much a loving father to put his son on the frontline, he should not expect the public to rally behind him.
Mahathir was once a bold gambler. He had the gut to take on his enemies. And he defeated Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Tun Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Now, he looks like an old soldier who only shouts but does not charge. He does not want to formally split Umno, the party his son loves so much.
Never mind if Mahathir shouts louder to signal his resolve to fight Najib and Umno, Najib will eventually be the first Umno leader to defeat Mahathir.
And Mukhriz will again congratulate BN party machineries for the job well done. He loves Umno, alright!
