DAP idiocy within borders, but not Umno
We get outraged when one side does the same thing we are accused of doing, and yet cannot see beyond double standards.
Hafidz Baharom, The Heat Malaysia
First the DAP tells a restaurant to take down its poster featuring their so-called supreme leader. And now, Umno chooses to do the same over a simple Singapore comedian’s joke over our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that wasn’t even done in this country.
You have to give credit, at least DAP limits this idiocy within the nation’s borders. Umno seems to think it worthy of export. Perhaps it is one of their strategies in achieving a high-income nation somehow.
This is not the first time Umno has done stupid things in the name of their leader, of course.
The long list includes supporting leaders even if they are corrupt, filing police reports against companies not even operating in Malaysia, and the most impressive case that can only be described as a political rimming — somehow, the Umno president values loyalty over brains, and still wonders how we have a brain drain.
All this goes down to the culture of fake outrage — or as I call it the “faux offended” culture. It can be seen throughout our country particularly on social media, and of course — politics.
We get outraged when one side does the same thing we are accused of doing, and yet cannot see beyond double standards. And let us face it, Malaysian comedians were making fun of our prime minister even before it went viral by a Singaporean comedian.
Do we truly need to remind Umno, DAP and even PKR that no leader should be beyond such acts?
No leader is beyond reproach, criticism, parodies or even brilliant jokes that would make anyone laugh.
In Malaysia, there is one exclusion — the royal families. That is the law, not me saying it. You would need a modern day Oliver Cromwell and some 300 years of back and forth on such things before it settles down like most other nations with royalty.
Meanwhile, having jokes made about leaders is part and parcel of the freedom of expression, and the fact is that ourselves — a tiny nation of 30 million people — are in fact far too defensive about our veritable “tokongs” to function.
All political parties need to drop the act of putting their leaders above reproach as if they are all messiahs and the saviour of the entire human race.
