Pigs and frogs: the tale of Malaysian politics
So, decide! Are you a babi or katak? You can choose only one. But whatever it is, do not become a kuda or lembu. Kuda and lembu are used by the babi and end up in the pot, while the babi get fat. At least the katak can jump and not get cheated like the kuda and lembu a.k.a. Pakatuns.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Malaysian politicians are called pigs (babi) and frogs (katak).
Well, it all depends on which side of the political divide you are on. Anti-Pakatan Harapan people will call Pakatan Harapan people pigs or babi while anti-Perikatan Nasional people will call Perikatan Nasional people frogs or katak.
So, if you love babi then vote Pakatan Harapan, or its coalition in Sabah, Warisan Plus, and if you love katak then vote Perikatan Nasional, or its coalition in Sabah, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
This is what Pakatan Harapan normally calls the Presidential Council
In George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, pigs are portrayed as the leader of the reform movement. The pigs lead the other less intelligent and sometimes downright stupid animals to grab power from the evil humans. Hence pigs are supposed to be very clever, which means it’s an honour when someone compliments you by calling you babi.
Of course, as “Animal Farm” reveals, the babi do all the planning in the headquarters, but the cows (lembu) and horses (kuda) do the actual fighting. The lembu and kuda are on the frontline and have to charge the humans and risk getting injured or killed, leaving the babi free to do the most important work, the thinking.
In Malaysia it is the same. We have the Reformasi movement that is led by babi while the lembu and kuda do all the screaming and golek-golek di atas jalan raya. Then, just like in “Animal Farm”, after the babi come to power, they will sell the kuda and lembu to the abattoir to be slaughtered and turned into glue or sausages.
What would be called the kuda and lembu who help the babi get into power, just like in “Animal Farm”
That is why, in Malaysia, all those who do the hard and dirty work, and then get sacrificed, are called either kuda or lembu — while those who sit and do nothing and reap the profits are called babi. And this is how politics works in Malaysia, never mind which side you happen to be on.
Frog or katak is a title reserved for those who cross over to Barisan Nasional, Muafakat Nasional, Perikatan Nasional or GRS. In other words, if you leave Pakatan Harapan, you are a katak.
However, if it is the other way around, you are not a katak. If you leave Barisan Nasional, Muafakat Nasional, Perikatan Nasional or GRS and cross over to Pakatan Harapan, you are not a katak. You will be called a “Towering Malaysian” and will be treated as a patriot.
In “Animal Farm”, the babi fired up the kuda and lembu, just like in real life in Malaysia
It is just like in America in 1775. The Americans were rebels to the British while the Americans considered those who remained loyal to King George as traitors.
But then, since America won the war, they re-classified the traitors as patriots and even made a movie called “The Patriot”, which glorified the American traitors. In fact, they even named the Capital of America after the biggest traitor of them all, Washington.
This is the job of the kuda or lembu a.k.a. Pakatuns
In Malaysia, they have an association called Patriot (Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan), which is basically an unofficial member of the Pakatan Harapan coalition — alongside other movements such as Bersih, Malaysia Bar Council, etc. — which basically wants to turn Malaysia into secular republic and to amend the Federal Constitution of Malaysia to remove the Monarchy, the National Language, Article 153, and Islam as the religion of the Federation.
So, decide! Are you a babi or katak? You can choose only one. But whatever it is, do not become a kuda or lembu. Kuda and lembu are used by the babi and end up in the pot, while the babi get fat. At least the katak can jump and not get cheated like the kuda and lembu a.k.a. Pakatuns.
Head of Patriot, unofficial coalition member of Pakatan Harapan and DAP apologist
