MCA Youth leader and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai yesterday launched a ferocious attack on the Malacca State Secretary, Datuk Ismail Salleh, labeling him as a “Little Napoleon” responsible for the unilateral, arbitrary, high-handed and insensitive 2,000-strong operation to forcibly cull tens of thousands of pigs in Malacca, forcing a nine-hour standoff with defenceless men, women and children in Paya Mengkuang on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Liow claimed that Ismail launched the massive multi-agency operation without approval by the Malacca State Government. He described what happened on Tuesday as a blot to the 50th Merdeka anniversary which could not be tolerated.
In a speech in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Liow put the whole blame on Ismail in unilaterally resorting to force against defenceless men, women and children when the state government was still discussing how to resolve the pig-rearing problem, stressing that such insubordination by Ismail should not be allowed to recur. (Sin Chew)
Liow’s speech has come as a shock for two reasons:
Firstly, why he is blaming the Malacca state secretary as “Little Napoleon” for the unilateral, arbitrary, high-handed and insensitive 2,000-strong operation to forcibly cull tens of thousands of pigs in Malacca on Sept. 4, mobilizing Police FRU, water cannons and even police helicopter, resulting in a nine-hour standoff with defenceless men, women and children, when the whole operation was clearly on the directive of Chief Minister Ali Rustam?
Secondly, if Liow absolves Ali Rustam from responsibility (which cast a severe aspersion on his competence and capability as Malacca Chief Minister), are the MCA leaders both at national and state levels demanding that serious disciplinary action be taken against the Malacca state secretary — at minimum his immediate removal?
Clearly, a person who could act in so unilateral, arbitrary, high-handed and insensitive a fashion, committing gross insubordination as well completely heedless of the sensitivities of a plural society, is not fit to continue a single day in such a high office as the No. 1 civil servant in the state government.
Or was Liow merely indulging in the latest MCA “sandiwara” to deflect public attention from the latest MCA political failure and irresponsibility despite their representation in all three tiers of government — national, state and local?
#1 by takazawa on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 3:00 am
To all BADApologists, the Mamak has retired and is now history. No point flogging a dead horse. Why cry over spilled milk? Let bygones be bygones (just as Telekom be Telekom) Bodowi just has to fulfill what he promised to do in his 2004 GE manifesto – to establish a clean, accountable and transparent government. However, he has disappointed and fooled those who gave him the largest mandate in history. Now, the ball is in his court and the onus is on him to decide what to do with the ball. No point cutting him so much slack by saying that he is only 10 minutes on the football pitch and needs more time to warm up. Now he’s into injury time (preparation for the GE) and it’s only a matter of a few minutes before the referee blows the final whistle (Parliament gets dissolved).
#2 by sotong on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 7:31 am
This is the direct consequence of decades of bad leadership and governance of the country.
The ordinary people cannot trust the government and politicians to take proper care of their welfare and their future. They must take total control of their future.
#3 by sotong on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 7:46 am
The buck stops with the MB and State Secretary.
If they have any pride or dignity left, after putting innocent lives including women and children at great risk, he should apolozise to the people for gross irresponsibility and resign immediately.
If one is responsible, one is accountable for one’s decisions/actions.
#4 by Counterpoint on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 9:37 am
Just sit back and watch how Liow take his balls out from his mouth soon. He’s pretty skillful at this technique. Won’t recommend anybody to try it at home.
#5 by anakbaram on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 10:05 am
This is clearly an act which carried out by men who are so insensitive that they are worst than being blind and deft to the right and dignity of others. These type of people are not fit to be anything let alone lead the country. I am a native of Malaysia. My people were here long before Malaysia was formed and much longer than the days when all foreign religion reach our shore. But why is it I am made to feel as an outsider by all these fanatics each day. I am a pork eater. But why am I made to feel like a criminal when I want to eat my normal diet? If they are so intolerant let them get lost but do not force me comply to their ways.
#6 by RealWorld on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 10:13 am
Poor MCA. When they be quiet, they be hammered for being afraid to come forward. And when they come forward, it is all ‘sandiwara’.
I guess you can never win em’ all. There will always be a minority who will never be happy no matter what. I guess it is easier to whinge and rant. However, the important thing here is the majority. So, to all my fellow MCA friends, do not despair as the majority is with us.
#7 by RealWorld on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 10:19 am
“I am a pork eater. But why am I made to feel like a criminal when I want to eat my normal diet?” – anakbaram
It has nothing to do with you being a pork eater as it is your personal choice.
It is about the pig farmers breeding above the quantities allocated for them. It is about hygiene, cleanliness and the environment. And I am sure if you are living nearby the area, you wont be happy with the stench either.
#8 by undergrad2 on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 10:37 am
“It has nothing to do with you being a pork eater as it is your personal choice. ”
Please leave the pigs alone. Those that fly business class I mean.
#9 by sotong on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 11:51 am
Decades of religious extremism and fundamentalism are doing enormous damage to the country and her ordinary people…there is no quick fix.
#10 by ihavesomethingtosay on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 1:43 pm
UMNOPOLOGIST becomes MCA machai, apologizing for Malaysian CANINE Association, polluting environment my foot, peharps the cows and goats feeding by the roadside does not pollute the environment? having no proper farm and treatment for their waste, do they have plastic bags to pick up all the cow pies and goat droppings? aren’t these polluting our environment too? stop this pretentious BABI politics.
Chopping more trees and wanton waste of natural resources is what Barisan Najis is all about, now they talk environment, wanna talk environment on a bigger scale? stop Indonesians from burning forest, or is it that we musn’t meddle in other country’s affair? silly pendatang apaologist.
talk some sense.
#11 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 1:53 pm
MCA lost its credibility a long time ago, not only amongst Malaysian Chinese but among all Malaysians.
No one has any doubt that MCA is a fawning, servile lap dog, a poodle that is always licking around UMNO’s behind!
MCA must be dealt a severe blow in the next GE.
And UMNO too for keeping a divide-and-rule policy and keeping human ‘poodles’, a policy which degrades an entire race and riles against all basic human morals and decency.
#12 by RealWorld on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 2:33 pm
“UMNOPOLOGIST becomes MCA machai, apologizing for Malaysian CANINE Association, polluting environment my foot, … ” – ihavesomethingtosay
Dude, on wanting to talk sense, please put your money where your mouth is. Do away with your usual tirade of petty insults and name calling first. Lets put facts on the table.
You need to understand simple logic here. Those pig farmers are allocated a certain number of pigs in their farm. And since they exceeded the numbers allocated, that itself is wrong. Put in the potential health threats, environment we are potentially looking at a serious health issue if some JE virus come into play.
And what has the Indonesians gotta do with the pig farmers? You mean the opposition has a better way of getting those Indonesians to stop burning their forests??? Care to enlighten me how as I am indeed curious to find out??
#13 by Zeebra on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 2:53 pm
Dear Uncle Lim,
Why are we still exposing the wrong doing of the BN.
Please tell us what you’ll do if you win the election?
#14 by RealWorld on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 3:08 pm
Dear Zeebra,
Very good question indeed!
All I see here is the usual tirade of petty insults, the name callings, whingeings and rants. What are the alternatives out there other than BN??? I mean you aint gonna change the government or the rakyat mindset with those whingeings and petty insults.
I have been asking and asking, what are the alternatives?? PAS & DAP are not in agreement. One is for Islamic State, the other is not. Their previous marriages of convenience all ended in disaster. PKR is neither here nor there with PAS / DAP. Msian Malaysia is supposed to see all Msians regardless of race, but in DAP, I see mostly chinese. PKR is all about one man.
The Opposition contest under various banners. They are not united. And if they are not aligned or united, how can they govern or adminster the country?? Who is gonna be PM , say the Opposition wins the next GE?? Are we gonna take that risk that vote for PAS/DAP/PKR and hope and pray that their marriage of convenience will see things thru??
With BN, we have a proven track record. A track record of progress and development.
#15 by cheeyong on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 3:38 pm
Hey real world, what proven track record you talking about? Look at the state of the country today. Msia is 3rd in terms of FDI in 2006. Msia foreign direct investment steadily declining from US$5.5 billion in 2001 to US$3.9 billion in 2006. An average of 8.2 rapes each day in 1st half of the year. UM university ranking slipping.This is called progress? Progress is not about having your own car, or sipping teh tarik at mamak stall. Progress is about numbers, statistics. Statistics and numbers point Msia is heading down south.
And please dont comment about the pig farmers here. First of all we all know overproduction is an issue. But so what if there is demand in the market? The govt if they r sympathetic should lend a hand in making sure this is not an environmental issue.Spare some thought for pork lovers out there in Msia. Plus the deadline itself is 21-Sept. So high handed way of handling a problem is barbaric when the dateline is not even near uet.
What can opposition parties do? Read the recent shadow budget released by DAP. Read their manifesto when the election draws near. Instead of throwing cold water, the alternative you looking for is here. Opposition parties are not perfect to, so as BN.
But if you watch the movie, Man Of The Year, Tom Dobbs quoted Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons.
#16 by ablastine on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 6:50 pm
Realworld where have you been all this while. What track record of progress and development are you talking about. You must be kidding us. Go take a peep at our Southern neighbour or drop by China, India or Vietnam and you see what real progress and development is. The Kampong I stayed in is still the same old kampong after 30 years. Nothing changed except that that most of the younger fellas have all gone overseas for good leaving behind just the senior citizens.
I personaly would take whatever risk there is voting in the PAS/DAP/PKR rather than sticking on with the corrupted BN government. What nonsense are you talking about PKR being just a one men show. I know of a few quite capable fellas there. Maybe you should find out more before shooting your mouth off something you cannot support. Don’t really understand what’s wrong with DAP being a mainly Chinese party. Isn’t MCA also a Chinese party or PAS a malay dominated party or UMNO a malay dominated party. The name of the game is call racial politics. So we get racially dominant parties. What is the big deal.
#17 by Godfather on Monday, 10 September 2007 - 8:17 pm
Never mind the UMNO apologist RealWorld. He is out to sidetrack all the discussions. He will say “why look at everything from a racial point of view?” Then UMNO comes up with a racial profiling for all publicly-listed companies as part of the new budget. What does RealWorld do ? He keeps quiet. UMNO and MCA steal from the rakyat on the Port Klang scandal. What does RealWorld do ? He keeps quiet. The police bash up an innocent Indonesian by mistake. What does RealWorld do ? He keeps quiet. The UMNO leadership rants and rave, and waves the keris, threatening the Chinese explicitly. What does RealWorld do ? He says we are the ones who rant and rave.
Yes, RealWorld is a reality for Bolehland – what we can’t do, they can do. What we should not do, they would just go ahead and do.
For those of us who don’t want to keep quiet, we should just leave him alone.
#18 by ihavesomethingtosay on Tuesday, 11 September 2007 - 9:32 pm
Dear Realworld,
It saddens me to read your outburst, I would like to point out a few things to you.
1. In our political world, name calling appears to be the norm, didn’t you know that bloggers, non bumis are called all sorts of name by the ruling party? they’re printed on the mainstream media and all, so name calling is the norm, and if you feel that is disgraceful, then you should consider an alternate parliament, I will return to this issue of name calling laterr.
2. I was merely stating my observation that in most kampongs, goats and cows grazed by the roadside, not penned up like pigs, if environmental pollution is a problem resulting from their feaces, shouldn’t the cows and goats be penned up just like pigs?
and shouldn’t the government look into ways to dispose of their waste.
3. when we talk about pigs carrying diseases, lets look at some other animals such as bovine related disease, there’s foot and mouth, there’s mad cow disease also, and for your information, JE is spread by mosquitos. JE outbreak is not that often in comparison to our rising dengue figure.
4. I was merely offering another pollution which is more pressing and does not seemed to reduce which is “HAZE”, as we know, haze is an annual occurance, and when haze blankets peninsular Malaysia, governmental warnings, advice are being issued to all to stay indoors, and respiratory related sickness increases, this affects the whole country whether you’re living in the city or the kampong.
5. I am merely pointing out that our government offers swift justice on certain issues whereas other more pressing issues
are being ignore, note that I did not comment on the conditions of the pig farms; unless we have visited the farms and stay there for some time or even living at the surrounding, we really can’t complain or comment on that can we?
6. And I noted that our government has always been reluctant to tell indonesians to stop the open burning.
I offer the more explaination to appease your anger.
I was wasn’t calling anyone (including you) names, unless, if I was to say “REALWORLD, you’re a UMNOPOLOGIST” then I would be calling you name by calling you, realworld an unmnopologist, I really see no reason why you should challenge me to “put your money where your mouth is” whatever that challenge is, it’s not important, it shows that you’re angry and I cannot comprehend why you are angry. I really am shocked by your outbust as others in this blog has always been at the receivingg end of your name calling, so you ain’t an angel compare to me.
Infact, I was looking forward to your word of thanks and thank yous now that people are noticing you again, people are writing about your comments. Where will you be if I had not written something about UMNOPOLOGIST and MALAYSIAN CANINE ASSOCIATION? to which I am still puzzle why you reacted strongly.
Well, I shall be expecting your outbust again anytime soon either in this or other postings, since you cannot understand these simple logic or explanation that I offer.
I shall be looking forward to your reply might just decides to heed others’ advice “ignore him and just leave him alone”
maybe we shall look forward to the day when your IP is blocked just like it was blocked in Malaysia Today.