The Cabinet tomorrow has the last chance at its meeting tomorrow to act with statesmanship and maturity to put the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy to rest in view of his apology or the 50th Merdeka anniversary will be held under a dark cloud and unprecedented dissension particularly from the young generation.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had often said that he wants to be Prime Minister for all Malaysians and not for any one racial group and that he wants to hear the “truth” from the people however unpleasant.

It is time he walks the talk in both by ending the orchestrated campaign led by Umno Ministers and leaders to demonise, criminalize and crush a 24-year-old Malaysian undergraduate in Taiwan for articulating the frustrations and grievances of his generation and in fact of all Malaysians, particularly about police corruption, public service bureaucracy and inefficiency as well as government insensitivity to the rights and interests of all communities.

Wee may be faulted for his rough language, irreverent expressions and lack of sensitivity in dealing with religious matters — but all these shortcomings do not add up to the capital crime of treason or sedition or the grave charges of being unpatriotic, disloyal, anti-Islam or anti-Malay.

The 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations run the risk of becoming a mockery, both national and international, when the whole power and machinery of the state is being deployed as a sledgehammer to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee, despite his public apology.

In declaring war on Wee, the Cabinet and government is declaring war on Malaysians and in particular the young generation of Malaysians, causing one of the worst generational polarizations in the nation’s history.

Umno Youth leader and Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was again in the forefront demanding a “pound of flesh” from Wee, as reported by today’s Utusan Malaysia: “Meng Chee tetap kena tindakan”.

The two salient points made Hishammuddin in Johor Baru yesterday demanding a “pound of flesh” from Wee are:

• Although he sympathise with Wee, the Muar undergraduate must be punished for his offence.
• Wee cannot escape legal consequences just because of his apology. Can a person who murder or burn the national flag be let off scotfree just because of an apology?

Was Hishamuddin speaking as Umno Youth leader or Education Minister? The views expressed by Hishamuddin is typical of an Umno Youth Leader, who could brandish the Malay keris in utter contempt of the rights and sensitivities of the non-Malay communities in the country — but completely unacceptable for an Education Minister who should set an example of national unity instead of dissension.

This is why I had told Hishammuddin in Parliament last year that he should choose whether he wants to be Umno Youth Leader or Education Minister, because he cannot be both, with his former position requiring him to pander to Malay communal impulses and sentiments resulting in his weidling the Malay keris while the latter office demands a person who is a model and symbol of unity of races, religions and generations instead of polarization.

Hishammudin’s conflicting and contradictory roles are again highlighted by the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy.

As Umno Youth leaeder, he is leading the pack trying to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee, throwing.all the books at him, whether National Anthem Act, Sedition Act, Internal Security Act and even demands to cancel Wee’s passport, extradite him back from Taiwan and to revoke his citizenship,

From his statement in Johor Baru yesterday, Hishammuddin had already pre-judged Wee as a criminal guilty of breaking the laws of the country – assuming the multiple roles of prosecutor, jury and judge!

However, as Education Minister, he should be a voice of reason and wisdom to point out that although Wee could be faulted for his rough language, irreverent expressions and lack of sensitivity in treating religious matters, Wee should be told where he had gone wrong and his apology should be accepted to end the controversy. Furthermore, the Cabinet and government should listen to what Wee had to say in his rap!

Instead Hishammuddin added oil to the fire by equating Wee’s rap as murder and burning the Jalur Gemilang, which is not only baseless but the height of irresponsibility and a great shame for any Education Minister mindful that he should be the nation’s No. One Educator instead of being the No. One Instigator.

The Wee Negarakuku rap controversy had also brought to the fore the double-standards in law and enforcement, how those in authority could on the one hand demand the application of the full rigours of the law for others when they themselves enjoy the culture of impunity despite numerous police reports lodged against them for criminal offences.

The Cabinet should rise up to the occasion of the 50th Merdeka anniversary at its meeting tomorrow to lay to rest the Wee Meng Chee Negarakuku rap controversy by accepting Wee apology, listen and respond to the messages in Wee’s rap and end the shameful campaign to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee with the whole weight and power of the state.