By G. Krishnan
Are you keeping track of the slippers being flung so far in the slipper spat that has ensued? I have to admit, a few more of these slippers and I might just lose track of who is partaking in it – not to mention the ‘quality’ of the slipper being flung, by whom, and in which direction!
Mahathir’s most recent confession that the hits he took to his image from the slippers hurled at him from several within Umno itself must surely be one of the unequivocal highlights of this slipper fight. I can only imagine the sheer embarrassment – not to mention utter shock – this must come to those Umno cronies after they apparently flexed their muscles and primed themselves to fling Sukumaran and the MIC with their own political slippers.
Of course this retort by Mahathir about Umno having done more to insult him than Sukumaran’s now famous ‘slipper garland’ comment triggered so many me images and phrases in my mind: Umno hypocrisy, the pot calling the kettle black, blowback, getting burnt, self-inflicted wound, and a stunt that backfired are but just some of the things that came to mind.
In case you’re wondering – yes, I was smiling as I read what Mahathir had to say about the insults by Umno’s lackeys against him. Of course, among other things, this raises the obvious question: where was Mukhriz and his cronies when his father was being insulted by his fellow Umno comrades? Was something else more of a priority to Mukhriz than defending his father when those Umno lackeys were belittling his father? Did he think that the slippers those Umno people were hurling at his daddy did not have soles? Well, according to daddy, sounds like those slippers not only had soles, they were made from some robust leather since they were much more painful for daddy. Perhaps something else was thicker than blood back then, eh Mukhriz? Hmm…. I wonder what it could have been?
Seems as if Mukhriz still has lots of growing up to do, and perhaps daddy can remind him that those who live in a glass house should not throw slippers. But then again, it may not be a bad idea if daddy also took this advise to heart.
Parenthetically, a strange thing happened – somehow I couldn’t find any big splash about Mahathir’s swipe at his Umno comrades’ insults against him in Utusan Malaysia. I wonder why that is. Hmm….
#1 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 11:22 am
Live by example. Yes, where were you when your papa was insulted by budak-budak UMNO Baru?
#2 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 11:27 am
Above #1 should be corrected to: Yes, where were you, Mr. Muhkriz, when your papa was insulted by budak-budak UMNO Baru?
#3 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 11:34 am
Would Hissmoodin like to say something about the ‘flying slippers’ incident? Look at yourself in the mirror before you open your mouth to speak.
#4 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 11:43 am
Malay muslims are by and large good natured people. It is the UMNO Baru Malay muslims who are making Islam to be a misunderstood religion.
#5 by limkamput on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 12:00 pm
Well, Mahathir said insult from Indian Malaysians is ok, it is the insult from his own people that hurt him. What does this tell us? Even throwing insults also must have bumi quota. Non Malays do not really matter, even including throwing insults, got it?
#6 by Taxidriver on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 12:07 pm
There was a time when UMNOputras spat at and cursed the former PM whenever his name was mentioned, calling him names like “buaya darat”, “firaun”, “ma..k”, “k…ng. Perhaps Mr. Muhkriz was too young to understand then. Not so with Hismoodin, Najib, Moo Hee Din……What have they to say?????????
#7 by Loh on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 12:48 pm
///Parenthetically, a strange thing happened – somehow I couldn’t find any big splash about Mahathir’s swipe at his Umno comrades’ insults against him in Utusan Malaysia. I wonder why that is. Hmm….///– G. Krishnan
UMNO election is more than two years away. That is a long time for TDM, at his age. Najib has too many old UMNO presidents to remember, and certainly TDM has no more use to him. Unless TDM has an understanding with Najib that he should choose to reject whatever TDM suggests.
Muhkriz is in the government because it is easier to control. Looks like the son-in-law is no threat. But if they go for two-terms as a qualification for contesting UMNO election of a higher position in the new party election rule, the son-in-law needed only one more term, and he can afford to wait for the others to create vacancies.
#8 by Jeffrey on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 1:28 pm
“Well, Mahathir said insult from Indian Malaysians is ok, it is the insult from his own people that hurt him. What does this tell us? Even throwing insults also must have bumi quota. Non Malays do not really matter, even including throwing insults, got it?” – #5 by limkamput on September 18th, 2009 12:00
No – don’t get it.
When Dr Mahathir said “its only when my own people hurl insults at me that I feel slighted.”, the expression “own people” is a specific reference to UMNO members.
Dr Mahathir explained: “I have been with Umno since its formation”(He was also UMNO president). Also the people who ostensibly now defended him and took loudest umbrage against MIC Sukumaran“ suggestion of “a garland of slippers” be hung around a portrait of Dr Mahathir are from UMNO who never made any noise when UMNO people previously insulted him and called for his expulsion from UMNO. Dr Mahathir derided the hypocrisy when he sarcastically asked, “Suddenly I have become popular. Everyone is defending me. As I said… previously when I was insulted, asked to be expelled from Umno no one showed any reaction. Why the reaction now?”
“Own people” is a specific reference to UMNO members. It is not a reference to Malays. For there are Malays in PAS PKR or even DAP who are not “own people” in Dr Mahathir’s sense.
Lim Kam Put is plainly skewing what Mahathir said along racial lines unsupported by any iota of rationale or basis.
He is fanning racial sentiments to interpret “insult from Indian Malaysians is ok”.
This is a distortion. This was what was reported: “It was insults from Umno people that hurt him, he said, and this one from the MIC member was just like “pouring water on a duck’s back”, he said.
See: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/37954-dr-m-unfazed-by-slipper-remark-slams-hypocrisy
A MIC member may be Indian Malaysian but, in context, he did not mean Indian Malaysians per se but MIC member; he meant it hurt more when insults came from member of his own party UMNO, who again although they were Malay Malaysians, he did not mean in context their race but affiliation to the political party of which he was a member at its formation.
Now one may not like Dr Mahathir for perhaps good reasons but that is not a nice thing to skew what he neither said nor implied, especially along racial Malay/Non Malay line when Dr Mahathir was actually drawing the UMNO/MIC line.
It is an intellectually dishonest interpretation at best (maybe a reflex from a habit of mind to constantly skew what was said to generate animosity towards a person he does not like).
At worst this skewing is mischievous, irresponsible and insensitive as it fans racial sentiments in a multiracial society already divided more than ever along racial lines – especially from one like LimKamPut who, at other occasions hypocritically railed at BN politicians for playing racial card, that he himself now flashes .
It would be the same type of two faced “hypocrisy” of a nature that Dr Mahathir referred to when he took a swipe at UMNO members’ ostensibly defending him against insult/disrespect by MIC member but keeping quiet in previous occasions when insults/disrespect came from UMNO own members in previous occasions!
#9 by boh-liao on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 1:29 pm
Having slippers flung at n being garlanded with slippers are sup sup sway
The former will keep one agile, alert, n athletic
A form of anti-aging exercise
Good for MMK
Perhaps he is not aware of the worse treatment meted out to him daily by people
‘Ta siao ren’ – men n women using slippers or clogs to whack his image n cursing as well
Ouch
#10 by limkamput on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 1:54 pm
UMNO/MIC line is Malay/Indian line, whether you like it or not. An insult is an insult; what difference does it make whether it is from Malay UMNO or Indian MIC unless one wants to show one group is of lesser importance than the another.
Jeffrey, I think you should the last one to talk about intellectual honesty. You are intellectually corrupt. We do not need the latest statement from Mahathir to know who is really fanning racial sentiments in this country.
My debate with you in the other thread on resignation of judges was based on my genuine views. If you want to take it personally and try to get even here, it is just too bad. There is nothing I could do.
#11 by Jeffrey on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 2:23 pm
He may want to show one group is of lesser importance than the another to him but that difference in importance is not premised upon race of members of UMNO/MIC but by the fact that he was UMNO member, right there at formation, and its one time president and he expects more loyalty and deference from UMNO members.
Yes, I agree that “we do not need the latest statement from Mahathir to know who is really fanning racial sentiments in this country” but right now we are addressing the latest statement of his aren’t we, and is that statement “fanning racial sentiments in this country”???
This is skewing what Dr Mahathir meant or implied.
So is it your purpose here to deliberately interpret or rather misinterpret a racial angle neither intended nor meant by him – and which is not there – just so in order to show that he is noted, in other occasions, to fan racial sentiments?
Skewing what another said and meant to something else is intellectually dishonest – as distinct from “intellectually corrupt” which your use on me must, considering your propensity to skew, as usual, necessarily be akin (to borrow Dr Mahathir’s words) to “pouring water on a duck’s back”……
#12 by Jeffrey on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 2:40 pm
Dr Mahathir must have read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. He is known to have used the expression ‘Et tu, Brute’ in reference to Anwar turning against him.The last person (amongst conspirators) to stab Caesar was Brutus. Just before Brutus killed him, Caesar said, “Et tu, Brute?” which means “You too, Brutus?” The stab that really killed Caesar was the stab of ingratitude by Brutus whom he loved most!
It is in this context (he had done much for and lovd UMNO) that he said he was hurt most by their insults than MIC. Black is black and white is white, one ought not to blatantly skew what another said to make white become black or vice versa.
#13 by Jeffrey on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 3:02 pm
On the same theme of “loyalty” versus “ingratitude” and Dr Mahathir is taking a swipe at UMNO’s members for defending him against MIC member (where it does not count as much to him) and not when previously other UMNO big wigs were attacking him (where it counts), here the writer G. Krishnan is also, in his writings, taking a swipe at Mukhriz and asking how was it that he, whom all would naturally assume would owe gratitude and loyalty to his own father more than even his party, would not defend or stand against those in UMNO belittling Dr Mahathir?
#14 by limkamput on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 3:07 pm
Ok, that was my observation of his statement. Your comment of my “wrong” observation is noted. Now who do I need to apologise to, you or Mahathir? I already got one warning from Admin, unless you want to get me moderated.
Sorry, I can not tahan lah. I think you are not just trying to tell us that only Mahathir read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, am I right? My apology again if I have misinterpreted again. Ya, I even remember when that expression ‘Et tu, Brute’ was quoted; I think it was around 1982 or 1983 UMNO GA.
#15 by Jeffrey on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 3:35 pm
///I think you are not just trying to tell us that only Mahathir read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, am I right?/// – Lim Kam Put
No. I mentioned ‘Et tu, Brute’ (quoted as you said by Mahathir around 1982 or 1983 UMNO GA) just before Anwar/Mahathir conflict blew up, and it strikes a familiar chord now when he places more importance to UMNO members’ insulting him that MIC’s.
///Now who do I need to apologise to, you or Mahathir? I already got one warning from Admin, unless you want to get me moderated.///
Again I have never said you need to apologise to anyone. Neither do I want you to get moderated for what you said.
There is nothing personal.
The issues mentioned in my preceding posting ( UMNO vs MIC in context of insults vs gratitude) whether related to UMNO’s specail relationship with Dr Mahathir or Mukhriz’s special relationship with Dr Mahathir are the issues raised in this threadby writer G. Krishnan for discussion.
I am just pointing out that to raise (by interpretation or deliberate misinterpretation) other irrelevant issues of bumi quota, malay vs indian in terms of importance will tantamount to throwing a monkey wench into whole subject of discussion raised in this thread by the writer, which will then be highjacked and turned to another direction/issue of race card and Dr Mahathir’s propensity to play on race, which is not intended by the writer in his essay here, not to mention it is not fair to Dr Mahathir’s whose words in the occasion under discussion, were not intended/calculated to factor this racial effect/slant. Also no meaningful discussion can proceed if we deliberately skew what another says. If we’re not even conscious of it (the skewing), then I have got nothing to say more, except to just point it out.
#16 by taiking on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 3:56 pm
Reactions by umno idiots towards the rest of us small and insignificant fellas (singapore and lee kuan yew included) are always fast and furious. But dont worry. Umno tu wayang aja. Memang suka buat bising. Look at their response when indonesia protested and burned our flags. Macam tikus. Betul. Some idiot in umno youth actually has the gut to issue a warning to indonesia saying that we too could get angry. Wow. Some warning huh! Typical bullies. Typical mat rempits. They are Tuan Rempit McBully arent they?
#17 by Jaswant on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 6:26 pm
“Non Malays do not really matter, even including throwing insults ..”
I think this was meant for another blog. The author must have mistaken this opposition blog for a BN one. Pedophilia and now dementia.
#18 by Jaswant on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 6:38 pm
” Also no meaningful discussion can proceed if we deliberately skew what another says. If we’re not even conscious of it (the skewing), then I have got nothing to say more, except to just point it out.”
You can. Just say he got his thought processes all screwed up and is wasting blog space and is distracting readers from the real issues. You can ask him to take his troubled thoughts about himself somewhere else. If we cannot say that or allow others to speak their minds then you would be making nonsensical nonsense out of Pakatan’s self-declared aim of restoring the most fundamental of all rights i.e. the constitutional right to freedom of speech.
#19 by Loh on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 7:55 pm
Sorry, off-topic
From chedet.co.cc
THE GARLAND OF SLIPPERS
By Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on September 18, 2009 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)
///1. I have been asked again and again by the Press about what I felt regarding the garland of slippers suggested by an MIC member.
2. My reply is that it really is nothing new. As a politician one has to accept this kind of insult.///– TDM
Especially in Malaysia politicians of the ruling parties have been overcompensated for ruining the country.
///3. For example after I stepped down Umno leaders vilified me because I criticised Abdullah’s decision on the bridge and other things. I did not complain then and no one openly condemned the Umno leaders for insulting me. They feared that it might displease the Prime Minister. In other words condemning me was acceptable; it was not a sign of disrespect for a so-called elder statesman. Why should it be any different now. ///– TDM
For once UMNO leaders, after 22 years were able to speak their mind. UMNO leaders now are not sure whether Najib is inside Mahathir’s pocket, clouded by the fact that the loser in the UMNO Youth election is a deputy minister whereas the elected VC of UMNO is not in the cabinet. Those in UMNO are watching, they want to be sure that they can criticize as they did when AAB was in power.
///4. Before the 2008 elections I had told a foreign TV station that the MIC would perform badly because of Samy Vellu. And he did. I think I am justified in saying that Samy should retire.///– TDM
The intention of Mahathir then was to make sure that AAB would not win big so that he would be forced to resign. The weakest link in BN is MIC even with all Indians voting. Mahathir was free to blame Samy Vellu for MIC’s ills and he would never accept any responsibility for the marginalization of Indians. Of course Samy Vellu himself lost in his constituency when Malays decided UMNO should lose.
///5. In Malaysia a politician can be a total failure but he would never think of resigning. In other countries Ministers would commit suicide if some tragedy happens in their Ministry. But not in Malaysia. Here you can destroy the whole country and you’ll get honorary doctorates for doing so.///– TDM
The person who destroyed the country has the largest collection of honorary doctorates. AAB should not have accepted those awards for following superficially the teaching of Lao Tze. If not for AAB the country would be in worse shape when UMNO continues to think that no change is needed. The future of the country lies in what Najib believes his father intended NEP to be.
///6. The MIC should remember that there is not a single constituency with a predominantly Indian population. The MIC, a race-based party cannot contest in any constituency in Malaysia.///– TDM
That applies to all other race-based parties. The winner now tells the losers what a fool they have been all the past five decades for keeping to the formula of wealth-sharing at the Cabinet level.
///7. But to ensure the Indians get a say in the Government the BN had to allocate predominantly Malay constituencies to the MIC and then persuade the Malay voters to support the MIC candidate. The Malay voters did not like it but the Umno leaders had to persuade them.///– TDM
UMNO tried that hard so as to tell the world that other races are represented in the cabinet and that discriminatory policies against the minority groups have the support of the component parties. How else can they continue lording over other communities for half a century, and changing the demographic characteristics of the country?
///8. When the MIC does things which would make it difficult for Malay voters to support its candidates, I think it is fair for a Malay to criticise. This could be done quietly by the leaders of BN. Others, including ex-leaders do not have that closed door access. They have to shout out aloud. So I shouted./// –TDM
With divide and rule, the minority groups are not allowed to even shout. They will never have enough seats to change the government. Luckily, Malays are not easy to fool these days. The more responsible Malay politicians have realised that the myth that Malays would not survive without discriminatory policies was the fort of the lazy and greedy politicians. They killed the country for their own personal gains.
///9. For almost 50 years the coalition of parties had done well in elections. That was due to their helping each other. But even so each must be generally acceptable. If their leaders forget this, the key success factors would be lost. They would lose.///– TDM
Sounds every bit a politicians thinking only about personal and party interests. That is why Malaysia joins the rank of Zimbabwe and Myanmar.
#20 by tanjong8 on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 9:25 pm
Mahaltail and his Umnoputras Mookritz and the Utusans are all racialists.
They are not ashamed to openly admit.
They have no other political capitals except to take a racialist line.
Malaysia is destined to be ruined with Umnoputras in charge of the country.
It is high time to slipper them out
#21 by tanjong8 on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 9:28 pm
The MIC man who garlanded Mahaltail should be commended like the Iraqi journalist who booted George W Bush.
#22 by ktteokt on Friday, 18 September 2009 - 11:08 pm
Don’t worry so much lah! TDM will get his garland one day, be it made of flowers or slippers! How much longer do you think his “rented” heart is going to last?????
#23 by johnnypok on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 4:38 am
TDM still owe Anwar and all the people an apology for what he had done.
#24 by limkamput on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 8:50 am
Loh, this is Kit Siang’s blog, not Mahathir’s. If you like so much to comment on what he said, please do so in Che Det. Please don’t hijack the issue being discussed here. You do this too often already.
#25 by Loh on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 9:30 am
Neither you nor I have the right to decide what should appear in this blog. This is the second time I respond to your comment on this issue. I shall continue to post whether you like it or not.
#26 by ktteokt on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 10:30 am
If slippers worn by UMNO guys are “soleless”, the UMNO guys themselves are SOULLESS!
#27 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 11:24 am
Its actually strange. I can’t access it overseas either. MT is supposed to be hosted overseas so its strange they have cyber hackers blocking the site even when its hosted overseas.
I believe the Malaysian authorities or UMNO goons have just committed cyber-terrorism and basically breaking the our own laws as well as laws in foreign countries..
#28 by Jaswant on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 11:40 am
We don’t call Kamput the resident gatekeeper for nothing. He decides if a posting is worthy for publication on this blog.
#29 by limkamput on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 12:33 pm
Loh,
You think people here really appreciate what you are doing? If your comments are so discerning and enlightening, why don’t you post it in Che Det? I am sure you have tried there, and nothing get published, am I right? If people want to read Mahathir’s, they know where to go. Here is for people who want to read LKS’s and the related comments thereof. To quote Jeffrey’s “objective test”, it applies here. We can assume that people coming here are not interested in reading stuff put up by Mahathir and your seemingly smart comments thereof. Once a while and if the topic is urgent and profound, may be you can. But obviously you have done one time too many. Tell me what is your point of coming to this blog: to read and comment on topics here or to cut and paste from elsewhere? It distracts others and it takes up space and I don’t like it, so what?
#30 by limkamput on Saturday, 19 September 2009 - 12:41 pm
By the way, Loh, your comments on Mahathir’s statements was so profound, so penetrating and so discerning. How come we never thought of these before, owah you must be Tom Brokaw the second.