Malaysiakini commentator Terence Netto hit the nail on the head when he wrote a commentary entitled “S’wak BN shell-shocked by Sibu defeat“.
This explained the “Barbarians at the Gate” speech of SUPP Chairman, Datuk Dr. George Tan and the ensuring “Incredible Hulk” statement by Parti Rakyat Sarawak President Dato Sri Dr. James Masing, which is reproduced below.
When will the Barisan Nasional leaders particularly those from Sarawak come out of their denial syndrome and wake up to the true meaning and implications of the historic 516 verdict of the voters of Sibu in the Sibu by-election?
Don’t make Incredible Hulk angry, opposition told | The Borneo Post May 26, 2010, Wednesday KUCHING: Minister of Land Development Dato Sri Dr James Masing yesterday warned Peninsular Malaysia-based opposition parties to watch their step and refrain from practising rowdy politics in Sarawak. He said Sarawakians had had a glimpse of such behaviour among opposition leaders in the Batang Ai by-election but that was short-lived.
However, he said, during campaigning for the Sibu by-election Sarawakians had witnessed the full-blown rowdy behaviour of West Malaysian opposition leaders and their local counterparts.
Warning the opposition that such political rowdiness could break down social order in the country, he said they should not force Sarawakians to defend their territory against the rowdy antics of politicians from outside.
“Don’t make the Incredible Hulk angry. He is a very peaceful man but when he’s angry you better watch out. So don’t make him angry because you will not like him if he’s angry,” Masing told reporters during a break of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday after delivering his ministerial winding up speech.
“Please don’t come to Sarawak using that kind of tactics. These are alien to us and don’t do that because you may touch something which may not be very helpful to us. There is anger around us,” he warned.
He said Pakatan Rakyat (PR), comprising the Democratic Action Parti (DAP), Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), should learn from the May 13 incident and to ensure the ugly tragedy would not repeat itself.
“May 13 was when the Bumiputera were about to lose the power to control the state, so don’t start it. There’re certain things that we don’t go into. This is one thing we should understand. They should not encroach into one’s sacred areas because that will be a danger.
“I am just giving you a warning. Don’t do it. There must be certain areas that we play by and do it slowly. You must ask yourself why May 13 happened.
“Unfortunately there was a move along that direction, but please do not, if that happens we are going to have problems,” he cautioned.
While the people of Sarawak were very friendly, he said, when disturbed and provoked they too could be rough.
Earlier, in his speech, Masing said that the opposition should never assume that Sarawak politicians were incapable of being tough and fight back when forced to do so.
“The Dayaks, especially the Ibans, in this house, may look placid and timid, but if you touch our raw nerves and abuse our dignity and pride, we will fight back,” he stressed.
He said it was therefore, advisable for peninsulabased politicians to learn the history of Sarawak so that they know who the Ibans were and what they did to their enemies in the old days.
“The civilised world may have dulled the Ibans’ sense of aggression against those who wish them ill – but it can re-emerge and when it does it will not be pleasant.
“Malaysia has been peaceful for the past 50 years because we acknowledge and respect these societal holy grounds and understanding.
Whatever our political dreams are for ourselves or for our party, please, never forget those understandings less we fall into the abyss of anarchy.” He said when social order broke down, no one would benefit – not even members of the opposition.
“Therefore, it is my hope that in the midst of our struggle to get elected, or in our effort to score political points, we should not let our emotions get the better of us,” he said.
Commenting on the same issue, Housing and Urban Development Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said opposition parties from Peninsular Malaysia had been very provocative during the Sib by-election.
“If you start to do something which is provocative then other people will react.
So the best is to have certain atmosphere where everybody follows the game according to the rules.
“Surprisingly in the Sibu by-election there seemed to be some changes in the way they (opposition) campaign.
For the first time, in that by-election, I saw people travelling in a car with microphone,” he said.
Abang Johari said he had gone through seven elections but that was the first time he saw such a thing and it was only of late that he had witnessed the new and rowdy trend of campaigning.
However, he said, whether the Oppositions’ campaigning tactics were unlawful was up to the Election Commission (EC) and other relevant authorities to deal with.
Masing is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president while Abang Johari is deputy president of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).