By inviting Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin to officiate the closing ceremony, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has destroyed whatever credibility he might have salvaged by hosting the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates.
As a result, it is legitimately asked whether the so-called International Conference on Global Movement on Moderates is actually a camouflage by extremists to try to gloss over their “extremism”, whether directly and through aid, abet and condonation of voices of hate, unreason and all forms of extremism, whether ethnic or religious in recent times.
Najib had already raised grave questions about the bona fides in hosting the International Conference on Global Movement on Moderates when he refused to clean his own slate of “extremism” not only of the past, but even those committed in his 33 months as Prime Minister – as in refusing to retract his extremist speech at the 2010 UMNO General Assembly threatening “crushed bodies, lives lost” to defend UMNO from losing power in the 13th General Election or in allowing or condoning Utusan Malaysia, the official newspaper of UMNO, becoming the chief protagonist of the voices of extremism, whether unreason, hate, enmity, lies and incitement causing the worst polarisation of Malaysia in both racial and religious terms in the nation’s history.
I had offered him several opportunities in the past fortnight to establish his credentials as a Voice of Moderation by declaring that he would immediately transform Utusan Malaysia into a Voice of Moderation – and it has not escaped national and international notice that he had avoided all engagement with this issue!
But public cynicism over Najib’s hosting and opening the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderate is simply drowned out by the disbelief and shock at news of Muhyiddin closing the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates.
A Bernama report of the “Moderates” International Conference proceedings on Tuesday evening reported on the “positive response” of several delegates to Najib’s announcement on the setting up of the Institute of Wasatiyyah (moderate) in his keynote opening address.
One panelist, who said the institute could become a centre for ideas to combat extremism as the concept of moderation should be the basic struggle of political parties and other movements, supported Najib’s view that extremists should be identified and dealt with.
This led me to send out the following tweet on Tuesday night:
Identify top 10 Extremists in Msia! B4 308 political tsunami Hishamuddin Khairy head list. Under PM Najib list headed by UtusanM n Muhyiddin
Imagine the shock of Malaysians who would rank Muhyiddin top of the list of “extremists” in Malaysia during the 33-month premiership of Najib to discover that their candidate of the political leader to top the list of ten extremists in Malaysia could masquerade as a moderate at the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates!
Had Muhyiddin been unfairly wronged being regarded by substantial majority of Malaysians as a “top extremist” in Malaysia?
If Muhyiddin claims that he has been unfairly wronged in being regarded as most qualified among the top political leaders in the country to top the list of extremists, he has only himself to blame.
Didn’t Muhyiddin declare opposition to Najib’s signature policy of moderation – “1Malaysia” policy – by declaring that he is Malay first and Malaysian second?
Didn’t Muhyiddin make the most extremist, worst and irresponsible speech ever delivered by a Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President at the recent UMNO General Assembly, telling dastardly lies and utterly false accusations when playing the 3R cards that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers and delivering the “mother of all lies” when he accused the DAP of having an agenda to make Malaysia a republic?
Wasn’t Muhyiddin responsible for the unjustified and extremist reaction to the moderate and reasoned appeal for a fair and even-handed intepretation of Article 153 made by the chairperson of National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) Reverend Eu Hong Seng at a Christmas hi-tea on Christmas Eve last month, warning against attempts to undermine the country’s unity “which the BN government has painstakingly built”?
Let Muhyiddin reveal his true colours, whether he is an extremist, a moderate or an extremist camouflaging as a moderate?
#1 by yhsiew on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 4:36 pm
Najib’s hosting and opening of the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderate was no more than a hollow academic exercise aiming to fish votes.
I doubt Najib and Muhyiddin took the conference seriously.
#2 by boh-liao on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 5:36 pm
Dis is a cleansing/beautifying process 2 tipu tipu mah
#3 by Jeffrey on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 6:36 pm
Tan Sri Muyhiddin officiated closing of International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates on 19th Jan.
Prosecutors filed an appeal against the High Court’s January 9 acquittal of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy a day after closing, on 20th Jan.
Good timing. No clash and embarrassment.
#4 by Loh on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 6:43 pm
///By inviting Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin to officiate the closing ceremony, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has destroyed whatever credibility he might have salvaged by hosting the International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates.///–Kit
Najib called for moderation at the United Nations but he has to prove to UMNO members that he has not changed from his extremist position in the country. Najib had no choice but to organize the Conference and he was careful to make sure that the Conference would not diminish his extremist credential. Najib considered assigning Muhyiddin who champions 1Bumiputras to officiate the closing ceremony would send signal that the Conference does not reflect government stand in domestic policies. Najib now needs Muhyiddin to show that he is still relevant to UMNO though UMNO is no longer relevant tot he country.
#5 by monsterball on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 6:55 pm
Depends where the wind blows.
He is both.
#6 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Friday, 20 January 2012 - 8:37 pm
Want to know true colours ………….Moo…..Moo,,,,,,,,,
#7 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 21 January 2012 - 3:51 am
No 1 officiated opening and no. 2, the closing of an international media event like International Conference on Global Movement of Moderates was not intended to particularly showcase credibility of the country’s or its leaders’ personal political style, whether moderate or extreme, in politics (raised by LKS) – rather it is an aspect and part of the so-called power sharing script to share the international limelight. Isn’t it the case that Malaysia boasts of supposedly the role model for 3rd world countries (from Zimbabwe to Sri Lanka) in concept of power sharing in politics, not only between BN coalition partners but also extended to between elected officials of ruling party (a script for past 3 decades directed by TDM) ???
#8 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 21 January 2012 - 4:06 am
The Question “had Muhyiddin been unfairly wronged being regarded by substantial majority of Malaysians as a “top extremist” in Malaysia?” has to be juxta-positioned against the other corollary question, “under Malaysian style communal politics, which no. 2 throughout UMNO’s or for that matter to a lesser extent its main component parties’ history waiting in his wings his turn to ascend to power has not taken the more extreme style ?” (Tun Razak as no. 2 was more extreme than Tunku, Tun Mahathir more than Tun Hussein Onn, Anwar, then more than TDM, Dato Seri Najib more than Tun Badawi) etc Can’t foresee at any time No. 2 will more moderate than No. 1 within their communal party politics!
#9 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 21 January 2012 - 8:40 am
UMNO/BN simply believes LYING is a legitimate political strategy, not merely a tool. In that sense they are WAY ahead of really the very cynical modern Republican politics that how rules the party in the US. The Republican in the US can learn a thing or two from UMNO/BN about what NOT to do if they don’t want to be end up in oblivion.
As for UMNO/BN, they are jumping way ahead into oblivion the pioneers of cynical politics, the US Republican party, are clearly conflicted about.