Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh was slapped with a charge of allegedly causing public fear on Friday. About 300 Umno youth members and supporters from Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and Kuala Lumpur were present to show support, turning the court proceedings into a political show. Dr Akmal, who pleaded not guilty, told the media outside the magistrate’s court that the crowd at the Bukit Mertajam court was not there to support him personally, but to defend the dignity of Jalur Gemilang. He said he would face the charges, take full responsibility, and have no fear whatsoever. He warned “that person” not to think he could be intimidated by legal action. Shortly after returning from Mecca at midnight, Dr Akmal posted a video on Facebook showing a large group of supporters welcoming him at the airport, vowing that he would never back down. It was clear he regarded this case as a “glorious chapter” in his political journey. Although no heavyweight Umno leaders appeared in court to support him—possibly to avoid being seen as defying the Umno supreme council’s decision—former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s son, Datuk Mohd Nazifuddin, showed up, signaling a special relationship between Najib and Dr Akmal. Unfortunately, on the eve of Dr Akmal’s court appearance, a private dental clinic in Pontian, Johor, was ordered by the Pontian Municipal Council to close for 30 days after staff mistakenly hung the national flag upside down. This incident further fueled Dr Akmal’s cause. Pontian police’s initial probe found the mistake was due to negligence with no malice, yet the local council took harsh action to send a message. Johor is governed by Barisan Nasional with Umno at the helm, MCA as a partner and Pakatan Harapan to ensure checks and balances. Some Johor Umno leaders sided with Dr Akmal in the flag incident. For instance, Umno supreme council member and Johor state assembly speaker Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said Dr Akmal’s protest against the inverted flag was driven by patriotism, not racism. He urged Umno members and fair-minded citizens to back Dr Akmal, claiming DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke had already achieved his goal, since he had earlier instructed DAP youth to lodge police reports under Section 503 of the Penal Code (criminal intimidation). Johor Umno Veterans’ Club president Datuk Othman Jais also condemned DAP’s “rude remarks,” stressing that the flag incident concerned national dignity and sovereignty. He said the rules were clear where negligence or deliberate inversion must face legal consequences. Some Johor Umno youth divisions also stood by Dr Akmal when MCA youth lodged a police report against him. Without instruction, it is unlikely the Pontian Municipal Council would have acted so harshly. An inverted flag case should have been left to the police for investigation, with the Attorney-General’s Chambers deciding on prosecution. Local authorities should not abuse administrative power, as this sets a bad precedent and undermines the business environment. Ordering the dental clinic to shut down for 30 days was excessive, […]
3月前
After the KK Mart owner met the YDP Agong and the King had decreed an end to anymore escalation of the issue, a defiant Akmal Saleh buat tak tahu saja. When asked if he would call off the boycott, he answered with a question whether the Agong had ordered the boycott discontinued. Then, we have the statement of the ‘old cowboy’ of UMNO, Bung Mokhtar, who said that the top leaders had advised Akmal to desist tapi dia tak faham-faham juga. And anyway, according to Bung Mokhtar, KK Mart is NOT a Sabahan issue. Hmmm…I seem to track a pattern here about intelligence, shrewdness or pure stupidity. Now, for an academic like me to use the word ‘stupidity, I must have run out of words in my academic vocabulary and have had to resort to my lower level and base vocabulary. Apologies all around. But, there is this curious thing in the Malay language. I can only think of four words to describe intelligence; cerdik, pandai pintar and bijak. But there are eight words to describe the opposite of intelligence: bodoh, bangang, bebal, bongok, bengap, biul, dungu, tengin. Bodoh would mean stupid as in not understanding a simple thing. Bangang would mean repeatedly making the same stupid mistake. Bebal would connote a difficulty in paying attention to improve oneself. Bongok is simply a frustrating word used by a person on another in exasperation or impatience of that person making a mistake. Bengap is just dumb. Biul I seldom use and it may connote an inability to learn. Dungu might be the same as dumb. Tengin is the highest level of stupidity in any person alive who can function in society. Now, does any of these words apply to Akmal Saleh? I do not think so. These words, however, do apply to most of his supporters including both ‘highly educated’ ones or the SPM level ones. For Akmal, even the word bodoh-sombong which describes a person who is clearly stupid and too proud to admit it and thus continue on his stupidity. For Akmal Saleh, he defies any Malay word I know, unless the Dewan Bahasa people know things that I don’t. Whichever the case maybe for Akmal Saleh who do not seem to comprehend the many advise given by cultured personalities as Anwar Ibrahim, the YDP Agong Sultan Ibrahim and the Yang Berhormat from the Unity Government parties, semua sudah cakap. All of us ordinary Malaysian with SPM or MCE Bahasa Melayu pun boleh faham, but not Akmal. So, my question here would be, what would make him faham? How about, first, instead of cakap banyak, UMNO suspend him for defiance of the so called ‘orders of the top’ as stipulated by the old cowboy of UMNO, Bung. Can UMNO do that? Of course it can. But I do not think that would also diminish Akmal’s defiance. Then, how about taking away his Melaka Exco position? Can UMNO do that? Yes, but will that stop him? No, I don’t think […]
2年前
更多Akmal Saleh
