A roadshow we can do without

Let’s get one thing straight: Whoever thinks that sending a man to prison based on a number of questionable evidences would sit well with most Malaysians, they are mistaken.

Whoever thinks that initiating a roadshow to justify the atrocities committed in the name of our judiciary would be acceptable, they are misinformed.

Malaysians are getting exasperated that those in the corridors of power are on a relentless witch hunt to demonise a certain political figure by shoving incredulous things down our throats.

Malaysians are growing quite accustomed to dirty politics and smear campaigns, not that our society has grown receptive to it, just that we have become more aware of how some factions are so adamant about using dirty tactics as a ploy to discredit political foes.

Negative campaigning has been around as long as politics and the dawn of human civilization but such methods have grown increasingly aggressive and less cordial, thanks to the rise of internet-savvy communities and the social media.

When one decides to enter politics, he or she must be able to take every single "beat-down" that comes their way. Politicians, more so candidate hopefuls, are usually subjected to thorough background checks instigated by those who are sure that there could be something in their past that could be used against them.

Recently, a nationwide roadshow spearheaded by Umno Youth has begun and over 200 people attended its maiden session in Selangor held a few days ago.

The motive behind this roadshow was clear – to justify the Federal Court’s judgment in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case.

Needless to say, the move quickly drew a lot of flak and could potentially backfire on those who instigated such a mindless exploit.

Interestingly enough, de facto law minister, Nancy Shukri suggested that lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah conduct a public debate with the Bar Council instead of participating in such a cringe worthy roadshow.

She stated: “Let the people listen to them. Do it once and for all. Then Shafee does not have to go around anymore, I would agree we (the federal government) should not do it too much. It looks bad.” Well, Nancy, we could not agree with you more.

Reports have gone viral pertaining to the content of this roadshow. One news report says Shafee revealed some rather intimate stories that left many cringing with embarrassment.
Ironic how in a conservative country like Malaysia, where innocently hugging girls on stage or pillion riding on motorbikes could spark religious uproar, that roadshows and forums explicitly describing sexual activities are considered acceptable. Why hasn’t Jakim intervened to protect us from this filth?

Most recently, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek suggested a televised debate between the Umno lawyer and those unwilling to accept to court verdict could be arranged.

So apparently a televised open forum and a debate could help Malaysians understand how and why the courts reached such a verdict, but the question that lingers in the minds of most Malaysians is simple – do we really need this?

Shouldn’t we be discussing other issues, namely GST, as we only have one month left and quite frankly, a majority of Malaysians especially government servants, are still quite clueless on this matter.

In a political context, a smear campaign is best defined as a "deliberate attack on somebody, by spreading a fallacious and objectionable rumor about them, or by making an accusation intended to damage their reputation".

Everything within the realm of Malaysian politics has its fair share of hard-ball tactics, but nothing comes off more nauseating than smear campaigns especially when sex is used. Malaysians are constantly bombarded with lies upon lies, sex tapes, X-rated photos and now, detailed descriptions of homosexual intercourse.

After a long drawn eight-year court case (17 if you take Sodomy I into account) and a verdict which left the entire nation in shock, some of us may find it challenging to trust some of those in power. Although we know that character assassination is nothing new in this country, the way sex is often being exploited is getting cumbersome.

Most of us can’t help but wonder if this is some sort of diversion – to keep us pre-occupied with sex while ignoring pressing issues such as the inevitable GST, our ringgit’s dwindling value, Sirul’s tell-all and the real reason why Anwar was sent to jail: not the closeted homosexual tendencies which involved another man’s posterior.

Anwar was sent to jail simply because someone couldn’t stand us questioning their democratic values and futile policies. The atrocities committed in order to demonise those who dare criticise the ruling regime are abhorrent and could definitely damage our country’s moderate and progressive reputation.

The fact is, our judiciary system isn’t so independent. Although certain factions will try hard to make you believe otherwise, to the rest of the world including more than half of our country’s population, we see through the lies and know that the damage has already been done. – February 20, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.