As expected, the news spinning and propaganda around the Bagan Pinang by-elections have begun in earnest. Whilst PAS has started early by questioning the validity of postal votes, more as a preparation to explain its likely defeat, the pro-Pakatan the Sun newspaper has chosen a very naughty but potentially more effective approach to attack BN's most likely candidate early.
The Sun's Tim Leonard's best line in the piece comes at the end, when an UMNO Icon of Corruption is,"Asked about selecting a candidate with a tainted record which could affect BN’s chances of victory...". On the on-line version, the impact would have been greater, as the line was published beside th photo of BN's most likely candidate! I have to hand it to the Sun, that's a brilliant piece of spinning!
Whilst the candidate is not explicitly mentioned, Tim Leonard neatly laid doubt on the character hinting on recent history 'taint'ing the man that may be fresh in everyone's mind. What made it worse was he asked an Icon of Corruption this, hence reinforcing the message. However, this spin conveniently ignored one thing. THE TRUTH!
The truth is that there was once a man who was elected Vice President of UMNO. Though not a saint, hard to be one in politics, this man was the cleanest of the 3 who won Vice Presidency that year. In fact, the man was about the cleanest of all the candidates that contested that year! He was also interestingly the best public speaker and the youngest of the 3. There was just one problem... he came from the same state as a very young ambitious and upcoming Icon of Corruption...
In UMNO, one of the unwritten traditions is that the President and his Deputy should be from different states, better still if from different regions. This was behind the tension between DS Anwar Ibrahim and Pak Lah - Anwar's rise to Deputy President curtailed Pak Lah's desires. One can sense tensions appearing between the TS Muhyiddin and DS Hishamuddin as well now. So, the rise of a Negeri Sembilan Vice President would hinder to another 'power' in the state.
And so a conspiracy was hatched to not just topple the 'threatening' UMNO Vice President, but to taint him with the label 'Corrupt'. This was of course easily done by someone related to and so loved by a weak party President that he was willing to move mountains... tainting and disposing of the political career of a promising hope for the party's future leadership? No problem!
Time passes by, and surprise-surprise, the toppled and then falsely disgraced former Vice President has a chance to rejuvenate his political career. In the meantime, the ambitious youngster, now diminished as an ex-President's son-in-law and himself so elevated to Icon of Corruption status that the party's Disciplinary Council could not find him innocent of Money Politics even whilst his father-in-law was still President, he sees karma dealing him another blow...
Everyone loves a good telling of a conspiracy... well this is a juicy one... and please, don't take my word for it... and I do not mean the spinning by the Pro-Pakatan press such as the Sun... read here, here, here and here...
Selamat Hari Raya!
6 comments:
Bro Akram,
Dont be paranoid...
Do you think Tun Dr Mahathir and Ku Li are Pro-PR Dr Spinner too?
kociriemann. Thanks for the question, which I was expecting. It may appear I disagree with TDM & KuLi but in principle, I don't. Their view is based on Isa being tainted in the public eye, hence not helping UMNO long term, even if he wins @ Bagan Pinang.
This I cannot deny. However, this is not in conflict with the view that:
1- Isa is one of the best candidates to win @ Bagan Pinang despite this.
2- KJ & gang conspired to topple Isa with trumped up charges of Money Politics post '04 UMNO VP race.
To better align both views, on the back of arguments presented by blogger the Voice, I would urge UMNO Supreme Council or even DS Najib to re-open Isa's case. Being exonerated by the Appeal board of UMNO's Disciplinary council would bring about this alignment & even help @ Bagan Pinang.
Isa can sue KJ then if he wants... & perhaps even the Sun? :-)
Bro Akram,
Bagan Pinang and KJ aside,
On the same day you published this article, Raja Petra via Malaysia-Today (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/26931/84/)has published a heart wrenching, Cabinet Paper which shown the past 3 PMs together with their BARISAN NASIONAL Cabinets were all along knew what was and is happening with the PKFZ project.
No hard and fast actions were taken to minimize the damage, despite all the negative signals the Cabinets gave their approvals and endorsement to the developer and the PKA which ultimately lead to a disasterous PKFZ scandal!
The behaviour of the Barisan Nasionals on this issue is unacceptable! At the time people like you fighting to protect the farmers and the fishemermen of the nation by opposing US-FTA..the BARISAN NASIONAL goverment was closing one eye on the PKFZ...despite billions have been plundered!
May Allah's wrath on the pepetrators of the scandal.
I think you should comment on this issue bro.
I would comment, only, I wouldn't base a fly's wing worth of a post on one of RPK's 'expose's about now... Wanna keep my credibility u know...
Credibility...thats a good one :)
Keep ur credibility...?
Thats sound a typical UMNO leader.
Well, u r groomed to be one anyway.:)
The expose by RPK got its credibility when IGP panicking and started giving out statements (conflicting of course)on efforts taken by the RMP to catch the whistleblower.
Hmm..on another note, do u think your nemesis KJ has anything to do with the Formula 1 Malaysia team?
Does the F1 Malaysia Team would be a platform for:
- plundering tax payer money (harped by PR)
- The Tun Dr M cronies (Sepang F1 circuit) and the KJ cronies (Air Asia) to joint force and reconcile their differences with PM Najib as the mediator?
Financially speaking, would you think the F1 Malaysia would bring greater benefits to the nation?
Hope not too late to wish you and Tan Sri Sanusi's family Eid Mubarak and Maaf Zahir Batin.
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