Excuse me, who's the defence minister and why is he keeping quiet?

From Malaysiakini, 11 Sepember 2008

Something smells rotten here. I think it's stale Umno sandiwara (wag-the-dog spin).

First of all, the only loud noises and general commotion I've been hearing have been from some Umno throwbacks up north who still haven't accepted defeat after GE12 and Permatang Pauh. When Gerakan was in control of Penang under Koh Tsu Koon, these junior warlords were able to feed their greedy retirement plans with land theft and all kinds of financial shenanigans. Tsu Koon was either blissfully unaware - or he didn't want to rock the BN boat.

Now that Pakatan Rakyat has taken over and exposed the shocking extent of corruption and abuse of power under BN misrule, it's like some heavy stone has been upturned, causing a huge flurry of panic and confusion amidst the secret colony of tiny critters that have lived under the protection of that stone for decades.

And so, all their angst and anger is being targeted at their former ally, ex-CM Koh, whom they blame for losing Penang to the enemy. That's all these Umno twits know how to do: lose an election, blame the leader.

Now does that qualify as "a national crisis in ethnic relations?" Not unless you're really desperate for an excuse to declare martial law - because that may be the only way left to cling on to power for just a few more months.

General Abdul Aziz, I suggest you relak, brudder - and don't pretend you're only doing your job. We know you and some of your colleagues in the army have profited from eight years of Najib Razak as defence minister. Of course, you're required to show at least a modicum of loyalty to Umno because the party has served you so well.

However, the ultimate head of the army - the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces - is NOT Najib Razak but the Yang di Pertuan Agong. Please remember that and be mindful that you do not become anybody's puppet.

A KIND COMMENTER ALERTED ME TO THE FACT THAT GENERAL ABDUL AZIZ SPECIFICALLY NAMED UMNO IN HIS PUBLIC STATEMENT. HOWEVER, THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MEDIA DISINGENUOUSLY OMITTED THIS IMPORTANT DETAIL (PLEASE READ THE COMMENTS SECTION!) IF THIS IS INDEED THE CASE, I HEREBY TENDER MY HUMBLE APOLOGIES TO THE GOOD GENERAL FOR HAVING SUSPECTED HIM OF BEING A MOUTHPIECE FOR THE DEFENCE MINISTER. I HAD CONSIDERED DELETING THIS POST BECAUSE IT DOES THE GENERAL A GRAVE INJUSTICE AND PUTS HIM IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT. HOWEVER, I'LL LET THE POST STAY WITH THE INCLUSION OF THIS DISCLAIMER.

There is no possibility of May 13 recurring.

Why do I say that? The documentary evidence that has emerged since 1969 clearly reveals that May 13 was also an Umno sandiwara masterminded by a handful of conspirators in a hurry to seize power from Tunku Abdul Rahman. Never mind if their plot required the blood sacrifice of hundreds of innocent lives. Remember, the police field forces contributed by transporting truckloads of Umno berserkers across statelines to create havoc in the urban areas, knowing full well the local Malays wouldn't suddenly turn violent against Chinese and Indian neighbors they had known for generations.

And who was the ringleader of the coup d'etat in May 1969? The father of the current defence minister, no less. Let's not assume the Malaysian people are stupid enough to be fooled twice with the same evil tactic.