A genuine contrite heart doesn’t jab political opponents nor induce East-West dichotomy

Is the Warisan candidate for Segama Dato’ Mohamaddin Ketapi sincerely contrite? After overwhelming public backlash and a stern rebuke from the Armed Forces over his likening of Malaysia’s police and military personnel as fighting against “chickens and dogs” in Tanduo in a “sandiwara”, did he release a statement denying that he had ever insulted or trivialised members of the security forces.

But were pragmatism and salvaging lost ballots the driving factor for Mohamaddin’s apology considering that the video was widely disseminated yesterday (21 Sept 2020), and his apology came in the same evening and more urgently, it had to be issued before today (22 Sept 2020), as 16,877 security personnel, as well as their spouses, will cast their ballots at 55 voting centres statewide. The early voting centres include the Sabah Police Contingent headquarters, Royal Malaysian Navy Base in Teluk Sepanggar and Lok Kawi Army Camp here.

The former Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister’s press statement sniffs at shifting fault to his Barisan Nasional opponents when he asserts that his words were “misinterpreted” and the video was “viralised with malicious intentions”.

Besides portraying Warisan as victimised, he seems to whip up Sabah versus West Malaysia discord and fervour by claiming his words were “twisted by opponents from Semenanjung.” Candidates in any elections should refrain from inciting sectarian chasms but instead, focus on policies – where they may be lacking.

Insisting that he had “never insulted the security forces on duty at Tanduo”, he appears desirable to sound reconciliatory for the damage done. However, by concluding with a caveat of “Nevertheless …” this is akin to only saying sorry because that has been demanded.

Let no Malaysian or non-citizens ever trivialise the sacrifices of the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Royal Malaysian Police in defence of our nation’s sovereignty and to protect our lives, more so when Malaysia just celebrated the 87^th Armed Forces Day.  Not only were 10 of our Malaysian men in blue and green massacred in cold blood by those Sulu invaders loyal to a defunct Sultan Kiram, the latter mutilated and dismembered their captives too. Six civilians also count among the Malaysian casualties.

Do not take a jab at the mental wounds of the next of kin which may never heal, having lost a son, father, husband or brother in such gruesome manners - atrocities committed by invaders. On the contrary, lift up our security forces, support their surviving family members.

Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker
MCA Vice President

-MCA Online-