To say one thing is good but to do another is hypocrisy.
Okay to utter racist remarks behind closed doors?
In an immediate response to BTN deputy director Hamim Husain'spolice report against a news portal today, for lodging a police report over alleged racist remarks he reportedly made in a closed-door session, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang lambasted the government official for his lame excuse.
"Can civil servants and BTN officials make incendiary, racist and insensitive statements going against Najib's 1Malaysia concept and claim as protection that they are personal views made in private functions?" asked Lim.
Dismissing Perkasa's "ridiculous" support of Hamim's reasoning, Lim said that Malaysians are entitled to know whether it is acceptable for Umno ministers to use the term "si mata sepet" (slant-eyed) and "si kaki botol" (alcoholic) against the Chinese and Indian communities in private Umno or government functions.
Lim mentioned a circular sent out by the chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan instructing departmental heads to stop their officers from making statements touching on racial and religious sensitivities.
He added that Mohd Sidek's warning that the government would not allow any action and conduct by a small number of civil servants in the country to go against the racial harmony forged by public officers as implementers of government policies, had been like "pouring water down a duck's back".
The chief secretary's warning, Lim said, is like "going into the right ear and coming straight out of the left ear", as illustrated by Hamim's action which Lim claimed is in defiance and contempt of the circular.
"This latest incident has compounded public disaffection about the total lack of political will and procrastination of the Najib premiership to take action against errant civil servants, not only against Hamim but also the two school principals before this," said the Ipoh Timur parliamentarian.
'Cabinet cannot pass the buck'
Lim stressed that the cabinet cannot pass the buck of political responsibility to curb such anti-1Malaysia misconduct by public servants.
He lashed out at Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of unity and performance management Koh Tsu Koon (right), who despite being responsible for national unity since April last year, has done nothing to combat the intense and escalating attacks by the rhetoric of racial bigotry and religious extremism.
More so, he said, since the attacks are coming from the very bowels of BN and the government bureaucracy itself.
"The minister, when announcing yesterday that he would skip the Penang Gerakan EGM this Sunday because he would be attending the MCA AGM, had pledged to push for stern action against anyone, including politicians and civil servants, who make racist remarks."
Koh, Lim said, should ensure that the cabinet meeting on Wednesday produces action to demonstrate that it has the political will to penalise Hamim and the two principals concerned and not allow them to defy Najib's 1Malaysia concept with impunity.
Lim also questioned the presence of Perkasa youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah (right) from the controversial Malay rights NGO Perkasa, who accompanied Hamim to lodge the report and then acted as his spokesman.
"Has the BTN director-general and Mohd Sidek given approval to Hamim to lodge the police report under the patronage of Perkasa? Isn't this another gross breach of civil service discipline?" asked the opposition elected representative.
Hamim refused to comment on the matter when approached by reporters after he lodged the police report at the Sentul police station earlier today.
However, Arman who accompanied Hamim spoke on his behalf, saying that the news portal reporter had misinterpreted Hamim's statement and had sneaked into a closed-door programme that was organised by Puteri Umno.
"Can civil servants and BTN officials make incendiary, racist and insensitive statements going against Najib's 1Malaysia concept and claim as protection that they are personal views made in private functions?" asked Lim.Dismissing Perkasa's "ridiculous" support of Hamim's reasoning, Lim said that Malaysians are entitled to know whether it is acceptable for Umno ministers to use the term "si mata sepet" (slant-eyed) and "si kaki botol" (alcoholic) against the Chinese and Indian communities in private Umno or government functions.
Lim mentioned a circular sent out by the chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan instructing departmental heads to stop their officers from making statements touching on racial and religious sensitivities.
He added that Mohd Sidek's warning that the government would not allow any action and conduct by a small number of civil servants in the country to go against the racial harmony forged by public officers as implementers of government policies, had been like "pouring water down a duck's back".
The chief secretary's warning, Lim said, is like "going into the right ear and coming straight out of the left ear", as illustrated by Hamim's action which Lim claimed is in defiance and contempt of the circular.
"This latest incident has compounded public disaffection about the total lack of political will and procrastination of the Najib premiership to take action against errant civil servants, not only against Hamim but also the two school principals before this," said the Ipoh Timur parliamentarian.
'Cabinet cannot pass the buck'
Lim stressed that the cabinet cannot pass the buck of political responsibility to curb such anti-1Malaysia misconduct by public servants.
He lashed out at Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of unity and performance management Koh Tsu Koon (right), who despite being responsible for national unity since April last year, has done nothing to combat the intense and escalating attacks by the rhetoric of racial bigotry and religious extremism.More so, he said, since the attacks are coming from the very bowels of BN and the government bureaucracy itself.
"The minister, when announcing yesterday that he would skip the Penang Gerakan EGM this Sunday because he would be attending the MCA AGM, had pledged to push for stern action against anyone, including politicians and civil servants, who make racist remarks."
Koh, Lim said, should ensure that the cabinet meeting on Wednesday produces action to demonstrate that it has the political will to penalise Hamim and the two principals concerned and not allow them to defy Najib's 1Malaysia concept with impunity.
Lim also questioned the presence of Perkasa youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah (right) from the controversial Malay rights NGO Perkasa, who accompanied Hamim to lodge the report and then acted as his spokesman."Has the BTN director-general and Mohd Sidek given approval to Hamim to lodge the police report under the patronage of Perkasa? Isn't this another gross breach of civil service discipline?" asked the opposition elected representative.
Hamim refused to comment on the matter when approached by reporters after he lodged the police report at the Sentul police station earlier today.
However, Arman who accompanied Hamim spoke on his behalf, saying that the news portal reporter had misinterpreted Hamim's statement and had sneaked into a closed-door programme that was organised by Puteri Umno.
No comments:
Post a Comment