My mum used to say, “If you call someone idiot, you are a bigger idiot.”
That was the first thing that came to my mind upon hearing Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz call billionaire Robert Kuok ‘pondan’ (effeminate).
As mind-blowing, jaw-dropping and eye-rolling as it was for me to hear a leader like Nazri degrading someone much senior to him, forgetting all the calls to practice a lifestyle full of sopan santun (politeness), budi bahasa (manners) and hormat-menghormati (respect) which the Malay culture is so rich in, I have to say it was equally funny as well.
For those living underneath the tempurung (coconut shell), having no clue of what’s this all about - well, it all began when Raja Petra Kamaruddin accused Kuok of funding DAP to topple BN in the forthcoming general election on his blog, Malaysia Today.
Kuok (photo) is a 94-year-old Malaysian who resides in Hong Kong, minding his own business and spending his own wealth in his own ways.
For Nazri to lash out at the senior tycoon, demanding that he stops being a coward with no balls and returns to Malaysia to face the government, while sitting comfortably in his air-conditioned office is, I must say, quite an “aiyoh kadavule” (Oh, my God) moment.
Who is actually 'ball-less'?
Seriously, if Nazri has any balls, shouldn’t he be the one to catch the first flight to Hong Kong and set an appointment to meet this so-called BN-made tycoon and ask him why he has become a kacang lupakan kulit (ungrateful)?
On second thought, it is always easier to have a laser mouth spurting out saliva as the cameras click away, rather than actually making an effort to demand an explanation (that is, if someone was really seeking an explanation).
But then again, if you think about it, Pakatan Harapan chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also “created” by BN. So were Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, Bersatu vice-president Mukhriz Mahathir, former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz and many others who are bashing BN in recent times. Why not call them pondan and ayam betina as well, dear ballsy dude? They are, after all, living right here in Malaysia.
The truth is, it is the government’s role to develop the country. As the elected party, BN only did what it was supposed to do (while at the same time doing the things it was not meant to do as well. But let’s save that for another day). And to take credit for the success of every single Malaysian champion sounds a little too arrogant to me, don’t you think?
If that is the case, shouldn’t BN also be held responsible for every Malaysian who failed to create wealth, especially those who are still struggling to make ends meet?
Is Nazri an ayam betina?
Anyhow, now that Kuok has denied the allegation that he funded DAP to topple the government, one would expect Nazri to have the balls to officially apologise for pulling his guns before checking the facts.
Sadly, not only is Nazri not sorry for the remark he has made, he even had the audacity to blame Kuok for not coming forward earlier to deny the allegations.
I guess my mum was right. Those who call others “ball-less” are the ones who are “ball-less”.
Poor Nazri. Perhaps he missed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s call not too long ago to be mindful of fake news and stop believing every post and tweet circulating online.
“Do not make decisions based on lies, distorted facts and smears. Such claims can be debunked with a quick search of the facts,” Najib said last November.
I do hope Nazri takes his beloved Najib’s advice seriously in the future, instead of behaving like an ayam betina (hen) making too much noise for no reason at all.
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FA ABDUL is a passionate storyteller, a growing media trainer, an aspiring playwright, a regular director, a struggling producer, a self-acclaimed photographer, an expert Facebooker, a lazy blogger, a part-time queen and a full-time vainpot.
Source : https://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/413739#f1QJZ2rJ4sdYHhkU.99