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January 21, 2006
"Memo 9" Backtrack
They have retracted the memo:
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said some of the nine non-Muslim Cabinet ministers who signed the joint memorandum calling for a review of laws related to conversion of religion, had agreed to withdraw the document.The Prime Minister said he had met some of them and they agreed to withdraw the memorandum.
"I met them Saturday morning including MCA President (atuk Seri Ong Ka Ting), MIC President (Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu) and Gerakan President (Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik).
"In the meeting, I said that they should withdraw the memorandum and they agreed," he said in his speech at the launch of Umno's new membership drive here.
Abdullah said with the decision, he hoped that the memorandum would not be an issue from now. [Bernama]
While I don't agree with their act of submitting a memo on such a volatile issue, I think they should have realised the implications and potential consequences of such an act before they decided to go ahead with it.
It was not something you do everyday. It was something that had the effect of putting the Prime Minister in a defensive position, which forced him to brandish his Malay/Muslim credentials.
They must have known that. It would be unimaginable of them to not have known that.
The "Memo 9" have now lost much more than the extra credibility that came with the act of submitting the memo.
This could have consequences in the next elections.
Posted by aisehman at January 21, 2006 06:46 PM
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Comments
Aisheman
Agreed with your points.
These ministers were obviously looking to gain some PR points by submitting such memo. This is an ill-advised move in many ways, given what the PM promised over the issue.
But although, they lost some face in withdrawing the memo, we at least have to give them the credit for doing the right thing quickly by retracking the memo. This has dangerously raised the racial and religious temperature of the nation.
The whole thing only goes to show Malaysians' lack of objectivity in handling racial and religious issues in an unemotional manner.
Looking at the debates on both sides, we can see that each side thinks that it is defending its faith and rights. But viewed from the other side, each of them look like chauvinists. Even the educated ones fall into this category, just read at other blogs we see that the comments are full of contempts and lack of consideration for the other side.
As a Malaysian, I am sad...
Posted by: sankaran at January 21, 2006 07:57 PM
I predicted it even before Samy Vellu finished his sentance. Sandiwara. God, these people should give back the pay they take and give back the air they breath.
Posted by: Bigjoe at January 22, 2006 12:12 PM