May 11, 2012
A Well-Meaning but Naive Senator
by Azmi Anshar | mishar@nst.com.my 0 comments
STOPPING THE GULLIBILITY: Tunku Aziz learns fast that DAP’s ‘free speech’ is doublespeak
SENATOR Tunku Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, once the DAP’s much-hyped “towering Malaysian”, is scrupulously principled, in the mould of the right-thinking English gentleman guided by the spiritual laws of cricket.
Until April 26 that is, when he disavowed BERSIH 3.0’s inevitable mob violence, now the default mode of operation for future political strategies of the opposition to coerce the government to act emphatically hard.
Tunku Aziz saw BERSIH3.0 as “not cricket”, which is to be honest about a bad situation: instead of being thanked for his constructive criticism, he has been ungentlemanly bashed, his forthrightness costly.
Now, Tunku Aziz, to the DAP’s hierarchy, is an unrepentant pariah, an “embarrassment” to the party and someone who must be sacked. The DAP acted quickly to not extend his senatorship for another three years but his Vice-Chairman position, that of the ornamental DAP Malay leader, remains tenuous.
Still, the elderly prince remains steadfast that the street demonstration that BERSIH stubbornly propagated goes against his canon but what is he really now? In all that idealism and soulful conscience, he is a political naiveté. Even at 78.
Tunku Aziz may have only realised it late but he foolishly unloaded all that goodness onto a party that disdains such punctiliousness, especially when it results in an internal backlash.
For Tunku Aziz, it was political paradise at first when he joined the DAP in 2008 but now, it’s hell in disguise and for that, he should be arraigned for the simple crime of gullibility.
Let’s get some perspective. Prior to his foray in DAP, Tunku Aziz set up the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International in 1998 and went on to use that key position to fight corruption and promote good governance in various international bodies.
Tunku Aziz was bold and assiduous in his criticism against the Malaysian government; his
passing of tough judgment on issues of corruption accepted in good faith.
But ask this: rather than continue with his good work, why would he, with his impeccable background, invest his worth in a political party known more for its street-brawling strategies than civility?
In the hoopla surrounding his initial tryst with the DAP after the 2008 general election, including heaps of praise as a towering Malaysian and a big catch for the DAP, nobody questioned that his uncompromising criticisms as a Transparency International executive was actually a trailer to his big move to DAP.
In a nutshell, Tunku Aziz’s years in Transparency International were an unwitting preamplifier of DAP’s roughshod tactics against their enemy, Barisan Nasional. If the Tunku had been circumspect about his reputation, he would sooner maintain his neutrality than become a partisan player. That Tunku Aziz gambled with his credentials was somehow overlooked.
At the press conference announcing his newly-minted DAP membership, Tunku Aziz declared that he had been “monitoring the party’s progress without their knowledge” for 20 years. His monitoring, on hindsight, was superficial at best and blind at worse.
Had he been thorough, Tunku Aziz would have been horrified at the risks, knowing that the DAP:
MANIPULATES its dubious “democratic principles” to ruthlessly maintain a father-son dynasty;
REVERTS unpremeditatedly to its fundamental ethnic shape to win support despite bragging endlessly about its shape-shifting Malaysian Malaysia credo;
LAMBASTS a sitting Deputy Prime Minister for sexual impropriety but then defends him legally and politically against the government after realising they could score huge points with the electorate;
SPEAKS feverishly of free speech but is childishly prickly when faced with stinging criticisms, to the point of barring the media and gagging members.
(By now, Tunku Aziz would have fully appreciated this DAP paradox). For now, Tunku Aziz’s diminished time in the DAP begs one outcome: will he dish out four-year’s worth of dirt on the slick machinations of DAP now that he has been excoriated?
If it is any comfort to Tunku Aziz, he shouldn’t be too hard on himself. DAP, and in equal measure, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader whom they collude with, have fooled hundreds, if not thousands, of people with good conscience over the decades…
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Lim Guan Eng’s poor handling of Tunku Aziz, a respected civil society activist and crusader for good governance, will be costly to DAP’s credentials as a “democratic” party.
As I have suggested in an earlier comment, Tunku Aziz should not accept any olive branch coming from PAP leadership. Just quit quickly and move on. Dato Sabri Aziz and Aspan Alias should also think carefully about their position and status in DAP. Learn from the Tunku’s experience.
Ahmadi, i don;t think, knowing his Stature, that he his pertubed by petty things….come what may,…whether in or out – what matters is self-respecty & dignity above all else….he surely knows what he stands for !
For Eg : he is least bit perturbed whether BUM;NO will recognize him or not, it does not matter to him, He IS way above….
Important for Dignity – for that matter, anybody – is to make one;s stand clear even on simple issues, and that seperates the difference from the ordinary…, that makes the man the stuff of being a national asset…..unwavering !
Abnizar, let us not second guess the Tunku. He is uncompromising on the issue of the right to dissent. He is probably taking his time to reflect and think about his options.–Din Merican
All political parties are governed by internal rules and regulations. If you don’t like those rules, then don’t join. But if you still join, then you must abide by the decisions of the majority.
In this instance, the majority in DAP had decided to support Bersih 3.0. Tunku was in the minority, possibly of 1. In such instances, you either work behind the scenes to convince the party otherwise, keep your mouth shut, or, if the matter is so fundamental to your principles, you RESIGN first, and then you can have your press conference and spill your guts out.
Tunku was clearly in breach of party rules, proper protocol and ethical behaviour. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. This issue therefore has absolutely nothing to do with Tunku’s rights to freedom of speech. He is free to talk to the world at large, at the apppropriate juncture.
So, DAP did what any other political party – UMNO, PAS, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PKR etc. – would have done in M’sia. They gave him the deserved boot at the first opportunity.
Such an experienced person as Tunku cannot claim he did not know how he should have behaved, especially since he was Vice-Chairman of DAP.
Such bad behaviour also leads one to suspects he was out to do mischief and damage DAP, before leaving in a huff. Kudos to DAP for not giving him the opportunity.
Dpp
we are all of 1 Race, the Human Race
Despite Tunku Aziz’s concerns, I believe all those who were gassed or hurt wouldn’t have it any other way.
He who is prepared to sacrifice himself wins the battle.
He who self preserves has already lost.
I salute the real battlers of BERSIH 3:0 and have no doubt there will a doubling in numbers come BERSIH 4!!
if & ONLY if i want to join a WELL established party : i 1) MUST be in low profile , 2) dun be arrogant , 3) dun give opinion publicly , 4) dun create CHAOS for the party , 5)i dun simply judge, 6) MUST be grateful to the party’s acceptance , 7) be graceful & 8) REPENT !!
________________
So ampu lah. How different from UMNO-BN then.–Din Merican
I knew of a monkey once , tamed (naive?- you may put it as that) was released in the wild by its owner. The monkey was rejected outright by members of its own specie roaming wild on the island.. Outcast as it was , the monkey began to befriend the island’s solitary cannine.. Together you could see them , the monkey hitching a ride on the dogs back at the seashore while the dog went about fishing for their meal… Only months later , when the monkey began to have that ‘wild’ scent was it accepted into the rest of the fold.. Get the drift? Okay! Now that you’ve got the drift , i’ll think of something to scribble about , with regards to LGE , TA and the DAP but later perhaps
when the going gets tough, racism gets going?
stop thinking in racial lines lah, brothers and sisters. the more malays move into DAP the less it will become a chinese dominated party.
instead of encouraging non-chinese to join DAP you want malays to quit DAP? where got logic lah, kawan?
living and working abroad one notes that the world (economy also) cares not for the colour of the skin but competency. give meritocracy a chance in malaysia and stop once and for all this racism. chinese are good at whatever they do, you have’nt noticed? why don’t you try to become as competent as them?
interlect and experience breeds tolerance and acceptance. Tunku Aziz did something great, that is he joined a chinese party to make it a real malaysian party. Noble intention. now you are using his weakness to destroy what he set out to accomplish. wunderbar man!
The message that seems to emanating from the DAP elders is that there is a better use for one’s tongue. Sir Lancelot has shown us one way although in his case his tongue was cut short and is now speechless.
Obviously our host doesn’t believe in the Big Bang theory.
Life is one big bang. Sometimes you find yourself at the end of the stick rather than the front end. Bendover Singh assisted by his two sons, Bendalot and Bendabeet Singh will be more than happy to dispel any doubts you may have in the Big Bang Theory.
Din,
CLF suggested, in one of your umpteenth threads about the Tunku, that the Tunku’s outburst is merely a storm in a teacup.
May I suggest that the hand (it seems to me) that is doing the stirring belongs to you.
The assumption is based on the never ending treads you are giving us about the Tunku.
Isn’t it time to move on?
It’s not easy to practice clean politics–Adam Abdullah
At least give it a try, make an attempt or effort. Is that difficult?
It is not a question of clean or gutter politics, do not cloud the issues. If you join the party, you accepted the rules and regulations and most of all the manifesto so if you disagree, you either leave or if you fight the party, you will be removed. That is simple rule so why complicate the whole issue?
This gentleman would have stood tall with his credibility intact on leaving the DAP. But of late he seemed to have expressed strong support for our PM the very personage he was wont to criticise on his way to senatorship on DAP’s ticket. He did not offer to explain his sudden change in patronage and in one fell swop self destruct the respect he commanded from right thinking citizens who had shared his ideal of a civil society.