Today is EXACTLY one week after the Global Witness exposé
video hit the news and rocked the world of Malaysian politics – a game-changer,
as the Americans say. The Chief Minister is denying the existence of the
mammoth elephant in the room, the lawyers have allegedly left the country, and
the famous sisters have gone missing. The whole of Sarawak is in uproar, coffee-shops
and secluded private rooms in expensive restaurants are bustling with the talk
of “tax evasions” and “squatters”, BN’s Dayak leaders are dumbfounded and have
lost their tongues (and dare we hope silently fuming at the audacity of some
cousins of the Chief Minister?), the rest of the country is asking questions
and the spin-doctors from BN are in overdrive trying to shift the blame. What a
week!
Besides fingering his cousins, Taib has also pointed the
finger at Anwar Ibrahim, suggesting that the Opposition Leader has worked with
Global Witness to “frame” him. So Taib, are you saying that Uncle Rahman Yakub
sat down with Anwar Ibrahim and the environmental chaps from Global Witness and
concocted this complicated story to “frame” you?
Alvin Chong, who is one of the legal representatives of the
Lands and Survey Department, substantiated all that the sisters had said and
more. His cock-sure confidence caught on camera was an award winning Oscar
performance. Then there is the Hii family. The Hii family representative,
lawyer Huang, admitted more than he should have. Best Supporting Actor award
goes to him, if we are to believe the spin doctors.
My simple mind says YES. My political mind which attempts to
deconstruct Machiavellian plots says MOST DEFINITELY YES.
Now that the whole world knows and Taib and his lawyers are
desperately trying to pick up the pieces as they go into crisis management
mode, one cannot but be intrigued by the apparent lack of public support that
other Barisan Nasional leaders are expected to show him. Should they not be
closing ranks and falling over themselves to come to his defence?
In the past, sycophants would be competing with one another
to come up with the most credible counter-spin to protect their lord and
master, but a week has come and gone and all we hear is TOTAL SILENCE. Except
for some yelps from insignificant politicos and the youth wing of PBB
condemning reports on the internet (and not an outright defence of their Chief
Minister, mind you) in the last two days
Where is Taib’s Chief Political Secretary, the ever-faithful
Karim Hamzah? Is it not his first duty and responsibility to immediately rally
the troops and sound the trumpet and lead the charge and demonise Global
Witness in every newspaper in Sarawak? Not a squeak from him..
Where is Awang Tengah, the supposed right hand man and heir
apparent? Well, he did squeak a bit today in the Star but in no way was his
whimper an outright rebuttal of the exposé and in defence of the Old Man; just
a passing comment on how foreign NGOs are not to be trusted and how Sarawak
will be re-forested. Political analysts would read his statement as more a
personal defence, almost like a manifesto promising Sarawakians that under his
watch, Sarawak would be re-forested.
Where is Jabu, the most loyal Dayak devotee there has ever
been and ever will be of the ‘beloved’ Old Man? Absolute silence from Jabu of all people? What has this self-proclaimed
‘Paramount Chief’ of the Dayak has to say about being called a squatter by his
beloved’s cousins?
Both factions in SUPP are also withholding their tongues.
Smart.
Masing, are you silent because deep in your heart you are
disgusted that Taib’s cousins called your own people squatters on their own
lands, and you see this as a golden opportunity to let others roast the goose
that has been laying the golden eggs so that you can walk in and take its place?
Mawan, are you silent because you too want to play the
‘wait-and-see’ game and shut your eyes and stop your ears? Would this
not be the best opportunity to get back into
the Old Man’s good books and earn some much needed brownie points? Or
are you finally accepting the fact that your and your party have been
used and abused so that we are all but mere squatters?
Never mind all these Sarawakians – the silence from Kuala
Lumpur is deafening! What happened to BN comradeship and solidarity? The mighty
warlords of UMNO, what’s left of MCA, the ‘new’ leadership of MIC…all silent...
It would seem that based on the evidence we have before us (see
NST, Utusan, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, Borneo Post, Utusan Borneo, The
Sarawak Tribune, The Star, TV1, TV2, TV3 et
al) Taib is on his own this time.
Taib is having to speak out for himself and is making all
the denials and counter-claims without the usual backing of a harmonious chorus
of BN leaders, politicians and its vast and awesome machinery singing his
glorious innocence and praising his indomitable efficacy as the ‘Father of the
Politics of Development.’
An injured animal that is cornered is mighty dangerous and
will have a long memory, especially when its friends are just watching by the
wayside. (And probably placing bets.)
I wonder why no one has come to Taib’s rescue openly,
publicly and with practised gusto. And I am certain, many of you are wondering
why too. But the ultimate question on my mind – is Taib himself wondering why
his own people have not come to his aid yet? After all, a week has come and
gone since the exposé and a week is a very long time in politics. I suppose we
will all have to wait and see as another week unfolds and the drama
intensifies.
