Youthful novice ridiculed
Malay Mail (30/5/08): Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Rahman Abdul Ta ib (BN-Kota Samarahan), the son of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, demonstrated in the House yesterday that youth alone was not necessarily an asset for a politician.
Speaking on behalf of his absent minister, the 39-yearold former chairman of RHB lurched from sentence to sentence, and often even word to word, in a speech that was matched only by his own dismal stutterings in the Senate a few days earlier.
To be fair, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Penggerang) had no business leaving this section of the Supplementary Supply Bill debate in the hands of a consummate political and oratorical novice - knowing full well that Pas and PKR frontbenchers were still upset over her recent remarks in the House.
Indeed, the Opposition lost little time continuing its counterstrike: Did electoral vengeance motivate the minister’s decision to terminate tourism memoranda of understanding with Pakatan Rakyat states? Could the minister prove that the Kelantan government was responsible for not paying staff of the state’s Tourism Action Council? Failing to reckon with the fact that the deceptively mild Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman (Pas-Pengakalan Chepa) was once Kelantan Deputy Menter i Besar , Sulaiman’s ingenuous argument crumbled instantly under a relentless barrage of facts and figures.
And he really had only one argument against them, that of denial: “Oh no, the government wants to co-operate with all states for the betterment of Malaysian tourism.” This provoked instant ridicule.
Even Jeff Ooi (DAPJelutong), whose performance in the House so far has been disappointing, saw the opportunity to redeem himself by firing a well-timed broadside.
Sulaiman then proceeded to restate the minister’s controversial positions, obviously unaware that this would do nothing but benefit the Opposition. Salahuddin Ayub (Pas-Kubang Kerian) cried “lies!” with glee, and there was nothing Sulaiman could do about it.
The embattled deputy minister then elicited no sympathy by whimpering and producing the alarmingly unimaginative “but that’s wrong” - used about a dozen times against the Opposition in under a minute, hoping vainly that the "bullies" would leave him alone.
At last, he began gazing forlornly at the deputy chairman, Datuk Ronald Kiandee (the House was sitting as a committee then), and when no help came, Sulaiman began grovelling: “Oh, but if I were to answer these questions there won’t be enough time before lunch for me to finish.” Salahuddin was still crying “lies” from the other side, and was enjoying himself too much to stop. This seemed to put Kiandee in a mischievous mood, and he replied with a perfectly straight face: “But there’s time after lunch.” Sulaiman’s salvation came in the form of the alternate deputy chairman, Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who realised after the break that the members were in for another long sitting - and so cut short the debate.
“You had better give them written replies,” Wan Junaidi said, and Sulaiman found some renewed confidence in himself.
Unfortunately he bungled again a few minutes later when, obviously elated by the end of the inquisition, he confused the word “written” for “oral” and told Opposition he would respond “secara lisan” (verbal reply). Hoots and jeers.
The first sitting of Parliament adjourned sine die yesterday.
The second sitting is scheduled for the end of June, at which time this sketch will resume. (U-En Ng)
Speaking on behalf of his absent minister, the 39-yearold former chairman of RHB lurched from sentence to sentence, and often even word to word, in a speech that was matched only by his own dismal stutterings in the Senate a few days earlier.
To be fair, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Penggerang) had no business leaving this section of the Supplementary Supply Bill debate in the hands of a consummate political and oratorical novice - knowing full well that Pas and PKR frontbenchers were still upset over her recent remarks in the House.
Indeed, the Opposition lost little time continuing its counterstrike: Did electoral vengeance motivate the minister’s decision to terminate tourism memoranda of understanding with Pakatan Rakyat states? Could the minister prove that the Kelantan government was responsible for not paying staff of the state’s Tourism Action Council? Failing to reckon with the fact that the deceptively mild Datuk Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman (Pas-Pengakalan Chepa) was once Kelantan Deputy Menter i Besar , Sulaiman’s ingenuous argument crumbled instantly under a relentless barrage of facts and figures.
And he really had only one argument against them, that of denial: “Oh no, the government wants to co-operate with all states for the betterment of Malaysian tourism.” This provoked instant ridicule.
Even Jeff Ooi (DAPJelutong), whose performance in the House so far has been disappointing, saw the opportunity to redeem himself by firing a well-timed broadside.
Sulaiman then proceeded to restate the minister’s controversial positions, obviously unaware that this would do nothing but benefit the Opposition. Salahuddin Ayub (Pas-Kubang Kerian) cried “lies!” with glee, and there was nothing Sulaiman could do about it.
The embattled deputy minister then elicited no sympathy by whimpering and producing the alarmingly unimaginative “but that’s wrong” - used about a dozen times against the Opposition in under a minute, hoping vainly that the "bullies" would leave him alone.
At last, he began gazing forlornly at the deputy chairman, Datuk Ronald Kiandee (the House was sitting as a committee then), and when no help came, Sulaiman began grovelling: “Oh, but if I were to answer these questions there won’t be enough time before lunch for me to finish.” Salahuddin was still crying “lies” from the other side, and was enjoying himself too much to stop. This seemed to put Kiandee in a mischievous mood, and he replied with a perfectly straight face: “But there’s time after lunch.” Sulaiman’s salvation came in the form of the alternate deputy chairman, Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who realised after the break that the members were in for another long sitting - and so cut short the debate.
“You had better give them written replies,” Wan Junaidi said, and Sulaiman found some renewed confidence in himself.
Unfortunately he bungled again a few minutes later when, obviously elated by the end of the inquisition, he confused the word “written” for “oral” and told Opposition he would respond “secara lisan” (verbal reply). Hoots and jeers.
The first sitting of Parliament adjourned sine die yesterday.
The second sitting is scheduled for the end of June, at which time this sketch will resume. (U-En Ng)
0 comments:
Post a Comment