Say no to Khir Toyo and vote him out in the next election

The death of trust in politics — The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Switch on the television, flick through the pages of newspapers and surf the Internet and one thing is obvious: we are witnessing the death of trust in our politics and politicians.

Gone is the confidence that politicians mean what they say. Disappearing is the belief that the men and women we elect to high office are motivated by anything else other than their own interest.

Faltering is our confidence that politicians will be guardians of our institutions, standard bearers of morality and principles.

For a close look at someone who fits the bill of the modern day Malaysian politician look no further than former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Khir Toyo. He is a lifetime away from the class of Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Dr Hussein Onn, Tun Dr Ismail and the Umno leaders of another generation.

His response to the circumstances surrounding the release of nude pictures of Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong shows him up badly.

So far this is what we know: the pictures of her were taken by her former boyfriend. She was in her apartment in Petaling Jaya. Some say she was asleep but others swear that she was in a state of undress but wide awake. The pictures were hawked to several newspapers by a man who apparently requested some pecuniary benefit.

The pictures are now being circulated through MMS. This is the sum of all we know — for now.

Elizabeth’s supporters say that she is the victim of a crime; that she does not need to apologise to anyone because: a) she is unmarried; b) she has every right to be naked in her own bedroom; c) she had no role in the release of the photographs into the public domain.

Was this a simple case of a former spurned lover exacting revenge on a public figure? Or was this a political fix-up? Was the man a married man?

At this point no one knows. In the days ahead when more information about the case emerges, the halo of the victim may slip from Wong. Then she may have to consider ending her political career. With her reputation scarred it would be untenable for her to continue to serve as a lawmaker.

Dr Khir Toyo, not a believer in evidence or wisdom (judging by how he sanctioned the demolition of a temple a week before Deepavali), wants her to resign now.

He said: “This is about morality, whether the pictures were taken with her consent or without her consent is another matter. I cannot accept a lawmaker whose morality is questionable.'”

This statement is rich coming from Khir Toyo.

He is the last person in Malaysia who should be pontificating about morality. The state government he led was mired in countless allegations of corruption. The stench of some of those accusations continued to follow him.

Judging by the vitriol he invited after he released his demand for Wong’s resignation, it is clear that few believed that he meant what he said about morality.

They saw him for what he is — another opportunistic politician with little interest about anything apart from his political well-being. Just another modern day Malaysian politician, with position, titles, money but missing the most precious commodity — the trust of his constituents.