Chan Kong Choy Flexes 'Muscle' After Severe 'Loss Of Face'
Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, who expressed surprise over the reduction of traffic fines by the police and said that the decision by them to slash traffic fines had not gone down well with his ministry as it was not consulted on the matter, showed his political muscle after the police rudely brushed off his objection.
The Internal Security and Public Order Director, Commissioner Datuk Mustafa Abdullah’s brusque statement, "we can reduce them when or how we want to. We do not have to consult the Transport Ministry," must have cheesed off the minister. It can be construed as a double loss of face for Chan, firstly for not being consulted and secondly having his observations dismissed as inaccurate and irrelevant by a mere police official.
So our man Chan headed for the Cabinet meeting this morning and probably bawled his heart out. Politicians whatever said and done, have this idiosyncratic loyalty for each other when their territory is 'invaded' and they tend to be supportive of an ally in distress. Who knows they may be the next victim! Thus the Cabinet had decided to postpone the move by the police to reduce fines for traffic summonses.
Chan said the decision was made on the grounds that the fines imposed on traffic offenders were meant to be a deterrent not as a source of income to the government.The matter was discussed today in the Cabinet before the decision was taken, a beaming Chan announced, adding that he had been directed by the Cabinet to hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders to discuss a possible review of the reduced fines for traffic summonses issued by the police on Monday.
Now the police will retreat and lick their wounds, the Cabinet has asserted its supremacy and power over public servants and Chan Kong Choy has managed to save some face. All in all not a bad day for him. But what of the thousands of traffic offenders who only yesterday had raised their teh-tarik cups in celebration? Do they now have to fork out hundreds of ringgit more, just because a minister wasn't consulted and felt ignored or had his pride hurt by a tactless cop? We'll just have to wait and see.
The Internal Security and Public Order Director, Commissioner Datuk Mustafa Abdullah’s brusque statement, "we can reduce them when or how we want to. We do not have to consult the Transport Ministry," must have cheesed off the minister. It can be construed as a double loss of face for Chan, firstly for not being consulted and secondly having his observations dismissed as inaccurate and irrelevant by a mere police official.
So our man Chan headed for the Cabinet meeting this morning and probably bawled his heart out. Politicians whatever said and done, have this idiosyncratic loyalty for each other when their territory is 'invaded' and they tend to be supportive of an ally in distress. Who knows they may be the next victim! Thus the Cabinet had decided to postpone the move by the police to reduce fines for traffic summonses.
Chan said the decision was made on the grounds that the fines imposed on traffic offenders were meant to be a deterrent not as a source of income to the government.The matter was discussed today in the Cabinet before the decision was taken, a beaming Chan announced, adding that he had been directed by the Cabinet to hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders to discuss a possible review of the reduced fines for traffic summonses issued by the police on Monday.
Now the police will retreat and lick their wounds, the Cabinet has asserted its supremacy and power over public servants and Chan Kong Choy has managed to save some face. All in all not a bad day for him. But what of the thousands of traffic offenders who only yesterday had raised their teh-tarik cups in celebration? Do they now have to fork out hundreds of ringgit more, just because a minister wasn't consulted and felt ignored or had his pride hurt by a tactless cop? We'll just have to wait and see.
posted by The Malaysian. at 9/06/2006 06:45:00 PM
3 Comments:
looks like these baby monkey antics will be a regular feature of the country under the present 'walk the talk, failure is not an option ' 's impotent battlecry.
i think the police was a tad arrogant when they unilaterally decided to reduce the fines. road safety is a national agenda & comes under the purview of the transport ministry. the least the police could do was to discuss the issue with the latter, which will give them more credibility. now with the gung-ho antics gone awry, should we take the police seriously?
Yes tonixe, looks like the antics of these chaps are going to be around for quite a while.
Hey doc, tad arrogant is and understatement. Downright rude is perhaps a more fitting description.
perlisan, I like your suggestions very much. The government should reduce the rates of all the bloody cukai2 if they really are sincere in wanting to help us.
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