Desperate Zahid Hamidi Urges Vehicle Owners To Fly The "Jalur Gemilang"
Private and commercial vehicle owners were urged to help liven up the country's 50th Merdeka celebration by flying the national flag on their vehicles.Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the response from the public to fly the "Jalur Gemilang" on their vehicles, homes as well as at government buildings and schools had been lukewarm so far.
"This is Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebration where the people should show their love for the country," he told reporters after a dinner for the Malaysia Gemilang convoy at Dewan Seri Negeri, Ayer Keroh, near here last night.
He said there was no reason for private and commercial vehicle owners not to fly the "Jalur Gemilang" on their vehicles as they could very well afford to buy the flag.
"During the convoy's journey from Sungai Rambai to Jasin and Melaka, we saw many village houses, government buildings and schools flying the Jalur Gemilang but only one or two out of every 100 private and commercial vehicles on the road doing likewise," he added.
The Malaysia Gemilang convoy, comprising 350 high-powered motorcycles and 50 other vehicles, led by Zahid is into the second day of its 10-day tour of the peninsula today. Its next stop is Port Dickson. (Bernama)
***** Our man Zahid should convey his observation to the Cabinet, that only one to two percent of vehicle owners see it fit to fly the national bendera. He should in fact be urging his fellow flag fetishists in the government to ponder on the reasons for this near unanimous reluctance and the refusal of the average citizen to play ball and be a willing participant in a BN choreographed and stage-managed 50th Merdeka big bash.
An honest assessment on this sorry situation will I'm sure be revealing. But then again, is there place for honesty nowadays?
Image - Source
Labels: Barisan Nasional Sandiwara., Hype
posted by The Malaysian. at 8/22/2007 03:00:00 PM
10 Comments:
This year,I am showing the love for my country by NOT flying the Jalur Gemilang, it's kept safely folded in my cupboard.
I do not want to fly old JG & have it soiled by the stench of corruption, inefficencies & bigotry that is premating so heavily in my beloved country.
God Bless Malaysia!
qwerty
PS: Instead, I've just purchased 20 Malaysia-Today's car stickers. I am gonna plaster it all over!
Last weekend I bought a pair of those miniature National flags because my two toddlers insisted on having them. I guess they have been watching too many of those TV Merdeka Ads with kids waving the flag.
I looked around at the supermarket check-out and realised absolutely Nobody else had bought one....I felt like I was buying some contraband or something...
Our man Zahid should convey his observation to the Cabinet, that only one to two percent of vehicle owners see it fit to fly the national bendera. He should in fact be urging his fellow flag fetishists in the government to ponder on the reasons for this near unanimous reluctance and the refusal of the average citizen to play ball and be a willing participant in a BN choreographed and stage-managed 50th Merdeka big bash.
Well-said.
Let me quote Simon Keller (Boston University) having done indepth research on this elusive topic: patriotism. Quote: "Most people think that patriotism is a virtue. That, at least, is what is suggested by a quick glance at the political world and the popular media in this and similar countries. Politicians constitute an extreme case--I think that many of them would rather be called cowardly or selfish or corrupt than unpatriot--but their case is odd only for its ectremity." (unquote)
Adlai Stevenson (former US Governor) in his 1952 speech who spoke on the nature of patriotism quoted Jefferson's famous quotation, "Equal rights for all, special privileges for none." "True patriotism," according to Stevenson is "based on tolerance and a large measure of humility. But surely intolerance and public irresponsibility (i.e corruption) cannot be cloaked in the shinning armor of rectitude and righteousness. Nor can the denial of the right to hold ideas (imposed by the government) that are different-the freedom of man to think as he pleases. To strike freedom of the mind with the fist of patriotism is an old and ulgy subtlety." (Unquote)
Concluding he said, "And those voices which we heard most clearly and which are best remembered in our public life have always have had the accent of patriotism."
To mediocre mindsets and leaders, putting up the flag is patriotism. Patriotism must be with ethical connotations. "In short, a patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government (i.e. corrupted leadership)" (Edward Abbey)
If BN could buy off voters with just RM200, why not just pay people to put up the flag?
For all the wrongs UMNO has done to this nation of ours, this is one time they cannot go on the defensive or in self-denial syndrome. As for being patriotic, I would rather drive my car around with Malaysia-Today car stickers.
STOP PRESS!
23/08/2007 1030hr.
I was running an errand at the Wisma Persekutuan(Goverment office in JB)The Information Ministry just completed launching the fly the flag campaign & they are actually going around sticking miniature flags on all cars parked in the vicinity, regardless wheather you want it or not!
The government is getting red faced & desperate at the lack of support & need to resort to such tactic!
Shame!
qwerty
Let me tell ya'all, in my lil town, where illegal pendatangs infested, the ppl here are extremely patriotic, they drape JG on the bonnets and boots of their vehicles (as if the nation has lost someone dear...)or they ride around with flags dragging no the road,...well, their houses (squatters) pinned with JG half the height of fences, well, we all know which shops JG have been stolen,.....Oh, dear minister, come and see, how these ppl love Malaysia, becos the govt is treating them like guests of honor, VIPs, tho they are pendatangs......sucks!
I've also made some comment on flying the Jalur Gemilang, before reading "Desperate Zahid Hamidi..."
I didn't know that some of us are intentionally "unflying" the flag as a show of protest against hypocracy, corruption and deception in the government...
I think there are other ways of showing such protest through the media and cyberspace. Why not fly the Bloggers flag together with the Jalur Gemilang? This will also show the strength of the bloggers. I don't think such action will contravene any law. Tun M might be very happy to see the "B" flags making its appearance.
My advice to Zahid reduce your passion for riding high powered bike. Direct your commitmnet and responsibility towards more and greater purpose to the extent the nation can stand to benefit tangibly. Leave the big bike riding and convoy to other group of people. Pls get back to the office and start performing an honest job as people's rep. You have not been voted in as an asseblymen to ride big bike fooling around with nothing much to benefit from irresponsibily. Certainly you are not elected to be a mat ****** of a special class. The convoy may be good but having you leading them that's obviously to my mind no good... macam remaja spoil saja. Deputy Minister buatlah kerja terhormat macam Dy.Minister. Mana boleh vroom sana vtoom sini and with wife somemore. What exactly is the message your are conveying to the society and also your wife to the makcik2 in the country.Nak jadi negara terbilang, gemilang kena wake up sikitlah.
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