We owe Ismail Sabri an apology

We should thank him for the low prices we're enjoying.

COMMENT

The controversy surrounding Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Ismail Sabri’s Facebook comment has been in the news for over a week now. That’s rather strange as most controversial news only have a lifespan of three days.

DAP and even the MCA have asked for his apology, which is so uncalled for. What is so seditious about an innocent comment that the whole nation is talking about? It is neither instigative nor racial by any standard, and it was meant only for traders who raised their prices. Trader’s who did not should not be in anyway offended.

People should learn to forget about such remarks, which were meant only for his personal “friends” in Facebook, and move on. Obviously, his comments were twisted beyond recognition that he has had to remove the posting. So, stop implying that he felt guilty about it.

Even Prime Minister Najib Razak’s “golf for everyone”, Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein’s remarks about ISIS and Home Minister Zahid Hamidi’s FBI letter have been misquoted out of context by Malaysians who are poor at grappling with the Malay and English languages.

We should see Ismail Sabri as a helpless victim manipulated by dark side forces bent on seeing his illustrious career go down the drain. DAP’s Ngeh Koo Ham even went on to call him a liar and a great danger to the nation, and that he would sue his pants off if he doesn’t apologize, as if Ngeh is the only person in the whole of Perak with that name.

Asking him to own up consciously for what he didn’t do is unfair. It’s like leading a cow to the riverside but being unable to make it drink. In fact, the only ones who should be apologizing should be the MCA leaders for being so rigid and unable to see through Ismail’s clever comment.

Only those with a typically kampong mentality are asking him to apologize. One such person is the DAP leader who asked whether the Cabinet is also Je suis Ismail Sabri, as if he didn’t already know.

DAP should seriously heed the call of the eminent Ridhuan Tee to back off or go and console Anwar Ibrahim or go fly a kite.

It is such a pity that Ismail’s frantic attempts to explain his harmless comments have largely fallen on the deaf ears of the public.

We should actually thank Ismail with all our hearts for the low prices in this country. Every time we have our nasi lemak and teh tarik, we should remember him for keeping prices low. Isn’t it true that ensuring lower prices is more important than being preoccupied with the boring 1MDB fiasco or the Altantuya issue, both of which have been blown out of proportion?

The prices of goods – from houses, cars, mineral water, petrol and right down to a kilo of salt – are low due to Ismail’s timely intervention and his unwavering fight to keep prices to the barest minimum in this country.

Even GLCs like Bernas and Tenaga would not want to cross swords with Ismail by trying to raise prices.

In fact, prices are so low now that the government needs GST to make some money to settle its increasing debts.

Ismail’s comment was actually aimed at all traders, the Prime Minister said. That’s true; he used the word “Chinese” merely for effect.

Even Old Town White Coffee is not entirely Chinese owned, so why must we penalize him or accuse him of asking Malays to exclusively boycott Chinese traders?

Ismail Sabri has always been a flamboyant minister with a good attitude. That’s why there were so many Je suis Ismail Sabri supporters. Even that highly respectable NGO, Isma, treats him like a hero and has afforded him an umbrella of protection, which shows how popular he truly is.

In the past, Ismail Sabri has always come across as a man of high calibre, hardworking, conscientious, friendly and honest to the core. It would be a great loss to this nation, if he is unwittingly dropped as minister, due to the racist attitude of the minority.