THIS may seem like a mutual admiration society, but I swear it is sheer coincidence, prompted by immediate circumstances, that I start this week’s column in praise of fellow columnist U-en Ng after he had done so similarly about me yesterday. Besides hectoring readers about building a civil society (when any super- ficial scanning of the nouveau democracy expressing themselves on the Net reveals that many are rabid foul-mouthed racists you don’t want marrying your sister but who have, and the best help for a civil society would be to treat them like mad-dogs and put them down), U-en gives a daily sketch of the shenanigans in Parliament. Yesterday morning he was denied access to the hallowed premises. When I heard the news, my first thought was that he had worn a skirt too short for his knees, forcing the upright guardians of virtue at the door to turn away temptation. And rightly so. There is sufficient sexual pheromones in the air every time Datuk Bung Moktar Radin, the rep for Kinabatangan, is present in the august House. Double-handedly, abang Bung has become a You-Tube star, promoting a traditional Malaysian gesture of generous giving to a worldwide audience. It would be a good thing if it swept the world because I have always found the European version of a clenched arm thrusting into space such a crude assertion, probably reflective of sexual inadequacies. The Malaysian variation may be less aggressive in occupying space, but generations of practising Malaysian kids can testify that nothing beats that plosive pop that punctuates your sentiment. On two other counts, I am happy with abang Bung’s performance. As someone who has been involved in theatre for over three decades, I appreciate his creative transformation into a mime to get the message across. Seven years ago, he expressed his sentiment in words, and you should have heard the fuss from the aggrieved opposition MP who was told there was some pleasure coming his way. And let’s never forget he was the MP who exposed the secret of leaks in the country. I have just heard that U-en was just part of a group of about 20 journalists culled to keep numbers down in the neighbourhood. There was supposedly going to be a rally. The same rally that had prompted the public promulgation of a restraining order. The same rally that had prompted road-blocks and fuming jams all over the Klang Valley on a Sunday, a foretaste of what back to work on Monday was going to be like. The collective inconvenience and fuel-burning for two days did the job. No rally. At the moment of writing, I do not know the official rationale for shutting the doors to members of the media, whether it is just for the day or a prolonged denial for whatever reason. Still, is there any pressing reason to give the impression that the house of the people is fearful of witnesses to its deliberations? For that matter, are they fearful of the public? Surely we are not capable of something akin to the storming of the Bastille. But then, nowadays, who knows what we are capable of? A few days ago a policeman filed a police report against his superiors for keeping the bulk of the regular take and only allowing pittance to dribble down to the rank and file. I am not commenting on the truth or otherwise of his allegations, but isn’t it amusingly baffling that he didn’t think he was tarring himself with the same brush. And if he did consider it, there is still black humour in his determination to seek justice. Seeking justice? Take a number, friend. Service at the counters has improved, but at the moment, there is a glut of supplicants.
• Thor Kah Hoong regrets that, distracted by the non-rally, he forgot to second Datuk Seri Samy Vellu’s rhetorical query, “You must be wondering why is this idiot doing this?”

Source: Malay Mail – July 15, 2008