Kamjat, Macai and Balaci to the Defence

A Kadir Jasin

FORMER deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam had recently prescribed three ways of getting rid of Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Mappadulung Daeng Mattimung Karaeng Sanrobone) Mohd Najib Abdul Razak.

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First through Umno, second foreign intervention and third the general election. But he qualified that the first is nearly impossible, the second is only remotely possible.

I am not sure if Musa is joining the get-rid-of-Najib bandwagon by making that statement. Even if he is, he has little or no political influence to do so. In any case, his anti-Mahathir sentiments are stronger than his disdain for Najib.

In comparison, Musa’s longstanding nemesis, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has a clearer stance towards Najib. Having failed to topple his protégé via the vote of no confidence, Ku Li – as he is fondly called – appears to have gone back to accepting Najib’s leadership. His excuse was loyalty to Umno.

But that doesn’t stop him from annoying his party boss. The latest being his demand that the government reveal the identity of the “Malaysian Official 1” mentioned by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in its civil suit in Los Angeles against the “thieves of 1MDB”.

Then as if to give Najib a moment of peace, Ku Li predicted that the new party being jointly promoted by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) - would face an uphill battle for survival.

Other Umno dignitaries are also saying the same thing about the proposed new party – that it is bound to fail and Umno has nothing to fear.

One of the more outrageous Najib’s defenders – Mohd Nazri Aziz – even challenged the “kutu” (louse) in Umno to leave and join other political parties.

(Watch here).

While another dedak-standard backer, the Langkawi Member or Parliament, Nawawi Ahmad, was reported as saying that the King was the “Malaysian Official 1” as mentioned in the US Department of Justice (DoJ) civil suit.

Nawawi, Langkawi MP allegedly implicates the King

Understandably, in the true tradition of a dedak-type politician, he blamed others for allegedly twisting his statement and went on to make a police report. But that was after the Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, had said that the MP would be interviewed for making the alleged statement.

In spite of belittling the proposed new party, Najib’s backers have started to engage in all sorts of attempts to sabotage its registration.

It appears that they are no longer sure that Umno is as strong and cohesive as they have been claiming.

Khairy’s Game

With the Rio Olympics coming to an end and the Malaysian contingent doing pretty much okay, the Umno Youth Chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, has to up his ante.

Just before leaving for Rio de Janeiro, when declaring open the joint session of the Putrajaya Umno Women, Youth and Puteri wings on Aug. 2, he urged Umno members to defend the leadership and truth even at the risks of being called “macai” and “balaci”.

And who could be a bigger macai than the Malacca Chief Minister, Idris Haron, who openly proclaimed that Najib has to be supported because he is “the gift of God”.

Idris: "Najib is God's gift"

Khairy’s pledge of loyalty came in the midst of the controversy created by his immediate deputy Khairul Azwan Harun.

The latter had lodge a police report accusing the former Attorney General, (Tan Sri) Abdul Gani Patail, former Bank Negara Governor, (Tan Sri) Zeti Akthar Aziz and former Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, (Tan Sri) Abu Kasim Mohamed of conspiring to topple the Prime Minister and the government.

The report had since been dismissed by Khalid as hearsay while Najib and Khairy had described it as the work of an individual.

If it is a hearsay Khalid should investigate Khairul Azwan for making a false report. Lodging a false police report is an offence.

Instead the number one policeman arbitrarily closed the case whereas in one or two other cases people who made police reports against Najib and 1MDB were investigated and charged in court.

If indeed the IGP is truly professional and acts without fear and favour he should get his officers to investigate Khairul Azwan and clear the name of his three former civil service colleagues. After all they were once members of the task force investigating the 1MDB.

Despite having his report thrown out, Khairul Azwan is adamant that his action represents the view of the Umno Youth and that he had saved Najib from being ousted.

“The Balachi-in-Chief”

I have a nagging suspicion that Khairy’s gallant defense of the leadership has something to do with the talks that there is an internal conspiracy to remove Najib as party President and Prime Minister.

Hidden somewhere in the loyalty rhetoric is the widening acknowledgement that Najib’s position as party leader and Prime Minister is becoming increasingly untenable. He is not only a liability to the country but more so to Umno and to his own backers.

The Boss and the macai: Looking in opposite direction

But to musk the festering discontent, Khairy has to resort wayang kulit (shadow play). He is willing to be given the uncomplimentary titles of macai and balachi.
In the contemporary social media lexicon, macai and balaci refer to lowly helpers and runners. The former is from Chinese and the latter is believed to be of Indian origin.

The macais and balacis are the lowest of the dedak-eating party operators. Dedak-eaters generally refer to these people.

Since Khairy is not an ordinary macai and balachi I had suggested that he be given a special title that distinguishes him from the ordinary dedak-eaters.

In my earlier postings I had proposed the term "kamjat" because I consider him to be the "capo de tutti capi" of the macais and the balacis. In the Mafia hierarchy, capo de tutti capi, is the boss of all the bosses.

Kamjat is a Penang street term. One former mainstream newspaper editor, who originated from Penang, once told me that kamjat was a good-for-nothing layabout.

In my days as a cub reporter in Penang in 1969-70, kamjat was used in a mocking and dismissive manner rather than contemptuously.

Readers and debaters are welcome to shed additional light on the term and propose other titles that can be awarded to Khairy and other higher-placed macais and balacis.

Khairy may be willing to be Najib’s chief macai for now and, as a consequence, suffer the contempt of the thinking Malaysians because in the long run he has a more important personal agenda.

He has no intention of sinking with Najib and he is pragmatic enough to work with other Umno leaders to entrench his position. He may even be willing to look beyond the wobbly Umno/Barisan Nasional.

Wallahuaklam.