Abdullah should be ashamed of himself for defending the crude, vulgar and indecent gestures of  Pahang Mentri Besar Adnan Yaakob during Sanggang by-election nomination instead of reprimanding and demanding that the latter give unconditional public apology

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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What is even more shocking is that Abdullah could be so cynical and amoral as to say that the issue of Adnan’s crude, vulgar and indecent gestures would not affect the Barisan Nasional's chances in the Sanggang state by-election, casting aspersion on the judgment, good taste and  morality of the voters of Sanggang.

Abdullah’s claim that Adnan  was merely reacting to the "abuses and extreme  harassment by aggressive PAS supporters" is unacceptable, for there could be no excuse whatsoever for a head of government to behave in so crude, vulgar and indecent a manner in open public places, in the face of men, women and children.

If the Pahang Mentri Besar can conduct himself in a crude, vulgar and indecent manner in public on the ground that he was "provoked", then police officers and constables are also entitled to take the law into their own hands on the ground that they were "provoked" - an excuse which was in fact used by the former Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor for assaulting the former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim almost to an inch of his life when Anwar was first detained in the Bukit Aman police lock up on Sept. 20, 1998.

Abdullah had compounded his highly improper conduct when he admitted that he  himself did not see Adnan’s crude, vulgar and indecent gestures, but  he could only sympathise with Adnan - when Abdullah should be reviewing the question of the suitability of Adnan to continue as Pahang Mentri Besar.

Malaysians are aghast at the new Abdullah Badawi from the partisan extent he is prepared to go to defend the wrong and dishonourable, in utter disregard of the most rudimentary notions of right and wrong and proper and improper conduct for the head of a state government.

I would urge Abdullah, as Deputy Prime Minister in line to be the fifth Prime Minister, to reconsider his public stand on Adnan’s crude, vulgar and indecent public gestures and demand that Adnan make an immediate and unconditional apology - as a lesson to all Barisan Nasional leaders that there could be no acceptable excuses for them to act  in any crude, vulgar and indecent manner.

(23/3/2000)