COMMENT | Thanks PAS for the Thaipusam promotion, but why so insecure?

“This year, Hindus will make a great sacrifice … Everything happens for a reason.”

- PAS Supporters Wing (DHPP) information chief Balachandran Gopal Krishnan

COMMENT | I received a long email from a political operative of the Malay uber alles variety decrying the actions of the Kedah menteri besar for cancelling Thaipusam.

Well, first off, nobody can cancel Thaipusam and what this menteri besar has done is merely reinforce the cultural underpinnings of Hindus in Kedah.

As I have argued many times before, actions such as these are meant to isolate the Malay community even more.

Hindus in this situation may be the target but the real victim is the Malay community, which has to choose to take a side in the cultural war that the Malay establishment has propagated for decades.

The idea here is to antagonise the non-Malays while reinforcing the idea that the Malay community and leadership is under siege.

Except now, the political terrain has changed. The Malay establishment is fighting with itself and numerous court jesters, unsuitable for politics and managing expectations, have been thrust into positions of power.

With PAS the perpetual handmaiden to other more influential power brokers, the need to be relevant has become even stronger. The need for relevancy, imperative.

The menteri besar for whatever reasons assumes that his “attack” against Thaipusam is a win in this culture war but the reality is that all it is doing is damaging the already weak, PN brand....