According to a statement from the premier's office this evening, Datuk Nasir Safar, the special officer to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who stirred a hornet's nest with his stinging 'racist' remarks will resign.
His remarks have sparked an outrage as reported HERE. Scores of MIC and MCA members as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations at the event staged a walkout.
This incident reminds me of Howard Becker's Labeling theory which focuses on the linguistic tendency of majorities to negatively label minorities or those seen as deviant from norms.
The theory is concerned with how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them, and is associated with the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy and stereotyping.
At the same time, the alleged act can be regarded as name calling that reflects a cognitive bias and a technique to promote propaganda.
According to this LINK:
Propagandists use the name-calling technique to incite fears and arouse prejudices with the intent that invoked fear based on fear mongering tactics will encourage those that read, see or hear propaganda to construct a negative opinion about a person, group, or set of beliefs or ideas that the propagandist would wish the recipients to denounce. The method is intended to provoke conclusions and actions about a matter apart from an impartial examinations of the facts of the matter. When this tactic is used instead of an argument, name-calling is thus a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against an idea or belief, based upon its own merits, and becomes an argumentum ad hominem.
Some thought-provoking questions:
- Did he say those words? If he did, will he apologize to all who were present? Granted that the statement from the PM's department offered an apology but it is via written communication and may not be strong enough to mend bridges.
- What are the short-term and long-term measures to mend the bridges that were broken as a result of this incident?
- Will he be charged under the Sedition Act (as advocated by MIC President Samy Vellu HERE) for saying those words?
- What are the effects on the PM's efforts in establishing 1Malaysia, especially since this was supposedly the words of his special aide? How will he and his Department carry out damage control?
- Will our PM put his foot down and make a firm statement warning all his aides, Ministers and subordinates not to make ANY statement that can incite feelings of our rakyat? It seems that of late, this has been a very disturbing and most disconcerting trend that does NOTHING for nation-building.
Until our PM grabs the bull by the horns and puts an end to such destructive habits, his effort, time and resources in his 1Malaysia dream may be left ripped, torn and tattered by those in his camp who are not supportive of our Prime Minister's vision. Could such overtures, statements and actions from various quarters be seen as sabotage or even disloyal acts? What a tragedy!
Anonymous This scum must be charged on sedition, his resignation alone can't redeem the damages .