By C C Pung
Justice of Peace
Should we ponder over the ongoing ‘conversation’ about the birthday celebrations of the Head of State.
It’s hard to imagine an open discussion about it, but the issue (or the issues that prompted it) is not going away by our silence and apathy in the name of political correctness.
People in Sabah have been celebrating Tuan Yang Terutama’s birthday since forever.
Most citizens know the man simply as an untainted, non-political governor of the state, a distinguished gentleman, vastly experienced in the affairs of state and a symbol of grace, dignity and impartiality.
So why the same spate of protests, doubts, questions, memes and caricatures since 2024, well before the name of the current Governor’s surfaced?
This is unprecedented.
There were even attempts to influence public opinion to question if the King should have accepted the governor candidate put forward by the Sabah government.
It doesn’t help that the candidate was the Sabah Chief Minister for more than a dozen years.
And famously had a basket of criminal allegations dropped.
It’s easy to imagine that had any one of the allegations stuck, the Governor appointment would have been a non starter.
Yes. A man is innocent until proven guilty.
But what about public perception?
Shouldn’t the august office of the State Governor be measured by a higher benchmark that measures, for example, ethics and morality?
Perhaps some of us forgot that the Governor is the head of the Islamic religion of Sabah.
I think that any public discourse on the appointment will be an affront to the man himself, the office and the entire Monarchy system through which the appointment evolved.
But the discourse over the issue is nearing contemptuous.
There is enough angst that dissenters are not even hiding behind anonymity in the social . edited maze.
My take is that the uproar (can I call it that?) Should not be ignored or dismissed as trivial unhappiness of a minority.
The revered office of the highest office of the State leaves no room for suspicion.
The ‘establishment’ owes it to itself to remove the stains, whether real or imagined.
Editor: The views expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily reflect those of talantang.com
