By Lim Kit Siang, MP for Gelang Patah

Poor Mah Siew Keong. Even during the Teluk Intan by-election, he cannot get the recognition of Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders as Gerakan President and candidate to respect his authority and the law, then how can he get the respect and recognition from Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders after the by-election even if he wins on May 31st?

This is the only conclusion to be drawn from Mah’s pathetic plea at the launch of his Teluk Intan by-election manifesto this morning that he cannot be held accountable for the promises made by ministers in his absence.

In the past week, UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers have made a bee-line to Teluk Intan and never before in the history of Teluk Intan or in any by-election, have so many Umno Ministers and Deputy Ministers “descended” on Teluk Intan or in any by-election as the by-election has been transformed from a contest between the DAP vs Gerakan into DAP vs UMNO.

Even the eminence grise of UMNO, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who seems to be the “de facto” Prime Minister after the mystery of the disappearance of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the same time as international tragedy and disaster of the 79-day disappearance of the MH 370 with 238 passengers and crew on board, was the first to open the savage attacks against the DAP/Pakatan Rakyat candidate for Teluk Intan, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, by launching an offensive against Dyana’s family for failure as a UMNO family to bring up children who love and are loyal to UMNO.

But Dyana’s mother, Yammy Abdul Samat delivered a coup de grace in the exchange with Mahathir when she responded with what could be the Quotable Quote of the Year: “I tried to raise her like Mukhriz, but she ended up like Marina” and which should shut up Mahathir for good on this subject. Of course, it is often forgotten that Mahahtir created UMNO history by being doubly disloyal, first to UMNO founded in 1946 and secondly to his UMNO Baru founded in 1988 as he condemned UMNO Baru under Tun Abdullah Badawi and left it in 2008.

Be that as it may, Teluk Intan has, since Dyana’s nomination as DAP candidate on May 19, been flooded with an endless stream of UMNO Ministers, Deputy Ministers, grandees, as well as UMNO cyber-troopers and “hired guns”, some working from afar.

None of them have any respect for Mah Siew Keong, be it UMNO Ministers, Deputy Ministers,”grandees”, cybertroopers or “hired guns”, which was why Mah had to come up with the most pitiable plea that he cannot be held accountable for the promises made by UMNO ministers and deputy Ministers in the Teluk Intan by-election although these promises violate the election laws making the Teluk Intan by-election one of the dirtiest and most dishonest by-election campaign in the nation’s history.

One ministerial promise was the improvement of broadband internet connection for Teluk Intan, and other ministerial promises include free uniforms for People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) and the building of a crematorium and a hall for wedding receptions for the Indian community.

A news portal has just reported of another corrupt practice and election offence, where the Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil visited the house of a 57-year-old unemployed single mother with three mentally-disabled daughters and gave cash of RM500 and Pampers.

Mah has cynically and irresponsibly disclaimed responsibility or even knowledge, saying lamely:

“I wasn’t there. Those were their promises. Not mine.

“They (the promises) are not in my manifesto.”

This raises profound implications.

Firstly, Mah should have the courage of conviction to uphold the dignity of the office of Gerakan President and Barisan Nasional candidate for Teluk Intan by-election to order all who are campaigning in Teluk Intan, including the Deputy Prime Minister, UMNO Ministers, Deputy Ministers, grandees, UMNO cybertroopers and “hired guns” inside or outside Teluk Intan, to strictly adhere to all election laws and not to do anything without his authority or consent, including the fake bikini photo of Dyana.

But Mah seems to prefer to seek the safety of claiming ignorance of what is happening in the Barisan Nasional Teluk Intan by-election unless “he was there” or had personally made the promises.

If so, what credibility has he got to disclaim UMNO/Barisan Nasional character-assassination of Dyana Sofya, particularly the despicable fake Dyana’s bikini photo when it was that of a Filipino actress, Paulene Luna, and other savage personal attacks on her, whether about her political principles or her legal qualifications?

Mah not only looks utterly insincere but completely impotent about what is happening in the UMNO/Barisan Nasional Teluk Intan by-election campaign.

Dyana has three Bs, beauty, brains and bravery. When has “beauty” become a crime or a sin to UMNO and Barisan Nasional?

However, Dyana was selected as DAP/PR candidate for Teluk Intan by-election not for her beauty, but for her brains and bravery, in standing up against all forms of injustices and oppressive forces, and in particular in withstanding the enormous pressures which the UMNO/BN by-election juggernaut has unleashed against her and her ability to be unbowed and remain fully committed to her political ideals and principles.

How many Bs does Mah have?

Secondly, the question that should immediately be asked is whether the manifesto released by Mah today is his personal manifesto, the manifesto of Gerakan, or the manifesto of UMNO/Barisan Nasional?

It is no use if it is Mah or Gerakan’s manifesto, as he is the Umno/Barisan Nasional candidate.

Will he get the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to come to Teluk Intan before May 31 to declare that the manifesto he released this morning is the Umno/Barisan Nasional manifesto which the Umno/Barisan Nasional Federal Government would honour in the next three to four years before the 14th general elections?

If not, Mah’s manifesto is not worth the ink it is written with.