Insincere

Beware of the Dumbo terrorists in our midst. My wife was at the Kampong Baharu market in Bukit Mertajam this morning and she walked right smack into a little orchestrated demonstration.

Led by a very vocal UMNO member in his red shirt, a few Chinese instigators (in particular, I recognise an MCA-supported trouble-maker among the crowd) had led some petty traders to protest against the Province Wellesley Municipal Council (Seberang Perai Municipal Council, MPSP) for preventing them from carrying out their small-time trade at the market.

All the noise were coming from the UMNO person and the instigators, while the illegal petty traders stood behind the banners more as lacklustre participants, obviously pulled in as reluctant pawns to further the UMNO agenda. These traders probably knew that they were wrong: they didn't have the licences and they were always at risk of being chased out from the market square by the MPSP enforcement officers at any time.

But why instigate the protest against the MPSP only now? Why not seven years ago, eight years ago, nine years ago or 10 years ago? Why not protest against their own Barisan Nasional government when they were still in power then? That is what I do not understand.

When Barisan Nasional was in power prior to 2008, the MPSP authorities were already acting against illegal petty traders at the market. Where were you then, UMNO and MCA? Why are you here now? Nothing much has changed vis-a-vis the policy of MPSP regarding these petty traders, right? Bugger off, you UMNO and MCA trouble makers; we don't need you suddenly become our torch-bearers!