Jumping the Gun!

Page 2 in theSun today (May 13, 2005)contained an important news brief that could have escaped many Malaysians' eyes -- I record this for the benefit of readers interested in our foreign affairs.

Headed M'sis backs Germany, Japan for UN Security Council Seats
the report reads:
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia said yesterday it was backing Germany and Japan for permanent seats on a reformed UN Security Council.
"Our Prime Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has announced that he is supporting Japan an Germany," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.
"That is the position that was taken long ago, and our prime minister has restated it," Dyed Hamid said.(Desiderata's emphasis)
Germany and Japan are among key powers seeking permanet seats on the council, arguing the current lineup of five permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- is outdated as it was founded in the wake of World War II.
Syed Hamid was speaking at a news conference after he met UN envoy Ali Alatas to discuss reforms to the UN.

Desiderata: I'm not going into the pros and cons of Malaysia's stands. What I'm recalling here today is a Post titled "Learn to speak well before politicking" dated April 22, 2005, where I recorded the horror of listening to a deputy minister Tan Chai Ho (from the MCA of the Barisan Nasional) whose spoken English at public functions really was embarassing for a Malaysian leader.

At a certain function reported widely by the press,Tan also spoke against the Japanese government's lobby for a seat in the UN Security Council (UNSC), and I had questioned whther Tan was speaking as a Chinese or a Malaysian leader. As far as I know then, the Government had NOT taken a stand on this issue of Japan's campaign for a UNSC seat.

I said Tan was obviously cashing on the "flavour of the month" of China-Japan clashes regarding Japan's re-writing of history books playing down Japan's commission of atrocities on the Chinese mainland in World War I.

The question arises now is that Tan was speaking to a Malaysian Chinese community on clearly official "foreign affairs" issue when he protested against Japan's fight for a UNSC seat, but he is now gguilty of "misleading" the community as the Government's stand contradicted his! OR is he pleading IGNORANCE?

That Syed Hamid said the Government's stand was taken "long ago" and the PM was merely "restating it" meant Tan was speaking out of line.

They call this Jumping the Gun! Maybe the deputy minister's press aides can help him understand this simple concept of "collective responsibility" in Government and speaking with one voice on foreign affairs. Anyway, which ministry does Tan represent?

May I add an advice to high officials: Learn your subjject well before speaking!