THE MIGHT OF THE KERIS

Keris Panca Warisan. What a magnificent name for a Keris. It is claimed that it almost brought the downfall of the Barisan Nasional in the recent General Elections. Yes indeed ladies and gentlemen, it wasn't the blatant arrogance of the UMNO leaders campaigning in their flashy cars, showing off their corporate friends from the City promising to bring vast development translating into a higher cost of living in an already comfortable area; It wasn't the reckless eagerness of candidates forcing the PM's hand to allow them to stand in constituencies they have no business contesting in, thereby denying the local leaders who were much, much more deserving the privilige to serve; It wasn't the brash leaders of one or two component parties within the Barisan Nasional who were behaving like the opposition in residence while the DAP were the opposition in exile, questioning openly the government's stand on several issues discarding the opportunity to discuss it in the weekly Cabinet meetings. No, it wasn't the failure of the other component parties to convince their constituents to consider the good work they have done for the community and not the petty antics of a youth leader who was merely trying to inject spirit into his members in an annual general assembly. No, it wasn't the major failure of a feared leader who has ruled his party with an iron fist for more than 20 years to improve the economic status of his people, but whose family lives very comfortably nontheless, leading to his community spreading their discontent on the Streets of Ampang. No it wasn't the failure of a leader who didn't take obvious pre-emptive measures over seditious remarks that led to an open and violent demonstration that literally cracked the head of a police personnel. The list goes on for many of the more obvious reasons that should take precedence over the matter of a ritual in an Annual Meeting of a Malay party. The Keris it seems has more power to negate all the good work done by all the politicians of all ethnic backgrounds stacked together in Barisan Nasional. Can you swallow this theory? If you can, then you must have a big and deep throat.

" Our dignity does not depend on the Keris" , said the Deputy Prime Minister, but he must remember that it is our symbol nonetheless. The Keris is placed in the centre of the UMNO flag and also the logo, and Hishammuddin has admitted that he "cannot defend the symbol of our heritage", which is smack in the middle of both.

So to summarise. The Keris is not our dignity but is no less the symbol of our heritage placed in everything that is UMNO that Hishammuddin cannot defend.

In conclusion. Hishammuddin's enhancement in Malay politics might be cut down to bits by the very Keris that he brandished. It is said by a wise man that the Keris, once unsheathed will protect the person as long as he uses its power with full responsibilty and fairness in the struggle for the community. If there is impurity in its use, then the hand that grips it will in turn earn its wrath.

If the Custodian of the Panca Warisan cannot defend it, then he should not be accorded the privilige that comes with the responsibility. With God's will, those who have forsaken it will be delivered a cruel hand come December 2008.

Such is the might of The Keris.