Poker v Chess: Kit Siang & Hadi
Kit Siang: - Hadi,
superb! You were playing us like a violin, weren't you? We never expected the
old 'scarf and dagger.'
Hadi: - I take
issue with that, Kit! Must I remind you we are Muslims? With Karpal in
the equation, we could not come clean earlier, but I trust you remember our
founder, who said, "If Malaysia is truly Islamic, PAS is irrelevant."
Kit Siang: - In
hindsight, Hadi, that was the 'reddest' flag we missed. Perhaps, we were blurred by
your lies and double-speak, but we took comfort in Karpal's bluster, "Over my dead body." While alive, those four words gave refuge to the
secular ground. A fitting epitaph of the man would be, "As long as he lives,
Malaysia will not be Islamic."
Hadi: - An
appropriate inscription for 'the Lion' indeed, despite your coy takes on the 'Hitler'
epitaph of Tomas Masaryk. But granted, we feared Karpal. Something about him mimicked his warrior ancestor three centuries ago, who galvanized
a movement that erased the wish list of the Mughals to Islamize India. The Hindu republic remains secular due to the advent of his campaign.
Kit Siang: - Keep
one eye on his cubs, Hadi. It is not a coincidence that one of them shares the same name as the religionist. I would not discount him if I were you.
He is just as dangerous, especially when he goes 'under the radar. He is known
to cut the buffalo when you least expect it.
Hadi: - Thank you
for the warning, Kit. It would not make a difference, but it would be good to brush up on the nuances of the old Khalsa when time permits.
Kit Siang: - In
any case, Hadi, you have the upper hand. At the least, come clean. How much
time do we have?
Hadi: - Before we
give you the boot or before we give you the draft of the 'revised'
Constitution?
Kit Siang: - Shariah!
Alas, someone amongst us brings clarity to the table. Your honesty, Hadi, is
like a back hiding a knife.
Hadi: - That, Kit
Siang, is a low blow! There are, of course, more puns at stake here, but may I
remind you that we are discussing Islam.
Kit Siang: In the same vein, you are reminded that your betrayal is relative to our
secular Constitution you wish to supplant. Hadi, I'm too 'sanitized'
for this discussion. Where is Vel Paari when I need some adjectives to
describe this mess! Besides, I must deal with an uncomfortable 'I Told You So'
firestorm from his father, not to mention the MIC, MCA, and Gerakan - Jesus!
Hadi: - Well, the non-Muslim parties in the BN will have to deal with a similar dilemma
when we announce our 'marriage' to UMNO. Why do you think our PM dropped by the
Kingdom if not to give King Salman our 'wedding card.'
Kit Siang: -Excellent timing, Hadi, and with such finesse!
Hadi:- You see, Kit, we planted a flag at the headcount of Muslim parliamentarians after the
13th GE, and from that point, we have been working our end objective to its
logical conclusion. I am proud to announce that our threshold is sufficient to
form our nation's first Islamic government.
Kit Siang: - Your
threshold? I may have overlooked your proficiency in chess, Hadi, but your mathematics
is a tad deficient. PAS and UMNO combined simply need the numbers.
Hadi: - But PAS,
UMNO, and the Muslim parliamentarians in PKR combined have. It is
time to 'call upon the Ummah' to advance the cause of Islam. The Irish activist coined the phrase "With the Armalite in one hand and the ballot box in the
other." Checkmate, if you
will!
Kit Siang: - You
got me, Hadi. I am floored! We rolled the dice and tried to outmanoeuvre you, but
your chess was too good for our poker. Besides, your performance 'on stage' over the
past decade was exemplary, if not surreal. I would give you 4 stars for
demeanour and body movement and a full 5 for memorizing the lengthy script and keeping a straight face.
Hadi: - Thank you,
Kit. One more thing! Given that the DAP is now in PAS' slipstream, I suggest you
release your Muslim candidates from your party without fanfare. They are in
the tank with us!
Words, Tommy Peters
Comments
Post a Comment