Malaysians Divided Over Tajuddin’s Appointment, Some Say Zahid’s The Better Man
Some say Zahid’s a better fit because he’s of Javanese descent.
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The government’s move to appoint Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as ambassador to Indonesia has unearthed existential cracks in public opinion.
Many Malaysians believe that the former Prasarana chairman’s diplomatic journey won’t be as smooth as an LRT ride.
The reason is that many are not happy.
People didn’t expect Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to appoint the outspoken veteran Umno man after an inordinate delay in finalising the decision.
Malaysians Don’t Easily Forget
The appointment of Tajuddin comes amid lingering dissatisfaction with his incompetence at Prasarana not too long ago.
READ MORE: Former Prasarana Chairman To Become Indonesia Ambassador? Reports Say It Might Happen Soon
@chinapressdigital 1分钟了解达祖丁被#炒鱿鱼 #nowonderla #probok #tajuddin ♬ 原聲 – 中国报
The public made no attempts to hide their displeasure and said appointing Tajuddin as envoy would be a disaster.
Some noted that Tajuddin is getting a pay raise at taxpayers’ expense, despite his incompetence.
@ismailsabri60 Tarik balik lantikan Tajuddin sebagai Duta Besar Malaysia ke Indonesia. Jangan malukan Tuanku YDPA dan negara! @saifuddinabd @MalaysiaMFA @HouseOfPahang – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/AB2cr5BXwN via @Change
— Marina Mahathir (@netraKL) May 18, 2022
Tajuddin Abdul Rahman
— Malek Hussin (@AbdMalekHussin) May 17, 2022
Sebelum dipecat sebagai Pengerusi Prasarana, gajinya disebut cuma RM8,000 sebulan.
Kini dilantik jadi Duta Besar ke Indonesia, gajinya maksimum RM24,465 sebulan.
[Belum termasuk gaji bulanan sebagai MP dan pencen bulanan sebagai bekas Timbalan Menteri] pic.twitter.com/i7sX8o7oAN
Bet : tajuddin has a sikret wife/family in Indonesia, hence the election https://t.co/5T9lAEaMrs
— _ (@takaharasuiko) May 18, 2022
Zahid The White Knight
Amidst the simmering resentment, some suggested that the job be given to former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi despite his present troubles.
Zahid, who is also a former Home Minister, is facing 47 charges – 12 for criminal breach of trust (CBT), eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering.
They said the Bagan Datuk MP would be the right man as he is of Javanese descent.
The Umno president was born in Bagan Datuk while his parents were from Indonesia.
Netizens said appointing Zahid instead can be a last-minute step to save face as Tajuddin’s appointment had met roadblocks previously.
Kenapa nak lantik tajuddin? Baik lantik Wak Jahid Komedi. Dia kan orang Indonesia 💀 https://t.co/aOxQ27SwoM
— Ery Mengajar Ilmu Berdagang (@eryazmi) May 18, 2022
Punyalah teruknya Tajudin ni sampai tahap kalau kau lantik Zahid Hamidi jadi ambassador ke Indonesia pun aku lagi setuju
— zed (@zaidzikrijantan) November 10, 2021
A Laughing Stock – When UMNO Thugs Nazri & Tajuddin Rejected By Switzerland And Indonesia As Ambassadors https://t.co/DdGJkhtPJm via @financetwitting
— RichardLi (@richardrichli) January 18, 2022
Is Malay The Same As Javanese?
The Javanese Malaysians are people of full or partial Javanese descent who were born in or immigrated to Malaysia.
They form a significant part of Malaysia’s population and Malaysian law considers most of them to be Malays.
Malaysia is home to the largest Javanese population outside Indonesia.
There are speakers of Javanese in Malaysia (concentrated in the West Coast part of the states of Selangor and Johor) and Singapore.
Javanese are known for their indirectness which is based on politeness and addressing issues in such a way that the person is not offended.
They avoid hints of criticism, pointing out mistakes or mentioning anything the other person might be sensitive about.
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