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IN the awkward world of Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi, there are no gays in Malaysia.
There were also no Sulu armed intruders during the bloody Tanduo intrusion in 2013, in which 10 police officers and 56 Filipino militants were killed.
In a viral video clip, the Parti Warisan Sabah high council member and the Silam deputy claimed that Malaysian security forces were fighting “chickens and dogs”.
He also said that military planes and tanks, which were deployed in Tanduo about 37 kilometers from the city of Lahad Datu in Sabah, destroyed oil palm plantations.
Mohammaddin should have known better. It is the deputy of Lahad Datu (renamed Silam) where the Tanduo intrusion occurred.
But it’s no wonder he made such an awkward comment.
When he was Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mohamaddin was one of the “clowns and comic characters” in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet in Pakatan Harapan.
“Homosexuality? I don’t think we have such a thing in our country,” Mohamaddin said at the ITB Berlin travel fair in 2019, when asked by German media if Malaysia was a safe destination for homosexuals.
Will Mohamaddin’s mistake cost Warisan Plus (consisting of Warisan, DAP, PKR, and Upko) votes in Sabah’s upcoming instant election?
Ilham Center CEO Hisommudin Bakar said he would compromise the Warisan Plus votes in today’s early voting for the Sabah elections, especially on the seats that have military and police voters.
“Swinging votes will occur in seats like Tanjung Keramat, which has a high number of early voters, and would benefit other candidates besides Warisan Plus,” he said.
There are 20,871 early voters or 2% of the total voting population. The top six state seats with the highest number of early voters are Tanjung Keramat (2,852), Karambunai (2,131), Karamunting (1,842), Kapayan (1,504), Kukusan (1,353) and Api Api (1,190).
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia political analyst Dr. Mazlan Ali agrees that Mohamaddin’s mistake could affect the military and police votes.
“It is not a smart comment and it did not show political maturity,” he said.
Hisommudin noted that the incorrect statement had somewhat affected Warisan’s aggressive campaign.
If Warisan President and Acting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and their party cannot contain the problem, it could contribute to the government alliance losing support.
“It is more dangerous if the issue grows like a snowball. If it gets bigger, it will give a strong slap to the strength of the Warisan campaign,” he said.
Will the mistake affect Mohamaddin’s chances of winning Segama, one of four state seats in his Lahad Datu parliamentary constituency?
If the Silam deputy can weather the storm, Hisommudin said, the fallout could still affect state seats in urban areas.
Sensing the political damage that Mohamaddin had caused, the politically intelligent Shafie has apologized to all members of the security forces and their families.
Even the clumsy politician himself has apologized. Now, for him, Tanduo’s intrusion is not a puppet (just a show).
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