Plausible Denial Ability

Technorati tags: Politics, UMNO, Denial, GE2008

If the hit TV series X Files, some years back, introduced the term plausible deniability, Malaysians today were introduced to a totally new twist to the phrase. Or at least Walski thinks so.

To him, this phrase now also means a plausible ability to be in denial. Oh, and written a little differently, as plausible denial ability. Because what Walski witnessed UMNO/BN say today was exactly this.

Like... Why did BN fare so badly in GE 2008?
Answer: SABOTAGE!

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi might as well have said that aliens ate his phantom voters... Nevermind that it was the people who voted... minor detail. Yes, folks, BN was sabotaged...

If anyone ever had any doubts about just how deep-set denial is within UMNO, today more or less set those questions to rest. Permanently.

Walski wasn't sure whether to laugh his head off, or lose his breakfast and lunch... and now that he's had dinner, maybe that too.
(Mat Tyson saves AAB's ass, and more, in the full post)

Also present was UMNO Communications supremo, Muhammad x2 Taib, who apparently played a big role in making a question and answer session disappear during the briefing, conducted for approximately 1,000 grassroots leaders, at the UMNO HQ at the Putra World Trade Center in KL.

The same Malaysiakini news report had this to say:

Delegates who attended the briefing told Malaysiakini that the two-hour party briefing however did not include a question-and-answer session despite that it was on the agenda.

"Although microphones were there but when it came to the Q&A portion, Muhd Taib said that Abdullah's clarification was very good and asked if the Q&A session could be scrapped," said the grassroots leader.

"Although some disagreed, after a quick show of hands, he quickly announced that the majority of the members did not want to ask questions. And that was the end of it."

Similarly, questions posed to Muhd Taib on the recent calls for the abolition of Umno quota system as well as the demand for an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the polls setback were quickly dismissed.

According to Muhd Taib, you don't change the rules while in the middle of a football game.
(source: Malaysiakini - subscription required)

Mat Tyson need a new nickname? Walski thus christens him The Silencer. What better way to be the Communications Supremo than to make sure no one else talks, eh?

Meanwhile, the PM had this to add about BN's performance during the last general elections (emphasis by myAsylum - inline comments in this color).

"I admit that the last four years, the government under my leadership have not been able to fully accomplish and implement all of the proposals." - to put it mildly...

The government has nevertheless brought many good changes to the economy, he said.

"For without a strong economy, we will not be able to implement other proposals."

He said that steps will continue to be taken to improve judicial integrity, racial harmony, police and public administration. - more promises for the next 4/5 years...

"Despite all this, the voters did not reject us and the opposition is not the government of the day. At the federal government level, we were eight seats short of two-thirds majority - a benchmark for success in Barisan Nasional," said Abdullah.
(source: Malaysiakini - subscription required)

Plausible denial ability? Yeah, more than plausible. And more than capable. Walski, for one, is quite convinced that PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is in big-time denial, backed 100% by supremos from UMNO, who are also in denial - or at least pretending to be.

The same intra-party supporters who are probably gonna turn on him when the time is right and ripe... Et tu, Brute?