Teresa Kok, Sassy?

(By KARIM RASLAN/ MySinchew)

The tagline on Teresa Kok’s blog reveals more about the Puchong MP and Selangor State Assemblyman for Kinrara than she might perhaps intend.

“Sassy adj(ective) sas..si.er, sas..sie.est: Lively, spirited, jaunty, stylish, chic: That’s me: Impudent, rude: Hmmm…” (Blog’s note: the writer has some punctuation marks wrongly placed in this sentence which give a totally different intended meaning to Teresa’s ‘tag’ which could be seen at the bottom of the blog)

Blogging is by nature, a very personal activity – it’s all about honesty and openness. However, as one becomes an increasingly public figure like YB Teresa, a collision between the two halves of one’s existence; public and private may no longer be avoidable.

Still, the forty-four year old rising star with the largest electoral majority in the country, (coming sixth in the recent DAP party polls also underlined her considerable popularity within the movement) is like a girl guide on steroids and i do mean this positively: indeed, she’s beyond energetic, she’s kinetic.

However, as we all know there’s a fine line between assertive and aggressive and for many and that includes her bete noir, the former Mentri Besar, Dato Sri Khir Toyo, YB Teresa’s brand of in-your-face, Mary Poppins/Maria von Trapp activism is an anathema. This woman, to her credit doesn’t back down in the face of establishment wrath.

Nonetheless, you can’t talk about Teresa Kok, without acknowledging the impact of sexism and racism on her career especially since she championed the rights of women in police lock-up. Back in 2005 she exposed the strip searches and nude squats that were to embarrass the nation. These two factors, for better or for worse, have shaped how people perceive the DAP stalwart.

Coming from her activist background (she was Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary for many years) and after decades slaving away in opposition, it’s clear that YB Teresa, Selangor’s Senior State Exco responsible for Trade and Industry, doesn’t fully realise that she’s become – in the eyes of the world – a very influential Chinese woman in a predominantly Malay male environment.

It’s an unfortunate reflection of our sexist and racist society, that the combination can have unexpected and unpleasant consequences and one of these is that she has become a key target for many mainstream Malay-language journalists. There is a perception in these news rooms (though this doesn’t include Sinar Harian where she is highly regarded) that YB Teresa is the ‘puppet-master’ of Shah Alam orchestrating the Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid’s every move. To my mind, such ideas are faintly ridiculous especially given Khalid’s domineering personality.

The full force of the mainstream Malay media descended on her earlier this year in April over the pig-farming issue that blew up almost immediately after the Pakatan govt assumed office. Realising the extent to which her straight-forward (and ‘sassy’?) manner had complicated the issue, she herself admitted to me back then that she needed to be more circumspect about her comments.

Things turned for the worse with a recent article on Wednesday 10th entitled “Azan, Jawi, JAIS, UiTM dan ba-alif-ba-ya…” written by Zaini Hussain that appeared on page 5 of the Malay-language daily, Utusan Malaysia.

The article, whilst never actually referring to YB Teresa by name seemed to suggest that she had been interfering in the practice of azan in various parts of the Klang Valley.

Written in a highly personal manner, the article quoted Khir Toyo extensively whilst going on to imply that YB Teresa (and indeed the entire Pakatan state govt) was insufficiently respectful of Islam and Islamic practices.

The Utusan article sent a ripple of anger and frustration coursing through the Selangor State offices in Shah Alam, resulting in a Press Conference later that day during which the State Exco demanded an apology from both the author and the newspaper.

Since then a police report has been lodged by PAS MP, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud against Khir Toyo amongst others. As an aside, it’s interesting to note that when Pakatan MPs come under fire for issues of morality and/or religion, PAS is inevitably the saviour. Their steadfastness and loyalty to their fellow Pakatan allies can deflect a Malay backlash however vehement the mainstream media witness the way Anwar Ibrahim was forced to turn to Tok Guru Nik Aziz over the sodomy charges. YB Teresa has depended on her fellow Selangor MP’s. Indeed, Shah Alam MP, Khalid Samad has been very forthright in his support of his colleague from Puchong.

The constant pressure on YB Teresa has clearly been exhausting. However (and this is certainly not what Khir Toyo and Utusan would have wanted) but the pressure has had the effect of bringing PAS and DAP closer and closer together. Herein, lies a critical lesson for Umno and their allies in Selangor – raising the spectre of racial tension is actually strengthening the opposition’s resolve and hardening the rakyat’s sympathies towards the former govt.

As YB Teresa says: “the people have given us the mandate. Muslims and non-muslims have voted for one another. It’s God’s will that we are supposed to be together. We have to be sensitive to manage the commonalities. Any aprty that causes the fall or break-up of the Pakatan Rakyat will be blamed by all Malaysians.”