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Saucy Samak and Thai politics
Links: A Brunei cyclist and blogger. Misplaced nationalism in Southeast Asia. Singapore Food Festival 2008. Impact of riing oil prices in Cambodia.
I recently joined Taiwanese, HK and Chinese bloggers in a virtual discussion about the latest corruption scandal in Taiwan. Read Oiwan's article. Find out why many Taiwanese are talking about Marcos.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has his own peculiar, aggressive, and sometimes funny manner of answering his critics.
While admitting that he was a nominee of former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak denied that he is a puppet of the ousted leader. He insisted that it is the opposition that should be charged as being the army’s puppet.
During a heated debate in Parliament, Samak was seen on national television folding an origami bird. Later, he insisted he was listening to the parliamentary discussion while making the origami bird.
When a member of Parliament suggested that Samak take leave and get medical treatment for showing symptoms of mental deficiency and behavior disorder, Samak dared the accuser to compete with him in a brain game or memory test. “Don’t mess with a man called Samak,” the prime minister exclaimed.
During one embarrassing instance, Samak hid in a market’s public toilet for 30 minutes to evade reporters who wanted to ask questions about a rumored Cabinet reshuffle. When he emerged from the toilet, the media were still waiting for him.
Samak shouted at reporters for violating his privacy. He held out his hands so that reporters could smell that he washed them. Then he scolded the media: “It's awful, it's shameful. Should I be filmed inside while emptying myself? They should be checked to see if they are insane. This is not human. I was sitting inside, as was my right. Who has a problem? I would like just to shop and go to the toilet, but they kept filming. Are you insane?"
According to journalists who were at the scene, Samak left without paying the fee for using the public bathroom.
This is one of several times when the media were able to witness and report Samak’s famous temper. There was another occasion when Samak became furious after reporters kept on questioning him about a rumored coup. Samak surprised his audience when he stated that, "From now on, when reporters ask me a question, I'll say ‘I know nothing.’"
When environmentalists opposed the government plan to divert water from a dam in Laos into Thailand, Samak retorted angrily, "I would like to ask them, the environmentalists, rudely: will we do it on their heads?"
To minimize criticism of a planned casino complex in Thailand, Samak clarified that the government is building an entertainment complex, not a casino. He argued that it’s time for Thailand to have an entertainment complex complete with a casino, a sports arena and a convention hall. Critics pointed out that changing the name of the project does not make it acceptable, since it will still house a casino.
Samak’s concept of social injustice is unique. Obviously piqued by the successive rallies conducted by the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy, Samak questioned the media’s faithful coverage of the protest actions. He asked the leaders of the rally members, “Where did you come from? When were you elected and what legal status do you have?” Then he lashed out at media: “The media treats them as if they have equal status with the Cabinet. This annoys me because the media give equal weight to them as what the media attaches to the Cabinet. This is social injustice.”
The Bangkok rallies in June were somewhat similar to the street protests in 2006 prior to the coup that ousted Thaksin. The rallies were successful in undermining Samak’s credibility. At one point, many people thought he was on the way out. In response, Samak warned that he would create street gangs to disrupt the new government if he were forcibly removed from power.
Samak, like his predecessor, is popular among the rural poor. Aside from distributing dole-outs, Samak maximizes the medium of television to win support for his government. He launched his own daily TV show, “Talk Samak Style,” to answer the numerous accusations hurled by anti-government politicians and groups.
Samak was a celebrity chef before becoming a prime minister. He can shop in public markets without being accused of engaging in a cheap publicity stunt. He often uses his cooking skills to entertain foreign leaders. He once cooked for the visiting military leader of Myanmar. He even defended the ruling junta by stating that “killings and suppressions are normal” in Myanmar. He added that the Burmese general is a religious person who practices meditation and prays in the morning.
Samak has a reputation of being a right-winger. He supported the crackdown of leftist student activists in the 1970s. He denied there were many casualties when soldiers invaded a university in 1976. He even claimed that some of the student protesters were working for Vietnamese communists.
Samak is a controversial, contradictory and highly conservative leader. He bullies his opponents. He often reprimands the critical media. And his behavior is sometimes undignified.
Samak’s major achievement is that he is still in power today. When he became the prime minister early this year, commentators predicted that he would not last his term and that he would be ousted after a few months. Well, Samak is still verbally abusing his enemies on TV every night; he still cooks for visiting dignitaries; and he is still making his origami bird in Parliament. In short, he is still the prime minister.
But the year is not yet over. The opposition can still mount a stronger campaign in the next few months. And if it is true that Samak is a puppet of Thaksin, can Samak manage to remain in power once Thaksin decides to support another politician?
Related entries:
Gloria Arroyo
Malaysia's sex scandals
I recently joined Taiwanese, HK and Chinese bloggers in a virtual discussion about the latest corruption scandal in Taiwan. Read Oiwan's article. Find out why many Taiwanese are talking about Marcos.
Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has his own peculiar, aggressive, and sometimes funny manner of answering his critics.
While admitting that he was a nominee of former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra, Samak denied that he is a puppet of the ousted leader. He insisted that it is the opposition that should be charged as being the army’s puppet.
During a heated debate in Parliament, Samak was seen on national television folding an origami bird. Later, he insisted he was listening to the parliamentary discussion while making the origami bird.
When a member of Parliament suggested that Samak take leave and get medical treatment for showing symptoms of mental deficiency and behavior disorder, Samak dared the accuser to compete with him in a brain game or memory test. “Don’t mess with a man called Samak,” the prime minister exclaimed.
During one embarrassing instance, Samak hid in a market’s public toilet for 30 minutes to evade reporters who wanted to ask questions about a rumored Cabinet reshuffle. When he emerged from the toilet, the media were still waiting for him.
Samak shouted at reporters for violating his privacy. He held out his hands so that reporters could smell that he washed them. Then he scolded the media: “It's awful, it's shameful. Should I be filmed inside while emptying myself? They should be checked to see if they are insane. This is not human. I was sitting inside, as was my right. Who has a problem? I would like just to shop and go to the toilet, but they kept filming. Are you insane?"
According to journalists who were at the scene, Samak left without paying the fee for using the public bathroom.
This is one of several times when the media were able to witness and report Samak’s famous temper. There was another occasion when Samak became furious after reporters kept on questioning him about a rumored coup. Samak surprised his audience when he stated that, "From now on, when reporters ask me a question, I'll say ‘I know nothing.’"
When environmentalists opposed the government plan to divert water from a dam in Laos into Thailand, Samak retorted angrily, "I would like to ask them, the environmentalists, rudely: will we do it on their heads?"
To minimize criticism of a planned casino complex in Thailand, Samak clarified that the government is building an entertainment complex, not a casino. He argued that it’s time for Thailand to have an entertainment complex complete with a casino, a sports arena and a convention hall. Critics pointed out that changing the name of the project does not make it acceptable, since it will still house a casino.
Samak’s concept of social injustice is unique. Obviously piqued by the successive rallies conducted by the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy, Samak questioned the media’s faithful coverage of the protest actions. He asked the leaders of the rally members, “Where did you come from? When were you elected and what legal status do you have?” Then he lashed out at media: “The media treats them as if they have equal status with the Cabinet. This annoys me because the media give equal weight to them as what the media attaches to the Cabinet. This is social injustice.”
The Bangkok rallies in June were somewhat similar to the street protests in 2006 prior to the coup that ousted Thaksin. The rallies were successful in undermining Samak’s credibility. At one point, many people thought he was on the way out. In response, Samak warned that he would create street gangs to disrupt the new government if he were forcibly removed from power.
Samak, like his predecessor, is popular among the rural poor. Aside from distributing dole-outs, Samak maximizes the medium of television to win support for his government. He launched his own daily TV show, “Talk Samak Style,” to answer the numerous accusations hurled by anti-government politicians and groups.
Samak was a celebrity chef before becoming a prime minister. He can shop in public markets without being accused of engaging in a cheap publicity stunt. He often uses his cooking skills to entertain foreign leaders. He once cooked for the visiting military leader of Myanmar. He even defended the ruling junta by stating that “killings and suppressions are normal” in Myanmar. He added that the Burmese general is a religious person who practices meditation and prays in the morning.
Samak has a reputation of being a right-winger. He supported the crackdown of leftist student activists in the 1970s. He denied there were many casualties when soldiers invaded a university in 1976. He even claimed that some of the student protesters were working for Vietnamese communists.
Samak is a controversial, contradictory and highly conservative leader. He bullies his opponents. He often reprimands the critical media. And his behavior is sometimes undignified.
Samak’s major achievement is that he is still in power today. When he became the prime minister early this year, commentators predicted that he would not last his term and that he would be ousted after a few months. Well, Samak is still verbally abusing his enemies on TV every night; he still cooks for visiting dignitaries; and he is still making his origami bird in Parliament. In short, he is still the prime minister.
But the year is not yet over. The opposition can still mount a stronger campaign in the next few months. And if it is true that Samak is a puppet of Thaksin, can Samak manage to remain in power once Thaksin decides to support another politician?
Related entries:
Gloria Arroyo
Malaysia's sex scandals
posted by: mongpalatino at August 26, 2008 17:02 |
link | comments (1) |
east asia
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