Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri bin Hj. Abdul Aziz, an Umno blogger better known as Sakmongkol AK47, is in my opinion one of the more balanced political bloggers. However, don't be mistaken that he is neutral in his political views. He blogs in Umno's interest, but there is nothing wrong with that. I have in general respected most of his views.

However, his latest article titled 'Is the government spineless?' on the controversy surrounding the YouTube rant by Malaysian rapper Namewee against school principal Siti Inshah Mansor has regrettably omitted a number of glaring truths. Sakmongol called for the government to show some leadership in dealing with both personalities.  

He wrote: "The government should do what is right. If what Siti Inshah Mansor has done is wrong punish her. If what Namewee has done is wrong punish him. It's a right-or-wrong issue The government must show it's capable of doing the right thing."

While I have no quarrel with the thrust of his message, I do with his simplification of the entire issue.

Vulgarity feature of gangsta rap  

Who or rather what is Namewee or Wee Weng Chee, his real name? Wee is a socio-political commentator, in fact one just like Sakmongkol himself, Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, Ibrahim Ali and a host of Malaysian socio-political bloggers.

While Sakmongkol employs sophisticated and elegant prose and measured reasoning to propagate his socio-political messages, Wee resorts to gangsta rap, a subgenre of hip hop developed by African Americans, where the use of profanity, vulgarism and in-your-face language is a staple diet of that genre of music.

I agree with Sakmongkol that if Wee is found to have done something legally wrong in his recent rapping about the notorious school principal, then the authority should charge him.

But then, will Sakmongkol agree with me that people like Ibrahim Ali and Ridhuan Tee and several editors and journalists in Utusan Malaysia and other Umno-linked mainstream media be similarly charged, if not more, for their virtually daily spew of seditious speeches and articles, which until now, have gone unquestioned by the authority?  

Then there are those posted by the less refined and cultivated group of pro-Umno bloggers which should also deserve the attention of the authority.

I'll be most interested in Sakmongkol's views on my above proposition that what's good for the gander should be good for the goose.

In position of trust over young  

Let us switch our attention to Siti Inshah Mansor; yes, there's another school principal in Kedah who has also been accused of similar bigotry, but let's evaluate Siti Inshah's conduct as representative of these frightening examples of Malaysian principals and teachers.

Siti Inshah Mansor is not a socio-political commentator. She is a teacher and not only that but the head of teachers in a particular school in Johor. She is responsible for the holistic education of hundreds of young innocent Malaysians to equip them with good knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and examples.

The importance of the teaching role is such that Henry Adams advised us "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."

Yet there are police reports against Siti Inshah for allegedly making the most vile and vicious verbal attacks against her own pupils. I needn't go into the details of her alleged racism but suffice to remind ourselves that this person is not a socio-political commentator like Namewee, Ibrahim Ali or Ridhuan Tee, but placed by the authority in a position of enormous trust to teach, guide and constructively mould young Malaysians for their and the nation's future.

If the allegations are true, then she has maliciously sown the most poisonous seeds in those innocent, virgin and fertile minds. And when do we reckon her baleful influence may fade away? Alas, Adams warned it will be for eternity.

Series of meaningless internal probes

Now, should we consider a school principal in that position of trust and responsibility as in the same category with a socio-political nobody like Namewee, or for that matter, demagogue Ibrahim Ali and ultra conservative Ridhuan Tee?

Her alleged crimes are a trillion times more destructive than any bigotry that a socio-political activist, from either side of the political fence, could possibly display to the public. Her alleged malignancy will, nay, has already brought about immeasurable psychological devastation in some of our youth.

In not dealing decisively with the serious allegations against this school principal, but instead heels dragging through a series of meaningless internal investigations, I agree with Sakmongkol that the government has shown it's incapable of doing the right thing.

But note also the authorities' double standard treatment of her and Namewee. 

While Siti Inshah has been handled with kid gloves, Namewee has already had two gruelling sessions with the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), of three and seven hours-and-a-half duration respectively. How prompt can the authorities be when they want to. 

And believe me, no one will be surprised if Siti Inshah Mansor and her Kedah colleague are eventually promoted sideways.

So I do hope my dear Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri bin Hj. Abdul Aziz will do the right thing himself and acknowledge his article has failed to distinguish fairly between the alleged culpability of a socio-political rapper and that of a trusted school principal.